Coal Gasification and Its Applications

Skyrocketing energy costs have spurred renewed interest in coal gasification. Currently available information on this subject needs to be updated, however, and focused on specific coals and end products. For example, carbon capture and sequestration, previously given little attention, now has a prominent role in coal conversion processes.

This book approaches coal gasification and related technologies from a process engineering point of view, with topics chosen to aid the process engineer who is interested in a complete, coal-to-products system. It provides a perspective for engineers and scientists who analyze and improve components of coal conversion processes.

The first topic describes the nature and availability of coal. Next, the fundamentals of gasification are described, followed by a description of gasification technologies and gas cleaning processes. The conversion of syngas to electricity, fuels and chemicals is then discussed. Finally, process economics are covered. Emphasis is given to the selection of gasification technology based on the type of coal fed to the gasifier and desired end product: E.g., lower temperature gasifiers produce substantial quantities of methane, which is undesirable in an ammonia synthesis feed. This book also reviews gasification kinetics which is informed by recent papers and process design studies by the US Department of Energy and other groups, and also largely ignored by other gasification books.

• Approaches coal gasification and related technologies from a process engineering point of view, providing a perspective for engineers and scientists who analyze and improve components of coal conversion processes • Describes the fundamentals of gasification, gasification technologies, and gas cleaning processes • Emphasizes the importance of the coal types fed to the gasifier and desired end products • Covers gasification kinetics, which was largely ignored by other gasification books

• Provides a perspective for engineers and scientists who analyze and improve components of the coal conversion processes
• Describes the fundamentals of gasification, gasification technologies, and gas cleaning processes
• Covers gasification kinetics, which was largely ignored by other gasification books

Process engineers; university faculty and graduate students; corporations who are either providers of gasification or gasification users

Chapter 1, The Nature of Coal Geologic origin of coal Coal analysis and classification Coal as a porous material Spontaneous combustion Reserves, Resources and Production Chapter 2, Non-gasification Coal Use Power production from pulverized coal plants. Supercritical and ultrasupercritical power production. Emissions Carbon capture from pulverized coal plants Amine absorption Oxycombustion Membranes, adsorbents and other techniques Pyrolysis Chapter 3, Gasification Fundamentals Reactions Thermodynamics Kinetics Gasification catalysts Slagging Chapter 4, Gasifiers Moving bed Lurgi BGL Fluidized bed Winkler HTW Transport Reactor ABB KRW U-Gas Carbon dioxide acceptor Co-Gas Hydrane Hygas UW Entrained Flow GE Conoco E-Gas Shell Siemens Koppers Totzek Other types Achemix Chapter 5. In-situ Gasification Chapter 6, Gas Cleaning Fly ash removal Hydrocyclones Candle filters Acid gas removal COS conversion Rectisol Selexol Amine absorption Solid adsorbents Conversion of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur Mercury and halides Chapter 7, Water-gas shift High temperature shift Sour gas shift Low temperature shift Chapter 8, IGCC A related power plant: NGCC Without carbon capture With carbon capture Water-gas shift approach Oxycombustion approach Chapter 9, Syngas to Chemicals Ammonia Methanol Methanol to Olefins Chapter 10, Syngas to Fuels SNG Methanol to gasoline Fischer-Tropsch synthesis Refining Fischer-Tropsch fluids Chapter 11, Carbon Sequestration EOR Enhanced coal bed methane Saline aquifers Chapter 12, Economics