EPA-450/3-74-025
 March 1974
       AVAILABILITY OF COAL
                   GASIFICATION
     AND COAL LIQUIFICATION
FOR PROVIDING CLEAN  FUELS
    U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
        Office of Air and Water Programs
    Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
    Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711

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                                 EPA-450/3-74-025
     AVAILABILITY OF COAL
           GASIFICATION
    AND  COAL LIQUIFICATION
FOR  PROVIDING CLEAN FUELS
                     by

               Edward A. Zawadzki

         PEDCo - Environmental Specialists, Inc.
              Suite 13, Atkinson Square
              Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
              Contract No. 68-02-0044
                   Task 15
        EPA Project Officer:  Rayburn M. Morrison
                  Prepared for

         ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
           Office of Air and Water Programs
       Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
          Research Triangle Park, N. C.  27711

                  March 1974

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This report is issued by the Environmental Protection Agency to report technical
data of interest to a limited number of readers.  Copies are available free of charge
to Federal employees, current contractors and grantees, and nonprofit organizations -
as supplies permit - from the Air Pollution Technical Information Center, .Environ-
mental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina  27711, or from
the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield,
Virginia 22151.
This report was furnished to the Environmental Protection Agency by the PEDCo -
Environmental Specialists, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio  45246, in fulfillment of Contract
No. 68-02-0044.  The contents of this report are reproduced herein as received from
the PEDCo - Environmental Specialists, Inc. The opinions, findings, and conclusions
expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Environmental
Protection Agency.  Mention of company or  product names is not to be considered
as an endorsement by the Environmental Protection Agency.
                     Publication No. EPA-450/3-74-025
                                     11

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                        PEDCo-ENVIRONMENTAL
                             SUITE 13 •  ATKINSON SQUARE
                                  CINCINNATI. OHIO 45246
                                            513/77 1-433O
          COAL CONVERSION PROCESSES
                 Prepared by

    PEDCo-Environmental Specialists, Inc.
          Suite 13, Atkinson Square
           Cincinnati, Ohio  45246
           Contract No. 68-02-0044
                 Task No. 17
   EPA Project Officer:  Rayburn Morrison
                Prepared for

    U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
                March 1974

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                      TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

1.0  SUMMARY

2.0  APPLICATION OF COAL CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY
     TO UTILITY PLANTS                                  2-1

     2.1  PRODUCTION OF LOW-BTU GAS                     2-1
     2.2  COMBINED-CYCLE OPERATION WITH LOW-
          BTU GAS                                       2-5
     2.3  COAL LIQUEFACTION                             2-6

3.0  GASIFICATION OF COAL                               3-1

     3.1  INTRODUCTION                                  3-1
     3.2  THE COAL GASIFICATION PROCESS                 3-1
     3.3  STATE OF THE ART:  COAL GASIFICATION          3-7
     3.4  ECONOMICS OF HIGH-BTU COAL GASIFICATION       3-9
     3.5  ECONOMICS OF LOW-BTU COAL GASIFICATION        3-14
     3.6  ECONOMICS OF COMBINED-CYCLE OPERATION         3-14
     3.7  APPLICATION OF COAL GASIFICATION
          PROCESSES TO POWER GENERATION                 3-14

4.0  LIQUEFACTION OF COAL                               4-1

     4.1  INTRODUCTION                                  4-1
     4.2  HYDROGENATION PROCESS                         4-4
     4.3  PROCESS DESCRIPTIONS                          4-10

          4.3.1  Solvent Refined Coal  (SRC)             4-10
          4.3.2  H Coal Process                         4-14
          4.3.3  Project COED                           4-14
          4.3.4  USBM - Coal Liquefaction Process       4-19

REFERENCES

A-l  LURGI GASIFIER                                     A-l

A-2  KOPPERS-TOTZEK GASIFIER                            A-7

A-3  WELLMAN-GALUSHA GASIFIER                           A-ll

A-4  ADVANCED GASIFIERS                                 A-l4

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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                       LIST OF TABLES

Table Number                                         Page

1  SUMMARY OF STATUS OF HIGH-BTU GASIFICATION
   SYSTEMS                                           3-10

2  SUMMARY OF STATUS OF LOW-BTU GASIFICATION
   SYSTEMS                                           3-12

3  PUBLISHED ESTIMATED CAPITAL AND OPERATING
   COSTS, HIGH-BTU GAS PRODUCTION  (250 MM SCFD
   PLANT, 1000 MW)                                   3-13

4  ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND WASTE LOADING FOR A
   250-MM-SCFD SYNTHANE PLANT                        3-15

5  PUBLISHED ESTIMATED CAPITAL AND OPERATING
   COSTS, LOW-BTU GAS PRODUCTION (65 BTU/Day)        3-15

6  ESTIMATED COST OF COMBINED-CYCLE OPERATION:
   CLEAN LOW-BTU GAS + GAS TURBINE + CONVENTIONAL
   POWER PLANT                                       3-16

7  TYPICAL THERMAL EFFICIENCY OF LIQUEFACTION
   PROCESS                                           4-6

8  CAPITAL AND OPERATING COST, TYPICAL
   LIQUEFACTION '(Plant Size - 20,000 TPD)            4-7

9  POSSIBLE SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AT
   COAL LIQUEFACTION PLANTS                          4-8

10 TYPICAL ANALYSIS OF FEED AND SRC PRODUCT          4-13

11 CAPITAL AND OPERATING COST, SRC PROCESS           4-15

12 TYPICAL MATERIAL BALANCE, H-COAL PROCESS          4-17

13 TYPICAL MATERIAL BALANCE, COED PROCESS            4-21

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                       LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Number                                        Page

1  High BTU gas production - schematic diagram       3-2

2  Low BTU gas production - schematic diagram        3-3

3  Typical gasifier - gas turbine - steam
   generator system                                  3-17

4  Simplified process flow, coal hydrogenation       4-5

5  Solvent refined coal (SRC) process                4-11

6  H-coal process                                    4-18

7  COED process                                      4-20

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This report was furnished to the Environmental Protection
Agency by PEDCo-Environmental Specialists, Inc. of Cincinnati,
Ohio, in fulfillment of Contract No. 68-02-0044, Task No.
17.  The contents of this report are reproduced herein as
received from the contractor.  The opinions, findings, and
conclusions expressed are those of the author and not nec-
essarily those of the Environmental Protection Agency.

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                     ACKNOWLEDGMENT






     The principal technical author of this report was Mr.



Edward A. Zawadzki, Consultant.  The project managers were Messrs



T. Devitt and R. Gerstle of PEDCo-Environmental,  and  the  EPA



Project Officer was Rayburn Morrison.
                           11

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                        1. 0  SUMMARY






     Increasingly stringent environmental legislation presents



problems to utility companies who are required to reduce



emissions of sulfur oxides.  Coal conversion processes offer



one potential solution.  In these processes 'dirty1 (high



sulfur content) coal is converted to clean gaseous, liquid, or



solid products by reaction with steam, oxygen and/or hydrogen



at high pressure and temperature.



     Commercial coal gasification processes for production of



low-BTU gas are available in this country from Lurgi and



Koppers Co., which also has installations in foreign countries.



These gasifiers have been used primarily to produce synthesis



gas from coal and other carbonaceous raw materials for use in



the production of ammonia and methanol.  Lurgi has built five



pressure gasifiers to supply 1400 MM BTU/hour of fuel gas for



combined-cycle operation at the Kellerman Power Station, Lunene,



Germany.  This plant, which was built to demonstrate the



feasibility of combined-cycle operation, is currently (mid-1974)



in shakedown operation.  The plant is designed to attain an



overall thermal efficiency of 36 percent.  Discussions are



underway with a utility company to build an 800-MW unit.
                             1-1

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     The Wellman Engineering Company of Cleveland offers the

Wellman-Galusha gasifier for production of producer or

synthesis gas.

     These commercially available gasifiers have potential

for providing clean low-BTU gas for utility use.  Potential

barriers to widespread use of these gasifiers by the utility

industry include the following:

     a) None of these gasifiers has been demonstrated at a
        utility plant in this country.  Factors associated with
        utility plant operation such as turndown ratio, surge
        in demand, reliability, availability, and compatibility
        with available fuels remain to be studied.

     b) Thermal efficiencies of these gasifiers, including the
        loss in sensible heat due to gas cleaning, are in the
        range of 65 to 75 percent.  Utilities therefore would
        require a significant increase in fuel consumption.

     c) High capital investment.  Vendor estimates of
        capital required for low-BTU gas production at a
        large utility plant are in the range of $150 to
        $200/KW.  Capital costs for plants producing low-
        and intermediate-BTU gas are very uncertain; these
        values, which must be considered approximations, may
        be low.

     d) High fuel cost.  Gas selling price may range from
        $1.00 to $1.50/MM BTU or higher, depending on the
        cost of coal and the size of the plant.

     e) Use of clean, low-BTU gas in a combined cycle to
        improve overall efficiency of power generating plants
        is a long-term development.  Use of low-BTU gas in
        conventional steam generators produces overall
        efficiency less than is currently achieved.  Develop-
        ment of high-temperature gas cleaning systems and
        reliable high-temperature, high-pressure gas turbines
        for utility use are long-term developments needed to
        achieve the desired 40 to 50 percent overall power
        generating efficiency in combined cycles.

     f) Use of low-BTU gas production to solve environmental
        problems before the mid-1980's is not possible.  Even
        if the utility industry accepted that the commercial
        gasifiers could be used, installation of gasifiers to
        control a significant portion of the SO  emissions
                             1-2

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        from Ohio utility plants would require long-term

        commitments of 15 to 20 years because of engineering,
        installation, and fuel availability considerations.


     Low-BTU gas production is the most promising of the


coal conversion systems for utility plant use.  High-BTU gas


production, although technically applicable to utility operation,


will not be used because of higher costs and longer development


times.  In addition, high-BTU gas is not needed for utility


use.2'3


     Coal liquefaction also is potentially attractive to


utilities.  The coal is converted to clean liquid or solid


products that are low in sulfur but high in heating value.


