Cyclic flow underground coal gasification process
- Morgantown, WV
The present invention is directed to a method of in situ coal gasification for providing the product gas with an enriched concentration of carbon monoxide. The method is practiced by establishing a pair of combustion zones in spaced-apart boreholes within a subterranean coal bed and then cyclically terminating the combustion in the first of the two zones to establish a forward burn in the coal bed so that while an exothermic reaction is occurring in the second combustion zone to provide CO.sub.2 -laden product gas, an endothermic CO-forming reaction is occurring in the first combustion zone between the CO.sub.2 -laden gas percolating thereinto and the hot carbon in the wall defining the first combustion zone to increase the concentration of CO in the product gas. When the endothermic reaction slows to a selected activity the roles of the combustion zones are reversed by re-establishing an exothermic combustion reaction in the first zone and terminating the combustion in the second zone.
- Research Organization:
- National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4069867
- OSTI ID:
- 862997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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