coal gasification

coal gasification

Coal gasification

The conversion of coal or coal char to gaseous products by reaction with steam, oxygen, air, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, or a mixture of these. Products consist of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, and some other gases in proportions dependent upon the specific reactants and conditions (temperatures and pressures) employed within the reactors, and the treatment steps which the gases undergo subsequent to leaving the gasifier. Similar chemistry can also be applied to the gasification of coke derived from petroleum and other sources. The reaction of coal or coal char with air or oxygen to produce heat and carbon dioxide could be called gasification, but it is more properly classified as combustion. The principal purposes of such conversion are the production of synthetic natural gas as a substitute gaseous fuel and synthesis gases for production of chemicals and plastics. See Combustion

In all cases of commercial interest, gasification with steam, which is endothermic, is an important chemical reaction. The necessary heat input is typically supplied to the gasifier by combusting a portion of the coal with oxygen added along with the steam. From the industrial viewpoint, the final product is either chemical synthesis gas (CSG), medium-Btu gas (MBG), or a substitute natural gas (SNG).

Each of the gas types has potential industrial applications. In the chemical industry, synthesis gas from coal is a potential alternative source of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This mixture is obtained primarily from the steam reforming of natural gas, natural gas liquids, or other petroleum liquids. Fuel users in the industrial sector have studied the feasibility of using medium-Btu gas instead of natural gas or oil for fuel applications. Finally, the natural gas industry is interested in substitute natural gas, which can be distributed in existing pipeline networks.

There has also been some interest by the electric power industry in gasifying coal by using air to provide the necessary heat input. This could produce low-Btu gas (because of the nitrogen present), which can be burned in a combined-cycle power generation system. See Electric power generation

In nearly all of the processes, the general process is the same. Coal is prepared by crushing and drying, pretreated if necessary to prevent caking, and then gasified with a mixture of air or oxygen and steam. The resulting gas is cooled and cleaned of char fines, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide before entering optional processing steps to adjust its composition for the intended end use.