     Production of clean liquid or solid products from coal


is technically feasible; demonstration of these processes,


however, is not expected before the mid-19801s.  Vendors'


estimates of the cost of so-called liquefaction plants range


from $85 to $120 per kilowatt, depending on plant size, with


a product cost of $0.80 to $1.10 per million BTU, depending

                            2
on fuel cost and plant size.


     The costs cited above and in the text that follows are


based upon information supplied by vendors of coal conversion


systems.  Recent studies conducted by the National Academy


of Engineers and other knowledgeable groups have concluded


that costs for coal conversion systems will be substantially


higher.  For example, on March 6, 1974, the Department of the


Interior estimated the cost of their liquefaction demonstration


plant at $270 million (approximately $430/KW equivalent).  This


plant will have the capacity to process 10,000 tons of coal per
                             1-3

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day and to produce approximately 25,000 barrels of liquid


products.  Primary products consist of two grades of clean


boiler fuels; secondary products are high-grade naphtha and

       4
sulfur.   Additionally, a large coal producer stated that


progress in developing coal gasification processes is so slow


that it appears unlikely that any plant will be built before


1980.  Probable gas cost would be $1.80 per million BTU in a


plant producing 250 million cubic feet per day.  Capital costs


for this plant would be about $600 million, and construction


would require 5 to 6 years; the cost of developing mines to


supply coal for the gasification plant is not included.


     Coal conversion systems will be used by utility companies


only after successful demonstrations.  All of the products


of these systems can be processed to produce clean fuels that


will meet the most stringent of the Ohio and Federal regulations,


Availability of these systems on a commercial scale is estimated


to be in the mid-1980's provided that enough funds are committed


for development and investment.  Engineering and installation of


a significant number of plants in Ohio would require an


additional 15 to 20 years.
                             1-4

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    2.0  APPLICATION OF COAL CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY



                   TO UTILITY PLANTS





     Some of the coal conversion systems offer to utility



companies a potential solution to the SO  pollution problem.
                                        X


These systems, however, have not yet been demonstrated on a



utility scale, and consequently must be considered as long-



term solutions.



     Among the coal conversion systems to be considered for



application to utilities are production of low-BTU gas and



liquefaction of coal to produce clean solid or liquid products.



Production of high-BTU gas is not applicable for electric



power generating plants, since high-BTU gas plants will not be



available by the mid-1980's and will require significantly



higher capital and operating costs than do some of the alter-



native means of SO  control; further, conversion of coal to
                  H


high-BTU gas is not necessary to provide a clean fuel to the



utility companies.



2.1  PRODUCTION OF LOW-BTU GAS



     Technologies for production of low-BTU gas from coal



have been demonstrated and reasonable cost estimates are



available.  Utility plants can use low-BTU gas either by direct



firing of the clean gas or by firing of clean low-BTU gas in a
                             2-1

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gas turbine in combination with a conventional steam turbine



cycle.



     Clean low-BTU gas can be produced by any of the commer-



cially available systems, including the Lurgi and Koppers-



Totzek processes.  These processes produce a hot, "dirty"



low-BTU gas at a thermal efficiency of about 80 to 85 percent.



For combined-cycle operation, the gas must be cooled to remove



sulfur compounds and dust, and thermal efficiency is reduced



to 70 to 75 percent.



     Production of low-BTU gas requires about 20 to 25 percent more



fuel than is used in a conventional utility boiler.  Combined-



cycle operation, using low-BTU gas as a fuel, may improve the



overall efficiency of the utility plant.  When the combined



cycle uses low-BTU gas from coal, however, the problems of



cleaning hot gases must be overcome.



     Use by utilities of either currently available gasifiers



or gasifiers under development will depend on a) capital and



operating costs of low-BTU gas processes, b) availability of



land at the power plants, c) demonstration of the technology on



a utility scale, and d) favorable comparison of factors a, b,



and c with control alternatives, such as flue gas cleaning.



All of the currently available gasification processes require



approximately the same capital investment to produce low-BTU



gas.  It is unlikely that costs of new or second-generation



gasifiers will differ significantly, even though cost reductions



are a common goal in all development work.  Following is a



summary of current costs of coal gasification systems for the



production of low-BTU gas:
                             2-2

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         PUBLISHED ESTIMATED CAPITAL AND OPERATING
            COSTS FOR LOW-BTU GAS  PRODUCTION6'7
                  (65,000,000,000  BTU/D)
Process
Lurgi
Koppers-
Totzek a
Gas Heating
Value, BTU/SCF
125
300
Capital Investment,
MM $
16.5
40
Gas Price
$/MM BTU
0.60-0.70
0.95-1.05
Coal Cost
VMM BTU
0?30
0.31
 a) Costs  include gas cleaning and oxygen plant.

     Production of low-BTU gas could supply utility plants

 with clean, essentially sulfur-free fuel.  Utility plants

 could meet all of the Federal and State air pollution codes

 with currently available gasification technology.  The

 Koppers-Totzek  (K-T) system, claims applicability to all

 coals, and thus eliminates certain problems in use of caking

 coals, such as those found in Ohio.  The K-T system is a

 pulverized-fuel-fired high-temperature gasifier, whereas the

 Lurgi system entails a fixed or moving bed.  The Lurgi system

 has been modified when required to handle caking coals.

 Conventional gas-cleaning processes are used to remove H S

 and dust.

     The cost of low-BTU coal gasification ranges from $150

 to $200/KW for conversion plants that would service utility

 plants of 650 MW higher capacities.  The overall cost of

 providing low-BTU gas to all Ohio utility plants is estimated

 to be between $3.0 and 3.5 billion (1973 base).  This

 estimate includes the cost of gas cleaning and oxygen plants.

The cost is reduced somewhat if oxygen-blown gasifiers are
                             2-3

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replaced by air-blown gasifiers.



     Design, engineering, and construction of a large



gasification plant requires 4 to 6 years.  These plants can



service existing or new utility stations.



     Sampling gasifiers for all the Ohio utilities at a rate



of about 5 to 7 percent of the requirement per year would



require about 15 to 20 years.



     Low-BTU gasification produces fewer environmental problems



than do the high-BTU gasification schemes.  For example, the



K-T process should eliminate problems of water contamination



due to tars and oils, since the manufacturers claim that



high-temperature, oxygen-blown gasifiers produce essentially



no tars.  Both high-BTU and low-BTU systems produce sulfur



and solid residues, which require disposal.  Temperature and



gas residence time determine the extent of water elimination.



Dust from the fluidized-bed K-T gasifier must be controlled.



     Siting problems for low-BTU gas production can be mini-



mized if gas is produced at a site adjacent to a utility



plant then pumped by pipeline to the combustors.  On-site



production of low-BTU gas requires considerably less land than



production of high-BTU gas, since it requires only the gas has



producers and low-BTU cleaning systems.  Existing facilities



for coal storage and handling could be used or easily modified.



     The technology and cost of low-BTU gas production



been demonstrated on an industrial scale, and the systems



should be considered as commercially available.  Widespread



use by utility plants, however, will be forthcoming only after
                              2-4

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a commercial-size gasifier has been built at a utility site
and operated successfully to generate power.  Several utility
companies are conducting engineering studies of on-site low-BTU
gas production.  Demonstration of this technology on a utility
scale is not expected to begin before 1978 to 1980.
2.2  COMBINED-CYCLE OPERATION WITH LOW-BTU GAS
     Combined cycles for high-efficiency generation of
electricity have been proposed.  The simplest system involves
direct firing of clean fuel in a gas turbine followed by a
conventional steam cycle.  The principal advantage of combined
cycle operation is increased efficiency.  This increase in
efficiency theoretically offsets the decrease in efficiency
due to the production of low-BTU gas from coal.  The combined
efficiency of low-BTU gas production plus combined cycle
operation for first-generation systems is about equivalent to
that of a conventional steam plant, approximately 36 percent.
     A combined-cycle system consisting of advanced high-
pressure gasifiers, using hot gas cleanup, and advanced high-
pressure, high-temperature gas turbines would provide overall
efficiencies of 45 to 50 percent.  These developments are 15
to 20 years from being commercially available.
     The principal barriers to use of combined-cycle operation
by utilities are the need for 1) a high-temperature, high-
pressure gas turbine, 2) an advanced high-pressure gasifier,
and 3) a high-temperature gas cleanup system.  The long-term
development of an advanced gasifier-gas turbine system is
justified, and if these systems are successfully developed
they would become the preferred method of producing energy
from fossil fuels.

                            2-5 .

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2.3  COAL LIQUEFACTION



     Methods of producing clean liquid and/or solid fuel from



coal are of interest to utility companies.  The advantages of



these processes include production of a low-ash, low-sulfur



fuel that can be stored and transported by conventional



carriers and that can use lower-cost, high-sulfur coals as



feedstock.  The improved combustion characteristics of these



fuels should reduce utility maintenance costs and increase



utility availability.  Unlike the gas conversion system,



which may be interconnected with the utility plant  (e.g.,



combined cycle), the liquefaction processes will operate



independently of the utility plant.  This is an attractive



feature.



     Coal requirements for Ohio utilities in 1978 are estimated



to be 56.7 million tons.  Current liquefaction plant designs



are concerned with processing 55,000 to 60,000 TPD.  At this



design rate, three centrally located coal liquefaction plants



could process the 1978 coal requirement for Ohio utilities.



The current estimated cost of these plants would be between



$1.8 and 2.0 billion, equivalent to $85 to $95/KW.  These plants



would produce clean fuel at a current estimated cost of $0.80



to $1.00/MM BTU.  Several significant problems associated with



the concept of large central fuel conversion plants include



siting, fuel supply, and fuel distribution.



