Evaluation of the Possibility to Use Coalbed Methane to Produce Methanol Both by Direct Partial Oxidation and From Synthesis Gas

Abstract

The possibility of using coalbed methane to produce methanol is assessed. Methanol can be obtained from methane both by direct partial oxidation and from synthesis gas formed through the oxidative conversion of methane. Thermodynamic analysis of coalbed methane conversion was carried out to determine the conditions for obtaining synthesis gas with the ratio [H2]/[CO] = 2, which is optimal for methanol production. The system consisting of methane, nitrogen, and oxygen, with different contents of oxygen and water vapor, was considered. The fuel-air equivalence ratio varied in the range from 2 to 4. The optimal conditions for obtaining synthesis gas for the production of methanol is the use of a mixture with an equivalence ratio of at least 4. It has also been shown that the addition of water vapor leads to an increase in the [H2]/[CO] ratio. Direct gas-phase oxidation of methane to methanol opens up the possibility of complex use of coal mining waste, including not only coalbed methane but also a large amount of coal waste accumulated during coal mining and beneficiation.