Abstract Booklet 2006 - Swanson School of Engineering - University ...

ATL process has three stages, namely gasification stage, FT synthesis stage, and
hydrocracking stage. In the project, high activity FT catalyst and hydrocracking
catalyst are developed.
48-4
Behavior of the Solid-Liquid Removal to Make the Ash-Free Coal
Noriyuki Okuyama, Atsushi Furuya, Nobuyuki Komatsu, Takuo Shigehisa, KOBE
Steel, Ltd., JAPAN
Hyper-coal is an ash-free coal produced by applying the solvent de-ashing technology.
Coal is thermally extracted in the coal-derived solvent, which consists with 2-ring
aromatics at 360-380°C. The coal-extracted slurry, which consists with the coal
solution and the insoluble solid including ash, is introduced into the settler. The solid is
settled down by gravity and concentrated in the bottom. Inversely, the solution is
clarified in the top of the settler. After solvent removal, the ash-free coal, which is
named Hyper-coal (HPC), and the ash condensed residue coal (RC) are produced.
This paper concerns with the settling behavior of RC and the clarification behavior
using the batch-type and the continuous settler. The influences of the settling time, the
solid concentration were examined. We understood that the one to two hours of settling
time was needed for converging the solid-liquid separation under the conditions of 310
~ 380°C, 10 ~ 25 wt.% of the initial coal concentration. The ash concentration in HPC
converged around one to three thousand PPM by remaining of the microscopic
particles. The maximum RC concentration in underflow was 35 ~ 40 wt.%, regardless
of the initial ash concentration in raw coal and coal extraction rate.
The operations using the continuous system (0.1t/d bench scale unit, BSU) were
carried out. The clarification grade of the overflow was almost same as the batch
system. The connecting filtration unit further clarified the overflow. The continuous
operations successfully demonstrated the targets, negligible small amount of ash (300
~ 600 PPM in HPC), high yield of HPC (60wt.% on daf) and stable operation.
48-5
Advanced Efficient Equipment for Coal Concentration in China
Xianguo Li, Keping Chen, Mingxu Zhang, Anhui University of Science and
Technology, CHINA
China is a big coal producer in the world, with a total output amounting to about 2100
Mt/a, of which 40% is prepared now. This paper gives a detailed description of
different types of modern high-efficient coal preparation equipment including a jigging
machine, dense medium cyclone, flotation machine, flotation column, and dry
separation equipment. These equipments have been used in China in recent years in
order to raise the qualities of various kinds of coal.
SESSION 49
GASIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES:
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT – 4
49-1
High Efficiency Coal Plant that Meets the DOE 2020 Goals - One Decade Early
William S. Rollins, NovelEdge Technologies, LLC, USA
The DOE has set goals in its Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) for a clean, efficient,
and cost effective coal facility that can separate and sequester CO 2 by 2020. This plant
is intended to demonstrate high efficiency, ultra-low emissions, and moderate cost. In
addition, it is to have the ability to produce hydrogen for external use, and separate
CO 2 for sequestration. To meet this objective, the DOE has funded development
programs for numerous technologies that are intended to help power plant constructors
attain the 2020 CCPI objective. However, by employing only a select few of these new
technologies, along with technology that has been developed independently by
industry, it is possible to meet the essence of the 2020 CCPI objective almost 10 years
early. Not only does this new plant have the ability to meet the CCPI objectives at an
early date, but it also demonstrates a new system for separation of CO 2 that is
significantly less energy and cost intensive than other CO 2 separation methods. The
potential exists for this technology package to provide a coal-fueled power plant,
which includes CO 2 removal at pipeline pressure, that is 20% more efficient, yet less
costly than a conventional supercritical pulverized coal plant of today that includes no
CO 2 removal whatsoever.
49-2
Development of a Coal Feeder for Continuous Injection into Gasification
Operating Pressures of 1000 psi - DOE Funded Phase III Program Review
Tim Saunders, Derek Aaldred, Stamet Inc., USA
43
The DOE, working through the National Energy Technology Laboratory, has funded a
research project to develop the unique Stamet “Posimetric Solids Pump” to a level able
to feed coal into current and planned gasification system operating pressures. The
program’s research objective is a mechanical rotary device for continuously feeding
coal into pressurized environments up to 1000 pounds per square inch. The DOEfunded
research project comprises three phases, Phase I for design and testing of a
device to feed coal into 300 psi, Phase II for feeding into 500 PSI and Phase III with a
1000 PSI injection target. The first phase target was achieved in December 2003 with
results reported at this conference in 2004. In January 2005, the Phase II feeder
achieved a new record pressure for continuous injection of coal, 560 psi, exceeding the
Phase II target. Following success in reaching the Phase II pressure target, the program
addressed fuel flexibility of the machine. Testing was carried out on a range of
carbonaceous fuels from bituminous to lignite, as well as renewable fuel samples, all
of which were successfully fed into pressure. To assess long-term reliability of the
Stamet pump, the Phase II unit has been installed at the DOE-funded Power Systems
Development Facility (PSDF) in Wilsonville AL for extended testing. This is currently
ongoing. Stamet is now undertaking design and assembly of the Phase III feeder.
