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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Pyrolysis and gasification of coal at high temperatures: Quarterly progress report No. 1, September 15-December 15, 1987

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5574440
Research continued in three areas: (1) Effects of pyrolysis conditions on macropore structure - Coals of different ranks were pyrolyzed. The macropore structure of the produced chars were characterized using video microscopy and digital image processing techniques to obtain pore size distributions. The effect of pyrolysis conditions on the pore structure of the devolatilized chars will be evaluated; (2) Gasification under strong intraparticle diffusional limitations - The devolatilized chars will be gasified in the regime of strong intraparticle diffusional limitations using O/sub 2//N/sub 2/ and O/sub 2//H/sub 2/O/N/sub 2/ mixtures. Additional gasification experiments performed in the hot-stage reactor will be videotaped and selected images will be analyzed to obtain quantitative data on particle shrinkage and fragmentation; and (3) Mathematical modeling and model validation - Discrete mathematical models will be developed and validated using the experimental gasification data. Structural properties of the unreacted chars will be used to generate computational grids simulating the pore structure of the solid. Simulations will then provide the evolution of observed reaction rates with conversion. 14 figs., 1 tab.
Research Organization:
Rice Univ., Houston, TX (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
DOE Contract Number:
FG22-87PC79930
OSTI ID:
5574440
Report Number(s):
DOE/PC/79930-T1; ON: DE88004011
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English