Coal derived fuel gases for molten carbonate fuel cells

Technical Report · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5724057

This report characterizes product streams from state-of-the-art and future coal gasification systems to guide fuel cell program planners and researchers in establishing performance goals and developing materials that will be compatible with product gases. Specifically, this report describes: the range of raw-gas compositions available from the major classes of coal gasifiers; the degree of gas clean-up achievable with state-of-the-art and future gas clean-up systems; and the energy penalties associated with gas clean-up. The study encompasses fixed-bed, fluid-bed, entrained-bed, and molten salt gasifiers operating with Eastern bituminous and Western subbituminous coals. Gasifiers operating with air and oxygen blowing are evaluated, and the coal gasification product streams are characterized with respect to: major gas stream constituents, e.g., CO, H/sub 2/, CO/sub 2/, CH/sub 4/, N/sub 2/, H/sub 2/O; major gas stream contaminants, e.g., H/sub 2/S, COS, particulates, tars, etc.; and trace element contaminants, e.g., Na, K, V, Cl, Hg, etc. The results indicate that gasifier product raw-gas compositions are influenced by the gasifier type, operating conditions, and coal type. Fixed-bed gasifiers, that do not subject the coal pyrolysis products to temperatures above approximately 1600/sup 0/F, contain significant quantities of tars, oils, organic sulfur compounds and organic nitrogen compounds in the product raw gas.Fluid-bed, entrained-bed, and molten salt gasifiers, that operate at higher temperatures, produce less of these materials. Increasing operating temperature also favors the formation of H/sub 2/ and CO as compared to CO/sub 2/, H/sub 2/O and CH/sub 4/. Since the presence of H/sub 2/ and CO is preferred over CH/sub 4/ for a molten carbonate fuel cell feed, high operating temperatures seem to be indicated for gasifiers operating with molten carbonate fuel cells.

• Research Organization: TRW, Inc., McLean, VA (USA). Energy Systems Planning Div.
• DOE Contract Number: EY-77-C-21-8085
• OSTI ID: 5724057
• Report Number(s): METC-8085-T2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
COAL FUEL CELLS
FUELS
FUEL GAS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CLEANING
IMPURITIES
HIGH-TEMPERATURE FUEL CELLS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXYSULFIDE
CARBONATES
CHLORINE
COAL GASIFICATION
CORROSION
ELEMENTS
FUEL CELLS
FUEL SYSTEMS
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
MERCURY
METHANE
MOLTEN SALTS
NITROGEN
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
POISONING
POTASSIUM
SODIUM
STEAM
TRACE AMOUNTS
VANADIUM
ALKALI METALS
ALKANES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
FLUIDS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GASIFICATION
HALOGENS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SALTS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
010404* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Gasification
300503 - Fuel Cells- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
010600 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Properties & Composition