Process for continuously converting coal into a saturated hydrocarbon gas
Coal is continuously converted into a saturated hydrocarbon gas containing substantially no unsaturated hydrocarbon and having a high calorific value and a uniform composition by the operations of: providing a first treating gas having a predetermined temperature, pressure and composition, by mixing, in a first conditioning chamber, a first substantially inert burnt gas which has been prepared by burning a mixture of a fuel and air, containing therein 2 percent by volume or less of free oxygen, with steam and, if necessary, hydrogen gas; thermally cracking, in a first treating chamber, the coal particles with the first treating gas while fluidizing said coal particles; separately providing a second treating gas having a predetermined temperature, pressure and composition by mixing, in a second conditioning chamber, a second substantially inert burnt gas which has been prepared by burning a fuel, and contains therein 2 percent by volume or less of free hydrogen gas, with hydrogen gas and, if necessary, an additional gas; hydrogenating, in a second treating chamber, the thermally cracked product with the second treating gas while fluidizing the thermally cracked product to generate the saturated hydrocarbon gas and isolating the saturated hydrocarbon gas from the hydrogenation mixture, the hydrogen gas used in the above process being prepared by collecting char from the hydrogenation mixture, converting the char into water-gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases by treating with a third treating gas containing steam, converting the carbon monoxide into a mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide gases by steam treatment and isolating the hydrogen gas from the conversion mixture. (Official Gazette)
- Assignee:
- Mifuji Iron Works, Ltd.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3973924
- OSTI ID:
- 7325755
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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