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Title: Flash hydropyrolysis of coal. Quarterly report No. 3, July 1, 1977--September 30, 1977

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6725420· OSTI ID:6725420

The program is designed to study the process variables and chemistry of the Flash Hydropyrolysis Process, a rapid gas-phase, non-catalytic coal hydrogenation technique developed at BNL. The equipment used is a 1 lb/hr unit utilizing a 1 inch down flow tubular reactor designed to operate at up to 4000 psi and 800/sup 0/C. This equipment has been in operation for more than a year with only one problem. All the data to date on product yield as a function of temperature and hydrogen pressure is correlated in 4 tables and plotted in a series of 9 figures. The total liquid yields appear to reach a maximum of approximately 20% at 750/sup 0/C with only slight increase with hydrogen pressures above 2000 psi. Approximaly half of this yield is BTX. The ethane yield also appears to maximize between 700 and 750/sup 0/C but continues to increase with increased pressure. Methane yields are shown to continue to increase with both temperature and hydrogen pressure. Total carbon conversion under these conditions approximated 60%. The pyrolysis of lignite using helium in the system shows a five to ten fold decrease in the yields of CH/sub 4/, C/sub 2/H/sub 6/ and C/sub 6/H/sub 6/ compared to flash hydropyrolysis under hydrogen pressure. Preliminary experiments were conducted at 750 and 800/sup 0/C to determine the effect of coal particle residence time on product yields and distribution. The results indicate that at 750/sup 0/C both liquid and gaseous yields increase from 45% to 52% as the residence time is increased by a factor of four from 2.3 to 9.2 seconds. However, at 800/sup 0/C under similar conditions, little change in total yield (60%) is observed but the liquid yield decreases from approximately 4% to 1% with a corresponding increase in gaseous products.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-02-0016
OSTI ID:
6725420
Report Number(s):
BNL-50779
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English