     Smaller plants built to accommodate the specific needs



of a single utility plant or smaller groups of utility plants



will cost more per KW of output.  A 20,000 ton-per-day  (TPD)
                              2-6

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coal liquefaction plant will cost approximately $250 million,



equivalent to $115 to $120/KW.  This plant will produce clean



products at a cost of $1.00 to $1.10/MM BTU.



     Coal liquefaction processes under development include



the SRC process of Pittsburgh and Midway Coal Co. (funded by



OCR) and the COED process of PMC (also funded by OCR).   Details



of these processes are presented later.



     The commercial availability of these systems is not



expected before the mid-1980's, although a number of pilot and


                                                           2 3
demonstration plants will be operational in the mid-19701s.  '
                              2-7

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                  3.0  GASIFICATION OF COAL





3.1  INTRODUCTION



     This portion of the report describes the basic process



steps of coal gasification, the development status of several



gasification systems, and the potential of gasification for



control of SO- emissions from utility plants to meet Ohio SIP



regulations.  Appendix A presents detailed information on



process descriptions, status of technology, and estimated



process costs.  Data on these processes were obtained primarily



from published information, including reports from U.S. Environ-



mental Protection Agency, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Office of Coal



Research, and others.



3.2  THE COAL GASIFICATION PROCESS



     Gasification of coal involves the reaction of coal, steam,



and air  (oxygen) under controlled conditions to produce a gas



containing carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide* hydrogen, methane,



and impurities.  This product gas is further processed to



remove carbon dioxide and impurities, including dust and sulfur



compounds.  The clean gas may then be burned as a pollutant-free



low-BTU fuel or may be further processed to produce a high-BTU



gas of pipeline quality.



     Figures 1 and 2 show the basic coal gasification schemes



for producing high- and low-BTU gas.
                             3-1

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U)
 I
                                               PROCESS
»_ MAKEUP H20
                AIR-*
                   COAL—»
                             STEAM
                             SUPPLY
           r
       (HH4)2S04
                                                                                                                         STEAM
                                                                                                                     HEAT RECOVERY  .
                                                                                                                     GAS COMPRESSION
                                             Figure 1.   High BTU-gas  production -  schematic diagram.

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                                           STEAM
          COAL
u>
I
U)
                  COAL
               PREPARATION
                                            1
                                           HEAT
                                         .RECOVERY
  GASIFIER
                        ASH
       AIR  OR
STEAM  OXYGEN
H2S AND
  TAR
REMOVAL
                                                TAR
GAS
                 SOLVENT
               REGENERATOR
                   CLAUS
                   PLANT
                                                   TREATMENT
                                                                                           SULFUR
                             Figure 2.   Low BTU gas production - schematic diagram.

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High-BTU Gas




     Gasification of coal to produce high-BTU gas involves



the following steps.



     0 Pretreatment of Coal - Pretreatment involves normal



operations such as crushing, pulverizing, and cleaning, and



possibly special operations such as thermal treatment in air.



The latter operation is required so that gasifiers can handle



"swelling coals" such as those found in Ohio, Pennsylvania,



West Virginia, and Kentucky.  Swelling and caking cause the



coal particle to expand and agglomerate, often producing



operational problems in the gasifier.



     0 Devolatilization - Coal is composed of many types of



compounds, some of which are volatile when heated; others tend



to coke when heated.  Since the volatile constituents are the



hydrogen-rich fractions, an attempt is made to devolatilize



the coal and to recover these hydrogen-rich fractions.



Devolatilization can be conducted in a separate vessel or in



a zone of the gasifier.  The products of devolatilization are



char and gas.   (The char consists primarily of carbon and ash.)



     0 Gasification - The gasifier vessel consists of zones



in which the various gasification reactions take place.  Heat



for the reactions is supplied by burning part of the char



(the oxidation  zone).  The product gases (carbon monoxide and



hydrogen) are produced by reacting carbon dioxide  (the principal



combustion product) and steam  (H2
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gasifier is in the range of 150 to 350 BTU/standard cubic



foot  (SCP) depending on whether the feed gas is air or oxygen.



      0 Gas Purification - The gasifier product gas is cleaned



by conventional techniques to remove H2S, CO_, H-O, dust, and



tars.  The processes for H S and C02 removal include various



commercially available, organic and inorganic alkali scrubbing



systems.  The H?S is further processed in a standard Claus



plant to produce elemental sulfur as a by-product.  Recovered



tars are usually recycled to the gasifier as fuel.  The gas



purification system produces a clean gas with a heating value



ranging from 250 to 500 BTU/SCF.  Because conventional gas



purification systems operate at lower temperatures than those



of the gasifier, the gases must be cooled before purification.



     New technology is being developed to permit hot gas



cleanup, and thereby to improve the thermal efficiency of the



gasification process.



     0 Catalytic Shift Conversion - As a means of meeting the



hydrogen requirements for the methanation step, part of. the



gas stream is processed by catalytic conversion of carbon



monoxide and water to hydrogen and C02.



     0 Methanation - The balance of the gas stream together



with the methane-rich fraction from the shift converter is



catalytically reacted to produce a hydrogen-rich gas.



     0 Final Gas Purification - To meet the specifications for



high-BTU gas, final gas cleaning is conducted to remove water



and carbon dioxide.
                             3-5

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     More detailed discussions of high-BTU gas production are



presented in the appendices.



Low-BTU Gas



     Production of low-BTU gas is based on more conventional



technology that yields gas with heating value of 100 to 500 BTU/



SCF from coal, coke, chars, refuse, and practically any other



organic material.  In this discussion, consideration is given



only to production of hot or cold, low-BTU gas from the



gasification of coal and direct firing of this gas in a boiler



or gas turbine.



     Gasification of coal to produce low-BTU gas involves the



following steps.



     Coal is gasified with air and steam or oxygen and steam.



In the gasifier, part of the fuel is consumed as heat.  The



gasification produces a gas with a heating value in the range



of 100 to 500 BTU/SCF depending on operating conditions and type



of gasifier.



     The hot, dirty gas is cleaned, then used as a fuel or raw



material.  Current processes for cleaning of the gas require



cooling, in which 15 to 20 percent of the fuel heat is lost.



     Production of low-BTU gas is simpler than producing high-



BTU gas and requires considerably lower capital investment.



The process does not require complex gas purification systems



(only H^S is removed), shift converters, or methanators.  In



addition, use of air-blown gasifiers eliminates the need for



an oxygen plant.  The use of oxygen increases the heating value



of the gas by eliminating the dilution effect of nitrogen in
                             3-6

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the air.  Justification for the oxygen-blown system depends



on results of a cost/benefit analysis of the planned installation.



3.3  STATE OF THE ART:  COAL GASIFICATION



     The gas utility industry had its start by supplying manu-



factured gas for domestic and industrial consumption.  Gas was



produced by gasifying coal or coke in producer or water gas



machines.  Heating value of the gas was about 150 BTU/SCF.



     The early gas producers were relatively small.  Production



of manufactured gas dropped off markedly in the U.S. with the



advent of gas pipelines to supply natural gas.  For the most



part the supply of natural gas was and is directed to domestic



consumption.



     The early gasifiers were simple machines, consisting



basically of a retort, burners, and air and steam blast devices.



Gas cleaning consisted of water sprays for tar removal and



iron boxes for H?S removal.  Developments in gasifiers led to a



wide variety of designs, many of which found commercial application.



     Advances in gasifier technology entailed increased thermal



efficiency, use of higher pressures and temperatures, and use of



oxygen instead of air.  Mechanical devices such as moving rabble



arms and stirrers were applied to allow the gasification of



"caking" coals.



     Gasifiers currently available in the U.S. are the Lurgi



Pressure Gasifier, the Koppers-Totzek, and the Wellman-Galusha



gasifiers.  These systems are described in detail in the appendix.



These gasifiers produce a low-BTU gas; each, however, can be



incorporated into a system that will produce a high-BTU gas



by use of gas cleaning, shift conversion, and methanation steps.
                             3-7

-------
     None of these gasifiers has been applied commercially


to production of high-BTU gas.  Only the Lurgi system has

been used in combined-cycle operation for utility power

generation.  Two planned projects in Western America will use


Lurgi systems with low-sulfur non-caking western coals as fuel.

These systems are scheduled for startup during the period 1976


to 1980.


     Recognition of current and potential future shortages of


high-BTU pipeline-quality gas, has led to a major R&D effort,


primarily by the Office of Coal Research, U.S. Dept. of the

Interior, to develop highly efficient coal gasification systems

for production of high-BTU pipeline-quality gas.

     On August 3, 1971, the U.S. Dept. of the Interior and the


American Gas Association signed an agreement to jointly finance

an ongoing OCR-AGA program over a 4-year period, costing $120
                                             g
million.  OCR is administering the operation.


     Three pilot plants will demonstrate three different

processes for producing pipeline-quality gas.  Each process is


based on advanced technology and is designed to achieve optimum

efficiency with minimum capital investment.  One plant has been

built and is under test, one plant is nearing completion, and


the third is in the design and site preparation stage.

     In addition to the OCR-AGA program, OCR is investing in


small (1-100 Ib/hr) pilot plants to determine technical

feasibility of various second-generation processes, such as the

ATGAS molten-iron gasification process.
                             3-8

-------
     The U.S. Dept. of the Interior also is funding a pilot



plant gasification process developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines.



The plant is under construction and will be in operation during



1975.



     Developments in low-BTU gas production are currently



centered on commercialization of the Lurgi, K-T, and W-G



gasifiers, and on development of advanced gas producers by



OCR, AGA, and private companies.  A number of utilities are



participating in these projects by supplying development funds.



     Summaries of current high- and low-BTU gasification



projects are given in Tables 1 and 2.



3.4  ECONOMICS OF HIGH-BTU COAL GASIFICATION



     Costs of gasification processes for the production of high-



BTU gas must be evaluated in terms of the status of each system.



Only the Lurgi, K-T, and W-G systems are commercial at this time



and only the Lurgi system has reported costs for a high-BTU gas



system.  The costs of the systems under development are often



based on pilot-plant or lab-scale data and therefore must be



considered as approximations until large-scale plants have been



designed and built.



     Comparative costs for the systems under development,



based on published information, are shown in Table 3.



     The operating costs of these gasification plants are fuel-



sensitive as well as capital-sensitive.  Labor force, maintenance,



and all other plant, financial, and tax charges are approximately



equal for all of the processes.  The overall cost of high-BTU



gas production from coal ranges from $1 to $2/MM BTU.
                             3-9

-------
        Table 1.  SUMMARY OF STATUS OF HIGH~BTU
                  GASIFICATION SYSTEMS
PROCESS
Lurgi
          STATUS

Lurgi gasifiers have been
used for 4 decades for the
production of synthesis and
producer gas.  Two utility
companies have submitted to
FPC requests for approval
to build high-BTU plants.
  AVAILABILITY

Commercially avail-
able.  Current status
of high-BTU gas
project depends on
FPC approval.
Engineering, con-
struction and start
up will require 3
years from date of
approval.
Hygas
Consol CO,
Acceptor
Institute of Gas Technology,
using OCR-AGA funds
($10 million), has built a
75 TPD pilot plant in
Chicago.  Process, including
all unit operations com-
pleted first successful 100
hour run 8/73.  Construc-
tion of more economical and
efficient hydrogen system
is due to start soon.

Consolidation Coal Co. using
OCR funds completed a $9
million pilot plant late in
1971.  A gas purification
process including a methana-
tion step was added and a
test program is under way.
The process is designed to
operate on lignite.
Test program is to
be completed by the
end of 1975.  Full
scale design will
require 12-18 months.
If successful,process
will be available for
full scale demo by
early 1980.
As the process now
stands it is not
available for use of
eastern coals.  The
pilot plant tests are
to be completed by
1975.  If successful
a demonstration plant
could be operational
by early 1980.
                           3-10

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       Table  1  (continued).   SUMMARY OF STATUS  OF
             HIGH-BTU GASIFICATION SYSTEMS
PROCESS
BCR Bi Gas
Synthane
Process
          STATUS

Bituminous Coal Research Inc.
has developed a process under
OCR-AGA funding.  A pilot
plant is to be built in
Central Pennsylvania.  Plant
construction, testing, and
evaluation will be completed
by the end of 1975.

The Department of Interior
is constructing a pilot plant
at the Bruceton site of the
USBM.  Startup is due in
late 1974, early 1975.
  AVAILABILITY

The process requires
considerable develop-
ment time before a
demonstration project
is built.  Develop-
ment is  2-3 years
behind IGT and
Acceptor systems

Demonstration on a
large scale will not
take place before
early to mid 1980.
                          3-11

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                  Table  2.   SUMMARY  OF  STATUS  OF  LOW  BTU
                            GASIFICATION  SYSTEMS
         PROGRESS
         Lurgi
         Koppers Totzek
         Wellman
         Galusha
         CO2 Acceptor
         Westinghouse
          STATUS

Many commercial installations,
except in the USA.  Have an
agreement with GE for develop-
ment of combined-cycle system.
 AVAILABILITY

Commercially avail-
able to produce
cold clean low BTU
gas.  Not yet
demonstrated on
caking coals.
Koppers Co. Inc. has obtained
license to build K-T process
in U.S.  Have 65 inquiries as
of 7/73, most of which are
industrial.  No commitments.
Are contacting boiler and
turbine manufacturers.  Many
installations in Europe and Asia.
Commercially avail-
able.  Process
requires 2-1/2 to 3
years for design,
construction,and
demonstration.
Wellman Engineering Co.,
Cleveland, Ohio, built gas
producers for process use.
During the period 1960 to
present no business activity.
Currently significant inter-
est in marketing process.
Seeking OCR funds to
demonstrate large scale
process

Consol, under an EPA grant,
has conducted lab and
technical and economic paper
studies relative to modify-
ing the CO,, Acceptor process
for use with bituminous coal.
Pretreatment would be
required.

Recently initiated a long
term, 7-10 year, development
and demonstration project.
Commercially avail-
able; however,
Wellman has not
marketed process in
recent years.  Need
to scale up gasifi-
cation size to be
of interest to
utilities.
Significant develop-
ment required.
Future development
                                    3-12
_

-------
Table 3.  PUBLISHED ESTIMATED CAPITAL AND OPERATING COSTS,
  HIGH-BTU GAS PRODUCTION (250 MM SCFD PLANT,  1000 MW)9
 1.  Basis - Gasification processes are commercial,  full-
             scale integrated high-BTU plants near final
             demonstration
       Capital Investment,MM$ Gas Price,$/MM BTU    Coal Source
 A. Lurgi        330              1.35-1.45         Western U.S.

 2.  Basis - Gasification process at pilot plant status
       Capital Investment,MM$  Gas Price,$/MM BTU   Coal Source
 A. Hygas
 B. Synthane                           0.95         Western U.S,
 C. Bi Gas        250-275              ^3Q         Eastern U.S,
 D. CO- Acceptor


 Other Factors Affecting High-BTU Plant Costs
      Siting - AGA and OCR have evaluated the potential
 siting problems for production of high-BTU gas from coal.
 The principal considerations are availability of fuel and
 water.  Fuel reserves for a 250 MM CFD, high-BTU gas plant
 range from 90 million to 180 million tons for a 20-year
 plant life, depending on the heat content (quality) of the
 fuel.  In addition, a typical 250 MM CFD gas plant will
 require about 1 billion gallons per day of cooling water.
 Actual makeup will depend on efficiency and use of cooling
 towers or ponds.  Estimated site requirement is 100 acres,
 which includes areas for coal storage, oxygen plant, gas
                                                  9
 plant, compressors, auxiliaries, and buffer zone.
                            3-13

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     Environmental Problems - Little is said of the environ-

mental problems associated with gasification plants.  Table 4

lists projected waste loadings and other environmental factors

affecting a Synthane Type  (USBM) coal gasification plant.  All

high-BTU coal gasification plants are faced with similar

problems, the most serious of which are disposal of wastes and

treatment of contaminated water.

3.5  ECONOMICS OF LOW-BTU COAL GASIFICATION

     Detailed capital and operating costs for producing low-BTU

gas have been estimated for several processes.  Only the Lurgi

and Koppers-Totzek system are commercial.  Data for other

systems are target prices whose validity depends on successful

development and on accuracy of the estimate.  Capital and

operating costs for these systems are given in Table 5.

3.6  ECONOMICS OF COMBINED-CYCLE OPERATION

     Although cost projections for combined-cycle plants are

available, all are based on assumptions that reduce the estimates

to goals.  Many of the estimates have already proved low because

of rising costs of money, fuel, and labor and consequent rise

in cost of capital equipment.  The published costs presented

in Table 6 therefore should be regarded as approximations.

Figure 3 illustrates the combined-cycle operation.

3.7  APPLICATION OF COAL GASIFICATION PROCESSES TO POWER
     GENERATION

     Optimum efficiency of conversion of energy in the form of

fuels to electrical energy in conventional fossil-fuel-burning

plants is 37 percent, although the average is significantly

lower.
                              3-14

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            Table 4.  ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND

      WASTE LOADING FOR A 250-MM-SCFD SYNTHANE PLANT10
Mining

1.  Reclamation of strip-mined land  (where applicable)

2.  Disposal of 6500 TPD of coal refuse

3.  Treatment of acid mine water and associated sludge
    disposal

Coal Storage and Handling

1.  Fugitive dust

2.  Treatment of contaminated water runoff

Gasifier, Gas Cleaning and Related Processes

1.  Contaminated condensate and scrubber water  (4 - 10
    million gpd) containing suspended solids, phenols,
    thiocyanate, ammonium compounds, carbonates, and
    sulfur compounds.

2.  Solid wastes:

    Dust, slag, and/or grit        500-1000 TPD
    Sulfur                         200- 600 TPD
    Sludge from waste water
     treatment plants              0.5-3 million gpd


     Table 5.  PUBLISHED ESTIMATED CAPITAL AND OPERATING

         COSTS, LOW-BTU GAS PRODUCTION (65 BTU/Day)6'7'11

 Basis:  Commercial status; full-scale plants in operation.


Lurgi
Koppers-
Totzek
Wellman-
Galusha
Heating
value ,
BTU/SCF
125
300
158
Capital
investment,
MM $
16.5
40b
15-20°
Gas price,
$/MM BTU
0.60-0.70
0.95-1.05
0.60-0.75
Fuel
$/MM
0
0
0
cost,
BTU
.30
.31
.31
a) Includes gas cleaning.
b) Includes oxygen plant and gas cleaning.
c) 1963 estimate updated to include gas cleaning.
                             3-15

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    Table 6.  ESTIMATED COST OF

              CLEAN LOW-BTU GAS

                   CONVENTIONAL



Capital Investment

Plant size

Gasifier  (includes
 gas cleaning)

Gas turbine

Conventional power plant



            $/KW

Annual Operating Cost

Capital charges

Labor and maintenance

Fuel

Utilities

                   Total

Mills/KWH
(6000 hours)
COMBINED-CYCLE OPERATION:

+ GAS TURBINE +

POWER PLANT
          LURGI



         330 MW


      $16,500,000

       11,500,000

       41,500,000

       70,500,000

          235



       10,652,400

        3,960,000

        5,544,000

        5,860,800

       26,017,200
 C02 ACCEPTOR
    1000 MW


$130,500,000

  19,900,000

 101,900,000

 252,300,000

     252



  28,330,000



  13,920,000

  17,415,000

  59,665,000
                 Mills/KWH
          10.34  (6132 hours)  9.73
Both cases include wet gas cleaning.  With hot gas cleaning
C02 Acceptor process would cost 9.14 mills/KWH.
                              3-16

-------
u>
I
                          COAL


                         STEAM
               AIR
                        TO STACK
                     Figure 3.   Typical gasifier - gas turbine - steam generator system,

-------
     Efficiency for conversion of coal to high-BTU gas is about



70 percent.  The fuel is clean and is easily combusted in



existing boilers.  The overall efficiency of converting coal



to high-BTU gas to electrical energy is 26 percent.  The



overall efficiency of converting coal to low-BTU gas to electrical



energy is 30 percent.  Therefore, the high-BTU process would



require 30 percent more fuel consumption than conventional



fossil fuel burning plants; the low-BTU process would require



19 percent more fuel consumption.



     As a solution to these serious problems of fuel consumption,



various combined-cycle systems have been proposed to replace



direct firing of high- or low-BTU manufactured gas.  Combined-



cycle operations (shown typically in Figure 3) involve the



combustion of gas in a gas turbine with production of



electricity and hot gas, followed by heat recovery in a steam



generator equipped with a steam turbine for power generation.



     The combined-cycle approach is of interest to the utility



industry if a workable system, i.e., gasifier plus gas turbine,



can be developed.  The efficiency of a first-generation



combined-cycle system is estimated as follows:



     Gasifier  (low-BTU gas), 76.8 percent efficiency; plus gas



turbine plus steam turbine, 47.0 percent efficiency; overall



efficiency, 36.1 percent.  This is approximately 1 percent



lower than optimum efficiency of conventional fossil-fuel plants.



     Hope for the future of combined-cycle operation lies in



the following developments:
                             3-18

-------
     1.  High-temperature cleanup of synthetic gas.

     2.  Availability of a high-temperature, high-pressure
         gas turbine.

     3.  Availability of a high-pressure gasifier.

     The efficiency of a power station using an advanced

high-pressure gasifier; an advanced high-pressure, high-

temperature gas cleanup system; and an advanced high-pressure,

high-temperature gas turbine is as follows:

     Gasifier, 86.6 percent efficiency; gas turbine plus

     steam turbine, 57.7 percent efficiency; overall

     efficiency, 49.9 percent.  This is approximately

     13 percent higher than optimum efficiency of current

     conventional fossil-fuel power stations, a significant

     gain.

     The technology of gasification and gas turbines has not

yet reached the level of demonstration to assure that the

currently available gasifier - gas turbine systems could achieve

36 percent efficiency.  The principal unknowns entail the

operating characteristics of available gas turbines and the degree

of cleanup (dust removal) achievable by current methods.  Long-

term development of advanced gasifier - gas turbine systems

is justified; if development of these systems is successful

they should become the preferred method of producing energy

from fossil fuels.
                             3-19

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                  4.0  LIQUEFACTION OF COAL






4.1  INTRODUCTION



     The use of coal liquefaction processes to abate sulfur



dioxide pollution from utility plants will be at best a long-



term development.  Factors that lead to this conclusion are:



1) development status of the process has reached only pilot-



plant or laboratory scale, (2) costs are significantly higher



than those of flue gas scrubbing processes, and 3) for



existing plants and many new plants, siting and fuel require-



ments are stringent.  It appears that coal liquefaction tech-



nology will not be available for commercial use before approxi-



mately the mid-19801s.



     From a technical standpoint coal liquefaction is an



attractive route to providing a wide range of liquid and solid



fuels for use as relatively clean fuel and chemical feedstocks.



The technology consists of altering the structure of solid coal



by adding hydrogen under high pressures and temperatures.  This



alteration causes a portion of the solid coal to become liquid,



similar to a crude oil.  This liquified portion, usually



extremely low in sulfur and ash, can then be upgraded to yield



various oils, gasoline, and chemical feedstocks.
                             4-1

-------
     In some cases, the liquefaction process is an interim step



in which the coal is only partially hydrogenated, such as in



the solvent refined coal  (SRC) process.  The product of all of



the hydrogenation processes is a high-quality fuel, enriched



by hydrogen, in a solid or liquid form that can be used as



low-sulfur fuel or synthetic crude oil.



     The technology of coal hydrogenation and liquefaction is



not new.  In 1869, Berthelot reported the liquefaction of coal



by treatment of hydriodic acid.  Fischer and Tropsch used



hydriodic acid and phosphorous for hydrogenating coal.  Fischer



used sodium formate to study the effects of coal rank on degree



of liquefaction.  Coal hydrogenation was used industrially in



the mid-1920's.  By 1938, large-scale hydrogenation plants were



operating in Germany and England, primarily for the production



of motor fuel.  The most modern hydrogenation plant, built during



the 1950's, is located in Sassol at the University of South



Africa.



     Current work on coal hydrogenation is focused on providing



a process with high yields and large tonnages of products



including synthetic crude oil and low-ash, high-grade fuels.



Most of the current effort is supported by the Dept. of the



Interior, although several industrial projects were undertaken



recently.  Current projects sponsored by OCR are summarized in



the following paragraphs; process details are presented later.



     Colorado School of Mines is conducting a laboratory study



of variables affecting the removal of sulfur from coal by



hydrogen treatment.  The study is in its early stages.
                             4-2

-------
     Consolidation Coal Co. built a large-scale pilot plant

at Cresap, W. Va. as part of a $20 million program designed


to produce gasoline from coal.  Because of technical and other


problems the pilot plant has been shut down.  The plant has

never run as an integrated system.


     The FMC Corporation has built and is operating a coal


hydrogenation plant (Project COED).  Illinois No. 6 coal is

the feedstock.  The plant has been run since 1971 and signifi-

cant progress was made during 1972 and 1973.  Typical COED


yields per ton of coal are 1 to 1.5 barrels of synthetic crude

oil, 9000 SCF of 650-BTU/SCF gas, and char.  Current work is


concerned with optimizing yields and evaluation of end use


characteristics of the product.

     The Pittsburgh and Midway Coal Mining Co. is building a

50-TPD plant to produce an ashless low-sulfur fuel by dissolution


of coal in an organic solvent under moderate hydrogen pressure.

The solution is filtered to remove ash and insoluble organic

material.  The solvent is recovered.  The product is a heavy


organic material called solvent refined coal, which has a

heating value of 16,000 BTU/lb, sulfur content of less than

1 percent, and ash content of about 0.1 percent.  Total project

cost has been $28.5 million.  The pilot plant will be operational

              g
in early 1974.

     Several design projects being conducted under OCR funding


include work by Ralph M. Parsons Co., University of North Dakota,


Washington State University, Chem Systems Inc., and American


Oil Co.
                             4-3

-------
     Private programs for research and development of hydro-



genation include the work of Hydrocarbon Research Inc. and the



Rust Engineering Co. for a southern utility.  Information on



the details of these projects is not generally available.



4.2  HYDROGENATION PROCESS



     A simple coal hydrogenation flow diagram with typical feed



and products is shown in Figure 4.  Hydrogenation systems are



generally more efficient than coal gasification processes and



their hydrogen requirements are less than those of high-BTU



gasification systems.  Table 7 summarizes the thermal performance



of a typical liquefaction process.



     The costs of coal liquefaction process have been studied



in detail; cost estimates, however, are based on laboratory and



limited pilot data and consequently must be considered pre-



liminary.  Table 8 summarizes costs for an overall coal lique-



faction system including coal preparation, hydrogen production,



gas purification, and liquid purification.



     As plant size increases, the costs decrease somewhat.



For example, a 55,000 to 60,000 TPD (coal) liquefaction plant



yields products at a net cost of 80 to 85C/MM BTU.  Cost



estimates should be upgraded as data from pilot operations



become available.



Site and Environmental Considerations



     The environmental problems associated with coal liquefaction



plants are typical of those occurring in mining and petrochemical



plants, as indicated in Table 9.
                             4-4

-------
           HYDROGEN
I
Ul

COAL
PREPARATION



1
HYDROGENATION
PRESSURE AND
TEMPERATURE
1



SYNTHETIC
PROCESSING





                                                GASOLINE
                                                HEAVY  FUEL OIL
                                                 DOMESTIC  FUEL  OIL
       RESIDUE (CHAR)
Figure 4.  Simplified process flow, coal hydrogenation.

-------
Table 7.  TYPICAL THERMAL EFFICIENCY OF LIQUEFACTION PROCESS
                 Extraction
    Input


Coal

H2

Hydro-feed

Char

Process heat

Steam

Power
89.2

 1.1
 7.0

 1.9

 0.8
                   100.0
            Hydrogenation    Hydrogen  Mfg.

             % of BTU input	
 21.7

 75.0



  2.1

  0.7

  0.5

100.0
 64.8



 30.9

  4.3

100.0
   Output


H2

Hydro-feed

Char

Low-BTU gas

High-BTU gas

Light oil

Heavy oil

Hydro-re s idue
             % of BTU Output
_
61.0
20.8
2.7
1.5
0.7
1.1
-
1.3
-
-
-
14.3
12.9
45.2
18.2
55.0
-
-
-
0.9
-
-
-
                    87.8
                91.9
                  55.9
     Overall BTU efficiency 90%  (includes process heat, steam
     and power) Net BTU in products 70%
                             4-6

-------
Table 8.  CAPITAL AND OPERATING COST, TYPICAL

                                         2
   LIQUEFACTION (Plant Size - 20,000 TPD)



Capital Investment - $230,800,000





    Annual operating costs


    Labor                       $  4,540,000


    Coal                          58,400,000


    Utilities and supplies        11,100,000


    Maintenance                    7,620,000


    Overhead                       4,520,000


    Taxes and insurance            5,008,000


    Capital charges               32,500,000


                                $123,688,000



    Byproduct credits              2,710,000


    Net cost of products        $120,978,000
                     4-7

-------
Table 9.  POSSIBLE SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL



    PROBLEMS AT COAL LIQUEFACTION PLANTS








    Coal Mining, Handling and Preparation -



    Coal refuse, fugitive dust, acid mine



    drainage, sludge from clarifiers.





    Liquefaction Process - Disposal of char



    or ash; disposal or treatment of sulfur or



    H2S; odors; hydrocarbon emissions.





