Pricetown I: in-situ coal conversion field test for bituminous coals
An Underground Coal Conversion (UCC) field test in bituminous coal is currently in progress near Pricetown, West Virginia. This test is being performed by US DOE's Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) with the primary objective of testing the viability of Linked Vertical Well technology to recover the 275 meter-deep, 2 meter-thick coal resource. The field test is being continuously monitored in real time by an acquisition and control system comprised of a host minicomputer and four satellite microprocessors linked to process and analytical instrumentation. Pre-ignition air injection tests and argon tracer tests were performed prior to ignition of the coal seam. These studies provided conductance information for air through the coal seam. Following ignition, the coal seam was prepared for gasification by the reverse combustion linkage (RCL) process. This process increased coal seam permeability and enabled gasification to be initiated. During the RCL phase of the test, the quality of the produced gas averaged 240 BTU/SCFM. The methane content of the produced gas was higher than that observed in field tests performed in western sub-bituminous coal. This high methane content has been attributed to the nature of the bituminous coal which has a very high volatile matter content. The methane formation can be accounted for by thermal and hydrocracking of tars and oils along with hydropyrolysis and hydrogasification of coal char. Gasification is currently in progress.
- Research Organization:
- Mound Facility, Miamisburg, OH (USA); Department of Energy, Morgantown, WV (USA). Morgantown Energy Technology Center
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-04-0053
- OSTI ID:
- 5879287
- Report Number(s):
- MLM-2671(OP); CONF-791204-2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
ALKANES
ARGON
BITUMINOUS COAL
BLACK COAL
BOREHOLE LINKING
CALORIFIC VALUE
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CENTRAL REGION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COAL GASIFICATION
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
CONTROL SYSTEMS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GASIFICATION
HYDROCARBONS
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
METHANE
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PROCESSING
RARE GASES
REVERSE COMBUSTION
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
USA
VOLATILE MATTER
WEST VIRGINIA