Char Oil Energy Development Research Articles

Comparative Analysis of Typical Low Rank Coal Pyrolysis Technology Based on a Nonlinear Programming Model

A nonlinear programming (NLP) model has been established to describe the process of low rank coal pyrolysis, and the model was validated through comparison with pilot or semi-industry technologies. Results showed good agreement with actual production values, suggesting that the model can be regarded as a general one for simulating low rank coal pyrolysis. On the basis of this model, the products’ distributions and energy penalties can be obtained from the coal pyrolysis process. In this study, the NLP model was used to simulate typical five pyrolysis processes such as the Toscoal process, Lurgi–Ruhrgas process, Char Oil Energy Development technology, Dalian University of Technology process, and Multistage Rotary Furnace technology from China Coal Research Institute, and Hulunbuir lignite was taken as a coal sample. Combined with the simulation results from the NLP model, effects of the key parameters on the performance of the pyrolysis technologies are investigated and a comprehensive evaluation in terms ...

Enthalpy measurements of a syncrude and a distillate derived from Western Kentucky coal

Enthalpy data at pressures of 690, 3450, 6895, and 10340 kPa (100, 500, 1000, 1500 psia) for temperatures between 18.3 and 375/sup 0/C (65 to 705/sup 0/F) are presented for a Western Kentucky syncrude produced by the Char-Oil-Energy-Development (COED) process, and for a combined distillate of the Western Kentucky syncrude for pressures of 690, 3450, and 6895 kPa (60, 100, 500 psia) and temperatures between 18.3 and 402/sup 0/C (65 to 765/sup 0/F). The data were obtained in a boil-off calorimeter with Freon 11 (CFCl/sub 3/) as a reference fluid.

Enthalpy measurements on distillates produced from a Utah coal by the Char-Oil-Energy-Development process and from a Kentucky bituminous coal by the Synthoil process

Enthalpy data for a light distillate of a coal-derived liquid produced from a Utah coal by the Char-Oil-Energy-Development (COED) process are presented at pressures of 415, 690, 3450, 6895, and 10340 kPa (60, 100, 500, 1000, 1500 psia) for temperatures between 18.3 and 383/sup 0/C (65 to 721/sup 0/F). Results for a distillate of a syncrude produced from a Kentucky bituminous coal by the Synthoil process are also presented at pressures of 1035, 1380, 3450, 6895, and 10340 kPa (150, 200, 500, 1000, 1500 psia) at temperatures between 18.3 and 395/sup 0/C (65 and 742/sup 0/F). The data were obtained in a boil-off calorimeter with Freon-11 (CFC1/sub 3/) as a reference-fluid.

A case history of a fixed bed, coal-derived oil hydrotreater

With the apparent shrinkage in the worldwide supply of liquid hydrocarbon fuels, upgrading of coal-derived liquids to synthetic crude oils will eventually emerge as a commercial entity. Although the Char-Oil-Energy Development (COED) Project has been shelved in the short term, information about the reaction engineering of the upgrading of coal-derived liquids by hydrotreatment in the COED Process should be relevant to upgrading technologies for other coal liquefaction processes. The COED Process was developed by FMC Corporation and the Office of Coal Research (now DOE) in the late 1960's and early 1970's. The process produced a synthetic crude oil, medium Btu gas and char by multi-stage, fluidized bed pyrolysis of coal. The raw coal-tar produced by pyrolysis was upgraded to synthetic crude oil by catalytic, fixed-bed hydrotreatment. Raw coal-tar has different properties from petroleum-derived oils, and upgrading by hydrotreatment is not an off-the-shelf technology. A 30 barrel per day fixed-bed hydrotreater was constructed and operated at the COED pilot plant site. The pilot plant hydrotreater design was based on conventional petroleum residua hydrotreatment technology together with bench-scale hydrotreatment tests performed by ARCO in the 1960's utilizing coal-tars produced in a process development unit. The pilot plant hydrotreater did operate for about four years providing valuable information about the reaction engineering of the hydrotreatment process as well as providing numerous samples for applications studies performed by other DOE contractors and interested potential users of the COED syncrude. Of note, 50,000 gallons of COED syncrude were supplied to the U.S. Naval Ship Engineering Center for shipboard testing in the boilers of the U.S.S. Johnston on November 15–16th, 1973. This paper deals with the reaction engineering of the guard chamber and fixed-bed hydrotreatment reactors at the COED facility. Of major importance is the study of the role of the feedstock (pyrolysis coal-tar) properties and their effects on the catalysts utilized in the reactors. A working kinetic model has been derived that could allow a designer to optimize a particular set of design parameters and a plant operator to determine catalyst life. A quantitative comparison has been made of the effect of metals content of coal-derived oils and petroleum resids on catalyst deactivation.

Cytotoxicity of untreated coal liquefaction process water (and a comparison with gasification process water)

Abstract The untreated scrubber water from the Char Oil Energy Development coal liquefaction process was examined for pernicious effects on the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis. Cells were exposed to varying concentrations of process water; their behavior, oxygen uptake, and population growth were monitored. Reduction in cell number and motility are directly related to both concentration and length of exposure with concentrations up to 5% and exposures up to 24 hr. The product water causes a nonlinear, dose‐dependent reduction in oxygen uptake over a 2 to 5% concentration range. Population growth is reduced by concentrations as low as 0.2% process water. Both the growth rate and the final density of the test populations are inversely related to concentration over the range of 0.2 to 1%. Comparisons with the coal gasification product water are discussed.

Clean Fuels from Coal for Power Generation

Abstract There is a need today for more clean energy than ever before. Oil and gas shortages have made themselves felt during the past year, and these shortages will continue to worsen. Coal is available throughout the United States and can be that source of clean fuels required to make the country self-sufficient in oil and gas. A major impact can be made on oil and gas supplies by substituting in power plants clean fuels derived from coal. This can be done by converting high-sulfur coals into a fuel gas and/or oil of low-sulfur content to meet any environmental requirement. The Char-Oil-Energy Development (COED) process is one method for accomplishing this conversion of coal to clean fuels. It has been developed by the FMC Corporation under contract to the Office of Coal Research (OCR), Department of the Interior. The technology from this OCR program, together with added technology on char gasification, can be adapted for scaling up to a commercially sized plant for generating clean fuels for the power ...

Some Pumping Characteristics of Coal Char Slurries

Some pumping characteristics of coal char slurries were studied with water, mineral oil, and a petroleum recycle oil as slurry media. Brookfield viscometer data showed that the viscosity of the slurries could be reduced by adding minus 325 char, and data obtained in a 1 in. dia model pipeline led to the prediction that pumping costs for a 50% by wt char-water slurry would be 0.16 cents/ton/mi, comparable with those of other commercial slurry pipelines. The recycle oil was used because of its resemblance to the product oil from the coal upgrading process being developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Office of Coal Research under the COED (Char Oil Energy Development) project.