    Utilities - Large steam and power require-



    ments could entail significant point sources



    of SO , NO  , and particulate emissions.
         A.    Jt
                     4-8

-------
     A coal liquefaction process requires a large site.  An



equivalent sized plant probably requires a site as large as



that needed for a coal gasification plant; estimates for a



1000 MW coal gasification plant for utility use are 50 to 100



acres.  Coal liquefaction plants could be significantly larger,



with the possibility of a single plant providing high-grade



fuel to many utility or petrochemical customers.



Characteristics of High-Grade Fuel for Utility Use



     The products of coal liquefaction include low-sulfur



distillates, synthetic crude oil, high- and low-BTU gas, by-



product char, and in the SRC process, high-BTU refined coal.



The end use of these products will depend on cost and avail-



ability.  Solvent refined coal, char, and synthetic fuel oil



are candidates for use by utilities.



     The value of these products is significantly higher than



that of currently used utility fuels; some small percentage



of current utility fuels could, however, be displaced by the



hydrogenated fuels.  The problems of burning these enriched



fuels are not significant.  Combustion of synthetic fuel would



be identical to combustion of currently available fuel oil.



Solvent refined coal has good combustion characteristics.  It



can be handled in storage like a solid fuel.  Before combustion,



it is "melted" by heating with relatively low cost equipment,



then fed as a preheated liquid to the combustor.   Since the



sulfur and ash composition of SRC are 1 percent and 0.1 percent



respectively, the coal will meet most air pollution control



regulations.  At 1 percent and 16,000 BTU/lb, however, the



SRC would emit 1.25 Ib SO2/MM BTU input; this level of uncon-



trolled emissions is not low enough to meet the most stringent






                             4-9

-------
of the current air pollution control regulations without some



type of flue gas cleaning.



     The char produced as a byproduct is low in volatile



constituents and contains about the same amounts of ash and



sulfur as the original coal.  Although its low volatile content



causes some combustion problems, it can be burned in con-



ventional furnaces.  Char offers no advantages over conventional



fuels with regard to environmental effects.  It will probably



be used as a fuel to raise steam and provide process heat for



the liquefaction processes, and it is an acceptable feedstock



for gas producers and hydrogen producers.  Use of char as a



fuel or feedstock is necessary to prevent large BTU losses from



liquefaction processes.  Use of char as a fuel for general



utility consumption will depend on its cost to the utilities;



if the cost is not low, the plants will use conventional fuels.



4.3  PROCESS DESCRIPTIONS



4.3.1  Solvent Refined Coal (SRC)



     Pittsburgh and Midway Coal Mining Company is building a



50-TPD pilot plant for production of solvent refined coal under



OCR sponsorship.  A schematic flow diagram of the SRC process



is shown in Figure 5.



     Most types of coal except anthracite can be used in the



SRC process.  The yield of soluble material is highest with



highly volatile bituminous coals.



     Coal is washed to remove extraneous ash and associated



impurities.  The clean coal is crushed to minus 1/8-inch size.



Extraneous moisture is removed by flash drying with hot flue



gas from the process.  Fine coal entrained in the flue gas is



recovered by cyclones and returned to the process.




                             4-10

-------
   COAL
 HANDLING
   AND
PREPARATION
                        WASTE WATER
              HYDROGEN
              PLANT
           ORGANIC
           RECOVERY
  COAL
SLURRY
  AND
PUMPING
                             WATER
                             PHASE
DISSOLVER
                  ASH
             — VARIOUS  CHEMICAL  PRODUCTS
FILTER
            BOILER
                                   so2
                                   LADEN
                                   STACK
                                    GAS
SOLVENT
RECOVERY
PRODUCT
SOLIDIFICATION
-^PRODUCT
                                              ACID GAS
                                              REMOVAL
                                            FUEL GAS
                       CLAUS
                       PLANT
                                     MINERAL
                                    RECOVERY
                       Figure 5.   Solvent refined coal (SRC)  process.

-------
     The dried coal is slurried with hot solvent, an enriched



coal tar fraction, and pumped to the dissolver section.  The



coal slurry is preheated and then mixed with hot, hydrogen-



rich gas from the recycle gas stream.  This mixture is further



preheated, then passed into the dissolver, where most of the



organic matter is solubilized at 825°F and 1000 psig.



     The dissolved coal solution is then sent to a flash vessel



to separate liquids and gases at 995 psig and 625°F.  The



gas stream is split; one fraction is combined with make-up



hydrogen for process use, and the other fraction is passed through



an expansion turbine, then to the acid gas removal system for



purification.



     The liquid fraction from the flash vessel is further



flashed at 150 psig and 600°F.  The liquid is sent to a rotary



precoat type filter.  The filter cake, consisting of minerals



and insoluble organics, is washed with a solvent and then further



processed as described later.



     The solvent is recovered from the filtrate and various



process fractions.  Solvent recovery steps include fractionation,



distillation, and condensation.  Separation of solvent from



various off-gas streams and the product is essential for



economics of the process.



     The filter cake from the filters is further processed



by drying in a rotary drier at 800°F.  The dried filter cake



still contains organic material, and it is burned for power



generation.



     The solvent refined coal may be transported as a liquid



or a solid.  Typical feed and product  (SRC) analysis are



shown in Table 10.  Capital and operating cost estimates are




                             4-12

-------
Table 10.  TYPICAL ANALYSIS OF  FEED AND  SRC  PRODUCT
                     Kentucky No. 11 Coal    Wyoming Lignite
Moisture
Ash
Vol . matter
Fixed carbon
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Sulfur
Oxygen
Heat output, BTU/lb
Coal
2.7
7.13
38.67
51.50
70.75
4.69
1.07
3.38
10.28
12,821
SRC
0.48
36.6
62.98
88.16
5.23
1.54
1.17
3.42
15,768
Coal
9.9
4.2
36.46
49.43
64.20
4.58
1.49
0.81
14.82
11,112
SRC
0.17
25.91
73.92
88.21
4.98
2.06
-, 0.45
4.16
15,477
Melting point, °C                 220                  260
                            4-13

-------
presented in Table 11.



4.3.2  H Coal Process



     H Coal is a development of Hydrocarbon Research, Inc.



In this process, coal is hydrogenated catalytically under



pressure in an ebullated bed reactor.  The product is a synthetic



crude oil, which is then processed in a conventional petroleum



refinery.



     Coal is prepared to reduce ash and to provide a clean



1 1/4-inch feed, then pulverized in ball mills to minus 40 mesh.



The coal is slurried with an equal weight of oil produced from



the hydrogenation section.



     The slurried coal is mixed with hydrogen and a catalyst



and reacted in the ebullated bed reactor at 850°F and 2700 psig.



The synthetic crude oil is depressurized and passed through



liquid cyclones.  The bottom fraction is vacuum-distilled and



the vacuum bottoms, including unreacted coal are coked in a



fluid bed coker.  The overhead from the cyclones is recycled



to the coal preparation plant for slurry oil.



     Hydrogen for the process can be generated via absorption



from refinery gas in mono ethanolamine or via reaction of



refinery gas and char.



     Hydrocarbon Research, Inc. is operating a 3-TPD pilot plant.



A process flow sheet is shown in Figure 6, and a typical material



balance is shown in Table 12.



4.3.3  Project COED



     FMC Corporation, developing a process under funding from



OCR, has built a 36-TPD pilot plant and operated it since early
                             4-14

-------
     Table 11.  CAPITAL AND OPERATING COST, SRC PROCESS

               (57,700 tons of coal feed/day)
Capital Investment

Coal preparation

Extraction, separation,
  and distillation

Extract hydrogenation

Hydrogen manufacturing

Pollution control

Offsites and utilities

          Total

Operating Costs

Coal

Operating supplies

Operating labor and supervision

Maintenance

Overhead

Taxes and insurance

Capital charges (14.1%)

          Total

Byproduct credits

Net cost of fuel

Net cost of fuel,  C/MM BTU
MM $

 16.7


103.5

158.0

246.5

 16.7

 63.6

605.0

MM$/yr.

171

 10.89

  3.02

 16.0

  3.05

 12.10

 85.46

301.52

 10.06

291.46

 80.7
                             4-15

-------

COAL
FUEL G
AND CH

PREPARATION

0]
AS h
AR F
SLURRY
[L
FUEL
GAS 	 	



IYDROGEN
>RODUCTION


COAL
HYDRO-
GENATION



COKING






1




NAPHTHA
PROCESSING
H2
\

MIDDLE
DISTILLATE
PROCESSING
H2
\

HEAVY GAS
OIL
PROCESSING





UMOUL1MC.


DOMESTIC
FUEL OIL


NO. 6 FUEL
OIL






SULFUR
RECOVERY

CHAR
     Figure  6.  H-coal process.

-------
    Table 12.   TYPICAL MATERIAL BALANCE,  H-COAL PROCESS3

                (100,000 barrel PSD Refinery)


                                           	Tons/Hour
                                           Input        Output

1.  Coal preparation

    Coal feed                              1,197
    Slurry oil and recycle coal            1,347
    Coal slurry                              -          2,544

2.  Hydrogenation

    Coal slurry                            2,544
    Hydrogen                                 112
    Heavy gas oil                                          24
    Naphtha                      .                         164
    Middle distillate                                     284
    Oil-coal residue                                      504
    Vent gas                                              193
    H2S, H20, NH                                          139
    Recycle slurry oil                                  1,252

3.  Fluid coking

    Oil coal residue                         504
    Vent gas                                              0 .6
    Coke residue                                          316
    Coke burned                                            21
    Middle and heavy oils                                 161

4.  Oil hydrotreating and distillation

    Feed oils                                469
    Hydrogen                                  92           74
    No. 6 fuel oil                                         17
    Domestic fuel oil                                     214
    Vent gas                                               23
    H9S, H90, NH-                                           7
    Naphtha     J                                         226

5.  Naphtha treating and reforming

    Feed                                     404
    H-0, H9S, NH                                            4
    Gasoline    J                                         364
    Hydrogen                                               10
    Vent gas                                               25
    Losses                                                0.7
                             4-17

-------
                    Table 12 (Continued)


                                          	Tons/Hour
                                          Input        Output

6.   Sulfur and ammonia production

    Feed                                    160
    Ammonia product                                       14
    Sulfur product                                        27
    Waste water                                          118
    Waste gas                                              1

7.   Hydrogen production

    Feed                                    207
    HO
    Waste gas
    HO, H S, NH                                          10
    HydrogSn                                             122
                             4-18

-------
1971.  In the COED process, coal is crushed, dried, and then



heated to successively higher temperatures in a series of



fluidized bed reactors.  In each fluidized bed a fraction of



the volatile matter of the coal is released.



     The volatile materials are processed to recover oil.  The



oil is filtered to remove solids, pressurized, and mixed with



hydrogen and a catalyst to produce a synthetic crude oil.  Non-



condensible gas can be sold or used as a fuel.  Resultant char



is used as process fuel, and excess char can be used as power



plant fuel and as fuel for hydrogen generators.



     The process is shown schematically in Figure 7.  Clean coal



crushed to minus 1 inch, dried, fed to the first fluidized bed,



then heated to 600°F.  From the first fluidized bed, the partially



devolatilized char passes to the second, third, and fourth



fluid beds, operating at 850, 1000 and 1600°F, respectively.



Combustion of the char in stage 4 provides process heat for



stages 1, 2 and 3.



     Product recovery is accomplished by condensing and scrubbing.



Oil mist in the product gas is removed in ESP and spray towers.



Synthetic crude oil is fed to a conventional hydrotreating



plant operating at 750°F and 3000 psig.  Products from a plant



processing 3.5 MM tons of coal per year include 14,200 barrels



of oil/day, 5620 tons of char/day, and 90.5 MM SCF of hydrogen/



day.  A material balance is shown in Table 13.



4.3.4  USBM - Coal Liquefaction Process



     The USBM has been conducting laboratory-scale studies in



a fixed bed reactor.  The reactions are carried out using pul-



verized coal in a slurry of recycle oil at 2000-4000 psig.
                             4-19

-------
                                         PRODUCT
                                         HYDROTREATING
                                         AND RECOVERY
I
NJ
O
        COAL —
COAL
PREPARATION
AND
DRIER
1ST
STAGE
REACTOR
                                            PRODUCTS
                                                GAS
                                                                                  GAS
GAS
CLEANING
                                           CHAR
                             FLUIDIZING
                             GAS
                                                         STAGE  2
                                                         STAGE  3
                                                                  CHAR
STAGE 4
REACTOR
CHAR
                                                       FLUIDIZING
                                                       GAS
                                                                                 CHAR COOLER
                                                                                 AND RECOVERY
                                                       I
                                                      CHAR
                                         Figure 7.  COED process.

-------
Table 13.  TYPICAL MATERIAL BALANCE COED PROCESS
                            Tons/Hour
Stage 1 reactor

  a. Coal feed

  b. Fluidizing gas

  c. Char

  d. H20

  e. Oil

  f. Gas
                      Input

                        416

                        257



                         29
Output
404

 34

  8

257
Stage 2 and 3 reactors

  a. Char (from 1 and 4)  534

  b. H20                    2

                            5
c. Oil
  d. Gas
                        121
448

 23

 90

150
Stage 4

  a. Char

  b. H20

  c. Oil

  d. Gas
                        448     203 Product/180 recycle
                                             to 2 and 3
                         49     114 recycle to 2 and 3
                       4-21

-------
No conceptual process design is available.  A 5-TPD pilot



plant is planned.
                             4-22

-------
                                       REFERENCES
              1.   Private  communication,  American Lurgi  Corp.

              2.   Chemical Systems,  Inc.   Economic  Report  on SRC  Process
                  to  Office of  Coal  Research.

              3.   Foster Wheeler  Corp.  Engineering Evaluation  and  Review
                  of  Consolidated Synthetic  Fuel Process for Office of
                  Coal  Research.

              4.   U.S.  Department of the  Interior.   Office of Coal  Research.
                  News  Release  Dated March 6,  1974.

              5.   Weekly Energy Report, March  4, 1974.   Page 6.

              6.   American Lurgi  Corp.  Clean  Fuel  Gas from Coal.

              7.   Farnsworth, J.,  et al.   The  Production of Gas through a
                  Commercially  Proven Process.  Koppers  Co. August 1973,

              8.   Office of Coal  Research Annual Report, 1973.  Clean
                  Energy from Coal - a National Priority.

              9.   Evaluation of Coal-Gasification Technology, Part  I
                  Pipeline Quality Gas.   R and D Report  No. 74, Office
                  of  Coal  Research.   1973.

             10.   United States Bureau of Mines.

             11.   Hamilton,  G.W.   Gasification of Solid  Fuels.  Cost
                  Engineering.  July 1973.
L

-------
      A-l




LURGI GASIFIER
      A-l

-------
               COAL
             7T\
                      COAL  LOCK
                      HOPPER
                   y   i
>
jy   GAS
    X
           DISTRIBUTOR
               GRATE
                          STEAM
                           AND
                         OXYGEN
                     ASH LOCK
                       HOPPER
                     LURGI GASIFIER
The Lurgi Gasifier is based on countercurrent gasification.
Coal is fed through a pressurized lock hopper to the reactor.
The distributor feeds coal uniformly into the reactor.   When
caking coals are fed, blades are mounted on the distributor  and
are rotated within the feed bed.  Oxygen and steam are  fed
through the rotating grate.  Ash drops through the grate and
is discharged through the ash lock hopper.   The steps of the
process are as follows:  Coal is devolatilized as it drops to
the bed.  The volatile matter and gasification products react.
The char is gasified in the fuel bed.   Pressure is about
300 psig.  When producing low-BTU gas  for utility use air is
used in place of steam.

The first Lurgi pressure gasifier was  built in 1936 at  the
HIRSCHFELDE Gas Works.  In 1940 improved gasifiers were
supplied to produce town gas from lignite.   These gasifiers
having a 54 sq. ft. reactor cross-section were built through
1949.  In 1950 a pilot plant was built at Hollen to develop
a large-capacity gasifier for manufacture of synthesis  gas.
This pilot work led to the construction of 39 gasifiers for
production of synthesis and town gas in Sasolburg, South
Africa; Doston, Germany; Melbourne, Australia; Daud Khel,
Pakistan; Westfield, Scotland; Coleshill, England; and  Najin,
Korea.  These plants were built during the period 1954-1966.
In 1969, Lurgi began construction of five pressure gasifiers
at the Kellerman Power Station, Steag  at Lunen, Germany,  for
use in a combined power cycle.

The Lurgi technology is currently being applied in the  U.S.
to the production of synthetic natural gas.  Texas Eastern
Transmission Corp., Utah International Inc., and Pacific
Lighting Corp. have joined to build a  250-MM-CFD gas plant.
El Paso Natural Gas Co. applied to FPC in November 1972 for
approval to build a 250-MM-CFD plant.   Both plants would use
western coals.  FPC has not approved either plant as of 8/73.
An important program, sponsored by Continental Oil Co.  and
others, is construction of a methanation unit at the Westfield,
Scotland, gas plant to produce 2.6 MM-CFD of SNG.  This would
be the first commercial SNG from a coal plant; the system is
due to be tested by the end of 1974.

-------
Estimated cost of each of the 250 MM CFD plants is about
$330 million.

References:
1) Otto W. Tadei, Vice-President Sales, Lurgi.
2) "The Lurgi Process - The Route to SNG from Coal" presented
   at the 4th Syn. Pipeline Gas Symp.  October 1972.
3) "Lurgi Pressure Gasification" Lurgi Bulletin 01018/12-71.
4) "Clean Fuel Gas from Coal" Lurgi Bulletin 01007/10-71.

-------
                LURGI SNG PLANT, 250 MM SCFD

                  (Date of cost basis:  1971)


                             Capital Cost, Millions of dollars

Coal storage and preparation           23.80

Coal gasification                      39.24

Gas cooling                             9.71

Shift conversion                       included in gas cooling

Methanation                            13.97

Compression                             5.04
                                       91.76

Oxygen plant                           35.95

Sulfur recovery                         7.40

Water pollution control                 8.91

Steam and power plant                  27.45

General utilities                      10.96

General offsites                       16.97
                                      107.64

Total plant investment                199.40

Contingency                            25.43
                           Total      224.83

Interest during construction           35.00

Startup costs                          13.00

Working capital                        12.00
                                      284.83

Cost Estimate from The Final Report of the Supply - Technical

Adv. Task Force Synthetic Gas - Coal, FPC.
                             A-4

-------
          LURGI LOW-BTU GAS PRODUCER, 330 MW PLANT




                 (Date of cost basis:  1971)
  Fuel rate



  HHV, fuel



  Efficiency



  Labor



  Water



    Process



    Cooling



  Power



Capital costs



Daily operating costs



  Labor



  Utilities



  Maintenance



  Fixed costs



  Fuel



  Total daily cost
        179 TPH




       9500 BTU/lb




         80%
     14,000 gph



  2,500,000 gph








$16,500,000








      3,500



      1,425



      3,500



      4,217



     24,473
    $37,115




      = 57C/MM BTU
Source "Clean Fuel Gas from Coal" Lurgi.  Bulletin 0.1007/10.71



These costs are derived from cost analysis of combined cycle



plant.  Cost could easily exceed 60C/MM BTU.  Fuel cost is



30C/MM BTU.
                             A-5

-------
CO
o
.0
•LU
 o
-CM
2.60



2.40



2.20



2.00



1 .80



1.60



1 .40



.1.20



1.00



0.80



0.60
                            I
1
I
                1975      1980      1985

                     YEAR OF  PLANT STARTUP
         1990
        Cost of High BTU Gas Produced by Lurgi Process



  Reference:  RPC - Final Report "The Supply-Technical


              Advisory Task Force-Synthetic Gas-Coal
                                 A-6

-------
           A-2




KOPPERS - TOTZEK GASIFIER
             A-7

-------
                            GAS
        COAL
00
                                               COAL
              OXYGEN
               STEAM
                          ASH OR
                           SLAG
The Koppers-Totzek gasifier is an oxygen-blown
pressure gasifier, operating in concurrent flow.
Concurrent gasification produces no tars and
therefore eliminates the need for cleanup of
oils and tars.  Each gasifier has four burners.
Pulverized coal is fed into each burner.  The
gasifier operates at high temperature.  Gasifi-
cation products are 300-BTU gas at 2 psig.

From 1949 to 1972, 56 Koppers-Totzek gasifiers
units have been installed in France, Finland,
Japan, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Greece, URA,
Thailand, Turkey, Germany, Zambia, India, and
South Africa.

Koppers Co., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is
marketing Koppers-Totzek gasifiers in the U.S.

Reference:  Koppers Co. (U.S.) Literature.
                         KOPPERS-TOTZEK GASIFICATION

-------
                   KOPPERS-TOTZEK PROCESS
                  LOW-BTU GAS, 300 MW PLANT
  (Date of cost basis, 1971-72; basis is amount per  1000 NCM
                       of CO,, and H0)
Plant capacity
Fuel rate
Fuel HHV
Efficiency
Labor
Water
Power
Published


620 Kg
6,480 KCal
90%


236 Kg
32 KWH
Capital investment including oxygen plant
   160
 to
 o
 •o
 0 120
 
-------
    1.20
    1.10
CO

Ll_
O
2:   i.oo

CO
UJ CO
to
•  s:
UJ3E
CO "-^
*f •*>•
oe.
0.90
f?;   0.80
o
CM
    0.70
               KOPPERS-TOTZEK PROCESS,  LOW-BTU GAS
                Operating Cost -  $72,150 per day
                     70
                             140
210
280
                   Output,  billions of BTU/day




     Koppers-Totzek Average Operating Costs at $72,150  Per Day


                         300 BTU/SCF at 2 psig
                                A-10

-------
          A-3




WELLMAN-GALUSHA GASIFIER
           A-H

-------
     COAL STORAGE
     LOCK HOPPER
       I
                        GAS
AIR
The Wellman-Galusha gasifier is built in two standard
types, agitated and nonagitated.  Coal is fed into a lock
hopper and then by gravity into the gasifier.  The ash
removal and fuel feed rate are synchronized.  In the
agitated producer, the agitator is slow moving and is
located below the surface of the fuel bed.  The agitator
increases the production rate of the unit.  Although the
blast is typically air-steam, oxygen-steam units have
been operated on coke.  Operation with all types of fuel,
including bituminous, is claimed.

Maximum size of units is 10-foot diameter, producing
80 MM BTU/hour.  Wellman has sold a 10-foot-diameter
unit to gasify anthracite coal ^ 1 TPH.  Sale was supply
only, $135,000.  Output 25 MM BTU/hr.  Unit was sold to
Glen Gerry Brick Corp., Reading, Pennsylvania.  W-G
built a high-pressure gasifier for USBM at Morgantown.
They have applied to OCR for funds to build a prototype
25-foot-diameter gasifier using oxygen at high pressure
to compete with Lurgi for production of high-BTU gas.
                                 Reference:
            1) George Hamilton, W-G.
            2) Gasification of Solid Fuels, Cost Eng.
               July 1963 pp 4-11.
  STEAM
          ASH
                                WELLMAN-GALUSHA GASIFIER

-------
WELLMAN-GALUSHA LOW-BTU GAS PRODUCER, 50 MM BTU/hr




            (Date of cost basis:  1963)
Fuel rate



Fuel HHV



Efficiency



Labor



Water



  Process



  Cooling



Power



Capital costs (installed)



Daily operating costs



  Labor @ 2.50/hr



  Water @ 10C/M



  Power § 1C/KWH



  Maintenance @ 3%



  Fixed costs, 10 yr.



  Interest



Fuel $8.5/T
Published



4116 Ib/hr



13,500 BTU/lb



90%



1/3 man per shift








3/4 gal/lb fuel



7200 gpd



18 KWH/T of fuel



$140,000








20



8.13



8.89



11.50



38.35








419.90
TOTAL



Cost of gas
506.77




42C/MM
                        A-13

-------
       A-4




ADVANCED GASIFIERS
      A-14

-------
                                -»• GAS
       COAL
i
M
U1
                      \ /
              SLURRY
        LIGHT
         OIL
                       CHAR
                   STEAM
                                    AND CO
 ELECTRIC
"POWER
                                              ELECTRO
                                             GASIFIER
                                              -*- CHAR
               Hygas-Institute of Gas Technology is operating
               a pilot plant at their facility near Chicago.
               Among three conceptual Hygas processes the
               differences are primarily in the methods of
               generating hydrogen and CO.  The Electrothermal
               Hygas system is included in the pilot plant.  A
               Steam Oxygen Hygas is under construction.  In
               the Electrothermal Hygas process, gasification
               takes place in fluidized bed reactors.  Coal
               is dried, pulverized, and pretreated  (caking
               coals) with air.  It is then slurried with a
               light oil, pumped to a vessel at 1500 psi and
               600 degrees F, where solvent is recovered.  The
               coal is devolatilized at 1300-1500°F, then
               gasified at 1700°F.  Some of the char is fed
               to the Electrothermal gasifiers and is reacted
               with steam at 1900°F to produce H2 for the
               methanation step.

               Since 1964 a total of about $38.2 million has
               been committed to Hygas coal gasification
               by its sponsors.
                                                          HYGAS SYSTEM,  ELECTROTHERMAL MODE

-------
           COAL
           JL
  STEAM
 OXYGEN
The Synthane Process, USBM, entails a
fluidized bed, pressure gasification system
with pretreatment for caking coals.  A 75-TPD
plant is under construction and is scheduled
to operate in 1974.  The process operates
at 1000 psig at 1400°F.
                         GAS
 STEAM
OXYGEN
            ASH
            AND
           CHAR
                                  SYNTHANE PROCESS USBM

-------
                                        GAS
                               CYCLONE
           COAL'
                       STAGE  2
>
t
           STEAM
           STEAM-
                       STAGE  1
                                      V
                                          RECYCLE
                                          OXYGEN
In the Bi Gas process (Bituminous Coal Research
Inc.)/ pulverized coal is fed to the bottom of the
upper section of a two-stage unit and is carried
concurrently with a stream of hot synthesis gas
produced in the lower section by the action of
oxygen and steam on the residual char.  The
gasifier operates at 50-100 atmospheres and
produces gas at 700°F.  Char from Stage 2
is gasified with steam and oxygen in Stage 1.

This process has been developed only on a
small scale (100 Ib/hr).   Construction of a
5-TPH plant is to be completed by late 1974 or
early 1975.
                         SLAG
                                                    B! GAS PROCESS

-------
                 GAS
         COAL
             DEVOLATIZ^
H
00
CHAR
AND
SORBENT
                                  FRESH
                                 SORBENT
               GASIFIER
                                    SORBENT
                                  REGENERATOR
                           SORBENT
                                      AIR
                                 CHAR AND
                                 SORBENT
                                       The CO_ Acceptor Process  (Consolidation Coal Co.)
                                       was designed to operate on lignite and Western
                                       coals.  The unique feature of this process is
                                       circulation of calcined dolomite through a
                                       fluidized bed of char.  Reaction of the dolomite
                                       with carbon dioxide liberates sufficient heat
                                       to sustain the energy-requiring carbon-steam
                                       reaction.  The product gas is enriched in methane
                                       A 1.5-TPD pilot plant has been built in North
                                       Dakota and is under test.  Work is funded by AGA-OCR.

                                       Work is being conducted on a laboratory scale to
                                       enable the use of pretreated bituminous coals in
                                       the CO~ acceptor system.
                STEAM
                                              C02  ACCEPTOR  PROCESS

-------
             CAPITAL COSTS OF ADVANCED GASIFIERS:

 HY GAS, BI GAS, CO2 ACCEPTOR, AND SYNTHANE  (250 MM CFD plant)

                                  Typical Capital Cost, millions
                                            of dollars
 Plant investment

 Investment during
   construction

 Startup costs

 Working capital
   2.20


   2.00


   1.80
s  K6°
oo

CJJ

LjJ
C3
<£
LU
>-

O
CO
   1 .40


   1 .20


   1 .00


   0.80

   0.70
                                            210.0


                                              35.4

                                              12.0

                                              12.0

                                            269.4
                           I
I
I
                                              1990
               1975       1980       1985

                     Year of plant  startup

  Cost of High-BTU Gas  from Advanced Gasification  Processes
                             A-19

-------
     CO2 ACCEPTOR - COST OF LOW-BTU GAS
          (Date of cost basis:



Plant capacity

Fuel rate

HHV

Efficiency

Water

  Process

  Cooling

Power

Capital cost, installed
(includes off sites
 and utilities)

Operating cost, annual

TOTAL

Gas cost

Fuel - 30C/MM BTU
1971)

 Published

 10,286.6 MM BTU/hr

 578.5 TPH

 11,940

 75%



 731,300 #/hr

 1,000,000 gph



 $112,400,000



 $35,290,000



  60C/MM BTU
                     A-20

-------
                        BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cochran, N.P.  Conversion of Coal to Oil and Gas, 12th Annual
Institute on Petroleum Exploration and Economics.  (Dallas)
March 15-16, 1972.

Davies, H.E., et.al, Processes for the Manufacture of Natural
Gas Substitutes.  Gas Council Research Communication GC155,
Research Meeting of the Institute of Gas Engineers (London).
November 1968.

Office of Coal Research Annual Report, 1972.

Engineering Study and Technical Evaluation of the Bituminous
Coal Research, Inc., Two-Stage Super Pressure Gasification
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Bi Gas Program Enters Pilot Plant Stage.   BCR Report.   1972.

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