Additionally, in order to accommodate the latest pressure target and allow flexibility in
future developments, a new and up-rated test rig with a 1500 psi pressure rating is
being fabricated. This paper will present selected results of Phase II, including the
1000-hour testing being undertaken at PSDF, along with a review and evaluation of the
phase III program to the date of the conference and extended semi-scale commercial
testing which should have concluded by the date of the conference.
49-3
The PWR/DOE High-Pressure Ultra-Dense Phase Feed System and
Rapid-Mix Multi-Element Injector for Gasification,
Kenneth Sprouse, David R. Matthews, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Inc., USA
Greg F. Weber, University of North Dakota, USA
This paper provides the status of a high pressure ultra-dense phase feed system and
rapidmix multi-element injector currently being developed by Pratt & Whitney
Rocketdyne Inc. (PWR) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under a
cooperative agreement. The high pressure feed system is part of PWR’s advanced
gasification program to improve overall performance and reduce capital and operating
costs. This effort scalesup work initiated by PWR in the 1970’s (at nominal coal flow
rates of 6 to 24 tons/day) -- see, e.g., Oberg and Hood (1980) and Sprouse and
Schuman (1983, 1986) – to near commercial sizes of 400 to 1200 tons/day.
Construction of a new high pressure (> 1200 psia) test facility at the University of
North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (UNDEERC – Grand Forks,
ND) is in progress with testing expected to commence in January 2007. The dry feed
system minimizes the amount of carrier gas to only that residing within the interstices
of a static coal pile (void fractions nominally 55 vol%). This carrier gas minimization
allows the use of rocket engine style rapid-mix multi-element injectors having coal
flow non-uniformities among the elements below 2 %RSD (relative standard
deviation). The program will test both a 6-element and 18- element injector design
using multiple short-duration (4 minute long) batch mode tests. A continuous highpressure
discharge solids pump at 400 tons/day is also being developed for future longduration
feed system testing in 2008. Uniform flow splitting in dry ultra-dense phase is
an enabling technology for rapid-mix compact gasifier operation. This technology
produces flame temperatures in excess of 5,500°F within a few inches of the injector
face for fast reactions.
49-4
The Exergy Optimization of the Reverse Combustion
Linking in Underground Coal Gasification
Michael Blinderman, Ergo Exergy Technologies Inc., CANADA
Dmitry Saulov, Alexander Klimenko, The University of Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) is a gasification process carried on in nonmined
coal seams using injection and production wells drilled from the surface, which
enables the coal to be converted into product gas. A key operation of the UCG is
linking the injection and production wells. Reverse combustion linking (RCL) is a
method of linking the process wells within a coal seam, which includes injection of an
oxidant into one well and ignition of coal in the other so that combustion propagates
towards the source of oxidant thereby establishing a low hydraulic resistance path
between the two wells. The new theory of the RCL in typical UCG conditions has been
recently suggested. The key parameters of the RCL process are determined using the
technique of Intrinsic Disturbed Flame Equations (IDFE). This study is concerned with
extending the results of the RCL theory to incorporate hydro- dynamics of air injection
and flow during RCL operation to derive mass flow rate of air to the combustion front
as a function of the injection pressure. The results enabled an optimization procedure
maximizing the exergy efficiency of the RCL process. The optimization has been
performed on a model case using a quasi-two-dimensional air flow model in the coal
seam. The results have been compared to the industrial operational data of RCL in the
conditions of the Chinchilla UCG project in Australia. The comparison has indicated a
reasonable conformity of the modeling with the operational results. The preliminary
outcomes of the study will be further refined to incorporate more realistic air flow
models in the coal seams.
49-5
Process Analysis and Performance Evaluation of Updraft Coal Gasifiers
Vittorio Tola, Giorgio Cau, University of Cagliari, ITALY