High-Btu gasification

Currently, we are reevaluating industrial interest, and hence the readiness of First-Generation High Btu Gasification, to... 

Now, the problem of long-distance transportation brings us to the high Btu gasification area which is our primary subject. 

The fundamental barrier to the commercialization of high Btu gasification is the lack of firm government decisions to, in some manner, pay the domestic cost that is going to be necessary to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The lack of these firm government decisions is due to confusion as to the specific barriers that must be overcome before facilities will be built and production started. These barriers to commercialization can be conveniently discussed in five categories ... 

All of the major operations associated with low-, medium-, and high-Btu gasification technology (coal prelrealment, gasification, raw gas cleaning, and gas benefidation) can produce potentially hazardous air anissions. Auxiliary operations, such as sulfur recovery and combustion of fuel for electricity and steam generation, could account for a major portion of the emissions from a gasification plant. 

On the basis of this past work and ongoing experiments, we feel that the liquid-phase methanation process promises to become an economic, reliable, and versatile means of converting synthesis gas mixtures to high Btu gas. Chem Systems believes that this technology is a key step in the transformation of fossil feeds into pipeline gas, and we look forward to its successful application in commercial coal gasification plants. 

Bakhshi, N.N., Dalai, A.K, and Srinivas, S.T. (1999). Conversion of Various Biomass-derived Chars to Hydrogen/High Btu Gas by Gasification with Steam, Proceedings of the 4th Biomass Conference of the Americas, Oakland, CA, August 29-September 2, 1999. pp. 985-990. 

Srinivas, S.T., Dalai, A.K., and Bakhshi, N.N. (1998). Potential of Producing Hydrogen and High Btu Gas from Steam Gasification of Biomass-derived Chars, Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering Conference, London, Canada, 4-7 Oct CONF-981052(ISBN 0-920804-32-2). 

Atkins, W.T. and Takach, H.J. "Problems Associated with Controlling Sulfur Emissions from High-BTU Coal Gasification Plants, Interim Report," C.F. Braun Co., Alhambra, CA, FE-2240-13. 

A search of the recent literature indicates identifiable plans for 19 high Btu coal gasification, 10 medium and low Btu gas, and 15 liquefaction projects. These range from laboratory scale, through seeking funds for feasibility studies, to the construction of commercial scale demonstration plants. The implied coal input in Table V is based on extrapolations to commercial size of those projects which are sufficiently advanced to provide data on input and/or output, site, and time frame. Other projects may be included later but they could not make a contribution before the mid-1990 s. 

While on the subject of coal gasification, we should remember that low- and medium-Btu gas from coal should be considered as lower cost alternatives to pipeline quality high-Btu gas. For one thing, the capital investment for low-Btu gas plants is lower than the high-Btu gas plants as shown below ... 

As a result of this sudden about-face by the Carter Administration and their new found religion in switching to natural gas, it shouldn t surprise anyone to find there will be little incentive for anyone to keep working very hard on coal gasification whether it be for low-Btu, high-Btu or medium-Btu gas or any combination of them. 

In particular, the subject today is the barriers to commercialization of coal gasification. There will be a couple of points where it will apply to liquefaction, but the concentration will be on gasification. I will talk mostly about high Btu coal gasification (i.e., pipeline gasification) as compared with industrial gasification (i.e., low/medium Btu gasification). 

The market cost barrier discussion leads directly into the subject of market insecurity and is closely related. In a completely free market, which is not the case for high Btu coal gasification, business executives must make a prediction of size and... 

For example, these comments have considerable negative impact on the desirability of high-Btu coal gasification and of the "Hydrogen Economy" for the purpose of distributing these synthetic fuels about for combustion in low-temperature furnaces and boilers. 

Gas from Coal. Progress toward the development of improved processes to produce high-Btu, synthetic pipeline-quality gas from coal can currently be seen on several fronts. Two large-scale coal gasification pilot plants are currently in operation or under construction and plans to build two others are advancing. The pilot plant in operation is located... 

High-BTU Coal Gasification (first generation only)... 

Natural gas requires no fuel treatment however, low-Btu gas, espeeially if derived from various coal gasification processes, requires various types of cleaners for use in a gas turbine. These cycles can get very complex as indicated by a typical system, which utilizes a steam bottoming cycle to achieve high efficiency. Vaporized fuel oil gas is already cleansed of its impurities in the vaporization process. 

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