Pollutants from coal conversion processes. Final technical report, September 1, 1980-August 31, 1983

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5229023· OSTI ID:5229023

Felder, R. M.; Ferrell, J. K.

A devolatilized Kentucky bituminous coal, a North Carolina peat, and a New Mexico subbituminous coal have been gasified with steam and oxygen in a pilot-scale fluidized-bed reactor. The reactor was operated at pressures of 570 to 840 kPa (80 to 120 psia), molar steam-to-carbon feed ratios of 0.6 to 1.9, and average bed temperatures of 795 to 1010/sup 0/C (1460 to 1850/sup 0/F). The coal feed rate ranged from 14 to 33 kg/h (30 to 73 lb/h). The reactor effluents were analyzed for major components and potentially hazardous minor components using gas chromatography; tars and wastewaters condensed from the product were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy, capillary column gas chromatography, and high pressure liquid chromatography; and the feed coals, spent chars, and condensed phase streams were analyzed for selected trace metals using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The experimental results were used to provide a basis for the formulation and evaluation of a mathematical model of the gasifier. The model assumes instantaneous devolatilization of coal at the top of the fluidized-bed, instantaneous combustion of carbon at the bottom of the bed, and steam/carbon gasification and water gas shift reaction in a single perfectly mixed isothermal stage. The effects of various operating parameters and phenomena on reactor performance were determined using the model. As would be expected, carbon conversion and make gas production both increase with bed temperature, steam-to-carbon feed ratio, and solid-phase space time. Both also go up with pressure, but above about 1.7 MPa the increases are negligible. At the temperatures studied, the water-gas shift reaction falls short of equilibrium for pressures lower than 2.1 MPa (confirming experimental results), but the reaction is close to equilibrium at pressures above this value. 25 references, 16 figures, 11 tables.

• Research Organization: North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: FG22-80PC30232
• OSTI ID: 5229023
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/30232-T8; ON: DE84007313
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
010800* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Waste Management
BITUMINOUS COAL
BLACK COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHARS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL
COAL GASIFICATION
COAL TAR
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUIDIZED BED
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GASIFICATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
KINETICS
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
LIQUID WASTES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MATTER
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PEAT
PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS
REACTION KINETICS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
SUBBITUMINOUS COAL
TAR
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER