Linking laboratory data with pilot scale entrained flow coal gasification performance. Part 1: Laboratory characterisation

Pilot scale measurements play an important role in our understanding of the coal gasification process. To gain the most practical benefits from such testing it is important to have a good understanding of the fundamental processes that influence coal behaviour under industrial conditions. In this paper, a suite of Australian coals was characterised in detail at the laboratory scale and preliminary assessments made of their likely performance under practical entrained flow conditions. The same coals were then tested using a 5 MW_th pilot-scale entrained flow gasifier in Part 2. The resulting gasification dataset for a suite of coals at both laboratory and pilot scale provides a unique opportunity to quantify the links between laboratory gasification measurements and coal gasification behaviour under realistic conditions. This paper presents a characterisation of four Australian thermal coals in terms of their slag formation and flow behaviour, coal devolatilisation and reactivity properties, and their gasification conversion behaviour. This work provides the basis for a relative assessment of their potential for use in entrained flow gasification, and identifies possible performance issues which may need consideration for use in larger-scale gasification systems. The second paper discusses the pilot-scale gasification behaviour of these coals, and relates those data with those presented here.     

GE水煤浆气化炉生产工艺磨机配置的分析及讨论

以某煤制烯烃项目为例,介绍了GE水煤浆气化炉生产工艺的磨煤和级配流程,对棒式磨煤机配置和选择进行了分析和讨论,得出科学的选择方案,对类似工程项目的建设有指导意义。     

Ignition characteristics of coal blends in an entrained flow furnace

Ignition tests were carried out on blends of three coals of different rank - subbituminous, high volatile and low volatile bituminous - in two entrained flow reactors. The ignition temperatures were determined from the gas evolution profiles (CO, CO₂, NO, O₂), while the mechanism of ignition was elucidated from these profiles and corroborated by high-speed video recording. Under the experimental conditions of high carbon loading, clear interactive effects were observed for all the blends. Ignition of the lower rank coals (subbituminous, high volatile bituminous) enhanced the ignition of the higher rank coal (low volatile bituminous) in the blends. The ignition temperatures of the blends of the low rank coals (subbituminous-high volatile bituminous) were additive. However, for the rest of the blends the ignition temperatures were always closer to the lower rank coal in the blend.     

Determination of pneumatic transport capabilities of dry pulverised coal suitable for entrained flow processes

The use of pulverised coal in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant is currently under development. The results of a project to determine the suitability of Chinese coals for dry feed to the entrained flow gasifier that forms part of the above cycle are presented. This paper also includes some basic material characterisation of the pulverised coal.Pneumatic conveying test rigs were used in conjunction with a mathematical model to generate conveying characteristics for coal at high back pressures. The overall strategy was to test both coal and surrogate at atmospheric back pressure to compare the two materials' performance, under similar conveying conditions; and to test the surrogate material at elevated back pressure, and use this data to validate a mathematical model. The similarity of behaviours of the two materials then allowed the model to be applied to the data measured for coal and so generate conveying characteristics at conditions typical of entrained flow.The mathematical model used to scale the results to high back pressures, which characterise entrained flow processes, is based on the assumption that the influence of the pressure drop due to solids is independent of the back pressure, in the range of conditions considered. Conveying characteristics were generated at a variety of back pressures ranging from 1 to 25 bar. A brief analysis of the minimum conveying velocity is also presented.     

On the scaling-up of a two-stage air blown entrained flow coal gasifier

A two-stage air blown entrained flow gasifier is being developed in Japan for the IGCC process. However, its scale-up up faces significant difficulties because of ash/slag deposition problems. The ash/slag deposition in the gasifier depends on both the ash properties and entrainment produced by the swirling gas flow. Therefore, the flow hydrodynamics are critical issues for the control of the ash behavior. In this paper, a comprehensive simulation model is used to examine the effects of the gasifier geometry and jet configuration on the flow hydrodynamics in order to control the ash deposition on the gasifier walls. A swirl number for the multi-stage injection swirling gas flow is defined and proved to be the most important hydrodynamic scaling law for the entrained flow gasifier.     

CO2 gasification rate analysis of coal char in entrained flow coal gasifier

Coal chars of four coal types were gasified with carbon dioxide using a PDTF or TGA at high temperature and pressure. Test conditions of temperature and partial pressure of the gasifying agent were determined to simulate the conditions in air-blown or oxygen-blown entrained flow coal gasifiers. Coal chars were produced by rapid pyrolysis of pulverized bituminous coals using a DTF with a nitrogen gas flow at 1670 K. In gasification tests with the PDTF, gasification temperatures were 1670 K or below and partial pressures of carbon dioxide were 0.7 MPa or below. Carbon monoxide of 0.6 MPa or below was supplied for the gasification tests with the TGA.As a result, coal types showed a large difference in the char gasification rate with carbon dioxide, and this difference remained large without decreasing even in the high-temperature area when the gasification rate was controlled by pore diffusion the same as in entrained flow gasifiers. Inhibition of the gasification reaction by carbon monoxide was also observed. Reaction rate equations of both the nth order and Langmuir-Hinshelwood type were applied to the char gasification reaction with the random pore model and the effectiveness factor, and the applicability of these rate equations to air-blown and oxygen-blown entrained flow gasifiers evaluated. Gasification rate equations and kinetic parameters applicable to a pore diffusion zone at high temperature were obtained for each coal.     

Gasification of biomass wastes in an entrained flow gasifier: Effect of the particle size and the residence time

Experimental tests in an entrained flow gasifier have been carried out in order to evaluate the effect of the biomass particle size and the space residence time on the gasifier performance and the producer gas quality. Three types of biomass fuels (grapevine pruning and sawdust wastes, and marc of grape) and a fossil fuel (a coal-coke blend) have been tested. The results obtained show that a reduction in the fuel particle size leads to a significant improvement in the gasification parameters. The thermochemical characterisation of the resulting char-ash residue shows a sharp increase in the fuel conversion for particles below 1 mm diameter, which could be adequate to be used in conventional entrained flow gasifiers. Significant differences in the thermochemical behaviour of the biomass fuels and the coal-coke blend have been found, especially in the evolution of the H₂/CO ratio with the space time, mainly due to the catalytic effect of the coal-coke ash. The reaction temperature and the space time have a significant effect on the H₂/CO ratio (the relative importance of each of these parameters depending on the temperature), this value being independent of the fuel particle size.     

多喷嘴对置式水煤浆气化炉内火焰声学特性分析

气化炉内火焰声学信号是表征水煤浆气化炉内火焰燃烧及流动特性的重要信息。为了更好地了解气流床气化炉内撞击火焰的燃烧特性及其对气化炉的影响,在多喷嘴对置式气流床气化炉中,进行了两喷嘴撞击火焰和四喷嘴撞击火焰的变工况试验。应用统计理论和Hilbert-Huang变换对炉内火焰声学信号分别进行了时域和频域的分析。结果表明,随着燃料或氧气的增大,火焰化学反应速率加快,燃烧越来越剧烈,火焰的稳定性越来越差,其中氧气对火焰的影响大于燃料。四喷嘴工况的撞击火焰噪声的标准偏差值要大于两喷嘴,但标准偏差随工况的变化小于两喷嘴,说明四喷嘴撞击火焰燃烧剧烈但稳定。低氧燃比工况时,四喷嘴能量和频率的分布主要集中在45 Hz以下的低频段和45～100 Hz的中频段,比两喷嘴工况更集中于低频段。     

Gasification characteristics of combustible wastes in a 5 ton/day fixed bed gasifier

The gasification characteristics of combustible wastes were determined in a 5 ton/day fixed bed gasifier (1.2 m I.D. and 2.8m high). The fixed bed gasifier consisted of air compressor, oxygen tank, MFC, fixed bed gasifier, cyclone, heat exchanger, solid/gas separator, water fluidized bed reactor and blower. To capture soot or unburned carbon from the gasification reaction, solid/gas separator and water fluidized bed were used. The experiments with 10–50 hours of operation were carried out to determine the effects of bed temperature, solid/oxygen ratio and oxidant on the gas composition, calorific value and carbon conversion. The calorific values of the produced gas decreased with an increase of bed temperature because combustion reaction happened more actively. The gas composition of partial oxidation of woodchip is CO: 34.4%, H₂: 10.7%, CH₄: 6.0%, CO₂: 48.9% and that of RPF is CO: 33.9%, H₂: 26.1%, CH₄: 10.7%, CO₂: 29.2%. The average calorific values of produced gas were about 1,933 kcal/Nm³, 2,863 kcal/Nm³, respectively. The maximum calorific values were 3,100 kcal/Nm³ at RPF/oxygen ratio: 7     

Study of coal ash deposition in an entrained flow reactor: Assessment of traditional and alternative slagging indices

The slagging behaviour of 12 different coals/blends was analysed in an entrained flow reactor and compared with predictions using a wide range of empirical indices. Large discrepancies were obtained in most cases, both with respect to experimental results (in terms of capture efficiency and energy-based growth rate) and among the different indices. A new approach is proposed, in which the traditional expressions are modified to account for other parameters with influence on deposition phenomena: aerodynamic diameter and the total mass of mineral matter injected with the coal. Each of these factors resulted in improved correlations between predictions and experimental observations for all the indices analysed, which together with the good agreements achieved with several of the new indices are thought to confirm the validity of the approach proposed.     

Techno-economic study of CO2 capture and storage in coal fired oxygen fed entrained flow IGCC power plants

The attractiveness of fossil fuel as a feedstock for power generation depends on the development of energy conversion systems that are efficient, clean and economical. Coal fired power plants are generally considered to be “dirty” since they have high CO₂ emissions, with the exception of those coal fired power plants that employ CO₂ capture technology. Among the coal fired options, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) systems have the best environmental performance and are potentially suitable candidates. The objective of this work is to provide an assessment and analysis of the potential for reduction of the output of greenhouse gas from the oxygen fed entrained flow gasifier systems, including the cost and cost-effectiveness of each likely conceptual scheme.     

Experimental studies on gasification of the Shenmu coal char with CO2 at elevated pressures

The gasification rates of Shenmu coal chars with CO₂ were experimentally studied with a pressurized thermo- gravimetric analyzer (PTGA). Shenmu coal is a typical Chinese coal, and the coal char was prepared by a fixed-bed reactor in nitrogen at 900 °C. The experiments were carried out in the dynamic heating segments from 750 °C to 1,000 °C, and the reaction pressure increased from 0.1MPa to 3.1MPa with pure CO₂. The external diffusion resistances were minimized by increasing the flow rates and decreasing the thickness of sample layer before the test, to ensure the reactions were under kinetic control. The results show that the gasification rates increase proportionally to the 0.1 power of the CO₂ partial pressure. The unreacted-core shrinking model was applied to predict the reaction rate by changing the molar fraction of CO₂ at 0.6Mpa and 1.6Mpa total pressures, which showed a good match with experimental data. This work was presented at the 6 ^th Korea-China Workshop on Clean Energy Technology held at Busan, Korea, July 4–7, 2006.     

Preparation and rheology of biochar, lignite char and coal slurry fuels

Slurries of an Oil Mallee biomass char, a low rank coal char and sub-bituminous coals were prepared by mixing the finely milled solids with water and a range of additives including polyacrylic acid, charged copolymers D101 and D102, and sucrose. The resultant slurries were subjected to rheological characterizations including apparent viscosity and yield stress. The effect of the solid type, particle size distribution, and the additives on preparation of highly loaded slurries with the desired rheological behaviour were systematically examined in terms of apparent viscosity and yield stress. The additives D101 and D102 were found to be most effective in producing highly loaded suspensions with a low apparent viscosity and yield stress. Particle size distributions were manipulated to improve the solid loading. Suspensions produced by powder mixture containing equal weight precent of 30 min and 1 min milled powders gave a broad size distribution and is very effective in increasing the solid loading in slurries. The significant improvement in the solid loading was shown to be achieved by (i) increasing particle packing density via size distribution control and (ii) minimising the strength and number of the interactions between colloidal particles. The maximum solid loading of flowable (or relatively low apparent viscosity) slurries achieved with the Oil Mallee char is ∼40 wt.%, with the sub-bituminous coals 56-63 wt.%, and with the lignite char ∼65 wt.%. This study has shown that for low rank coals such as lignite, thermal and densification treatment is essential to achieve the solid loading of slurry fuel.     

Multi-element determinations of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) coal slurries using ICP-OES

A slurry nebulisation technique was applied for elemental analysis of bituminous coals SARM 18, SARM 19 and four coals from three different seams in Witbank, South Africa, by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Major elements (Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, S, Si and Ti) and trace elements (Ba, Cr, Mn, Ni, Sr, V, Zn and Zr) in coal were determined. Various slurry preparations were evaluated using two dispersants (glycerol and Triton X-100) and by varying the concentration of dispersants, between 0.1% and 1.0% (v/v). The effect of initially solubilising the ground coal in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was investigated by varying the volume of DMF added. The effect of wet grinding with DMF was investigated. Wet grinding with DMF was shown to drastically reduce particle sizes (50.0% < 0.28 μm and 90.0% < 6.17 μm) as compared to dry grinding (50.0% < 5.25 μm and 90.0% < 11.1 μm). The reduced particle sizes and increased transport efficiency of the coal slurries led to improved analytical recoveries of elements in the reference coal, SARM 18. The best analytical recoveries for all elements were achieved using 0.1% Triton X-100 with 10.0% DMF. Results obtained by ICP-OES after wet grinding of the coal with DMF, using 0.1% Triton X-100, also gave excellent recoveries (Al, 100%; Ca, 103%; Cr, 106%; Fe, 102%; Mg, 100%; Mn, 104%; Ni, 109%; Si, 102%; Ti, 95.0%; and V, 108%). The results obtained with 10.0% DMF and 0.1% Triton X-100 were in agreement with certified values for all selected elements according to paired t-test at the 95.0% confidence level. Selected elements (Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Si, Ti and V) were also analysed with X-ray fluorescence for comparison with results obtained from ICP-OES. Analysis by ICP-OES of microwave digested coal was also carried out. It is suggested that the DMF slurry technique could be used for routine analysis of bituminous coals.     

两段式气流床氧/煤比对干煤粉气化特性的影响

基于Eulerian-Lagrangian方法建立了两段式干煤粉气流床的三维CFD计算流体动力学模型,利用均相与非均相多步化学反应动力学确定煤气化反应,用k-ε模型描述气相湍流流动,用随机轨道模型追踪煤粉颗粒的运动轨迹,模拟了气流床内的煤气化过程。在氧/煤质量比为0.9,1.0和1.1时,基于文献实验条件对不同反应机理进行数值模拟,通过结果对比获得最佳反应机理。考察了氧煤比为1.0时上下两阶段煤/氧比对煤气化特性的影响。结果表明,选用焦炭和挥发物完全燃烧反应、忽略CO参与气相燃烧反应的反应机理(Case E)的模拟结果与实验数据非常吻合,误差小于2%。当一级喷嘴(A-A水平)煤和氧化剂喷入量达到并超过给煤量和进气量的50wt%时,合成气组分、碳转化率和有效成分等气化炉总体性能指标较好。在一级喷嘴喷入70wt%煤和60wt%氧气时碳转化率最大,为99.6%,一级喷嘴喷入50wt%煤和50wt%氧气时合成气组分最佳,最大合成气产率为78.24mol%。     

Pipe reactor gasification studies of a south african bituminous coal blend. Part 1 - Carbon and volatile matter behaviour as function of feed coal particle size reduction

The Sasol-Lurgi fixed-bed dry-bottom (FBDB) MKIV gasifiers are proven to be robust as far as acceptable coal properties are concerned, in particular its ability to accommodate a range of particle size distributions (PSD) fractions. Over the years, the findings from a number of studies conducted at Sasol have played a key role in the optimization of the Sasol-Lurgi gasifiers as far as the limited amount of coal preparation by crushing and screening is concerned. The continued optimization efforts by Sasol over many years have led to a robust and reliable gasification technology for coal conversion, and more improvements are envisaged for the near future.In this study, gasification profiles inside real coal beds were investigated experimentally using a pilot scale combustor unit (pipe reactor), where the top size of the coal blend was systematically reduced from 75 mm, 53 mm and 37.5 mm. The pilot scale combustor has an inside diameter of 400 mm, is approximately 3 m long and the combustion rate is controlled by regulating the oxygen/nitrogen ratio of the gas feed. Ash is not removed continuously, so the combustion front moves upwards through the coal bed with time, resulting in a temperature gradient across the bed. The combustion process can be stopped at any point in time by removing all of the oxygen from the feed gas (i.e. quenching with nitrogen). The combustor was constructed so that it can be tilted onto its side and opened up like a coffin to allow sample taking and visual inspection of the combustion profile. In this case, equivalent sized slices were taken across the length of the reactor bed contents and the samples were analysed for PSD, proximate analysis, ultimate analysis, Fisher assay and coal char CO₂ reactivity. This paper focuses on the coal property transformational behaviour (as characterized by the proximate analysis and Fischer tar results) through packed coal beds of different feed coal size distributions.The proximate analysis results showed clear reaction zone profiles to be occurring within the pipe reactor, i.e. drying, pyrolysis, reduction and combustion (ash bed) zones, in agreement with the SL-FBDB MKIV commercial-scale findings. It was found that a decrease in feed coal particle size resulted in better heat transfer across the particles with ensuing faster volatile matter and tar evolution.     

CO2, NOx and SO2 emissions from the combustion of coal with high oxygen concentration gases

The emissions of CO₂, NO_x and SO₂ from the combustion of a high-volatile coal with N₂- and CO₂-based, high O₂ concentration (20, 50, 80, 100%) inlet gases were investigated in an electrically heated up-flow-tube furnace at elevated gas temperatures (1123–1573 K). The fuel equivalence ratio, φ, was varied in the range of 0.4–1.6. Results showed that CO₂ concentrations in flue gas were higher than 95% for the processes with O₂ and CO₂-based inlet gases. NO_x emissions increased with φ under fuel-lean conditions, then declined dramatically after φ=0.8, and the peak values increased from about 1000 ppm for the air combustion process and 500 ppm for the O₂(20%)+CO₂(80%) inlet gas process to about 4500 ppm for the oxygen combustion process. When φ>1.4 the emissions decreased to the same level for different O₂ concentration inlet gas processes. On the other hand, NO_x emission indexes decreased monotonically with φ under both fuel-lean and fuel-rich combustion. SO₂ emissions increased with φ under fuel-lean conditions, then declined slightly after φ>1.2. Temperature has a large effect on the NO_x emission. Peak values of the NO_x emission increased by 50–70% for the N₂-based inlet gas processes and by 30–50% for the CO₂-based inlet gas process from 1123 to 1573 K. However, there was only a small effect of temperature on the SO₂ emission.     

Reaction kinetics and producer gas compositions of steam gasification of coal and biomass blend chars, part 1: Experimental investigation

Biomass and coal are important solid fuels for generation of hydrogen-rich syngas from steam gasification. In this work, experiments were performed in a bench-scale gasifier to investigate the effect of coal-to-biomass ratio and the reaction kinetics for gasification of chars of biomass, coal and coal–biomass blends. In the gasification of these chars, steam was used as the gasification agent, while nitrogen was used as a gas carrier. The gasification temperature was controlled at 850, 900 and 950 °C. Gas produced was analysed using a micro-GC from which carbon conversion rate was also determined. From the experiments, it is found that the coal and biomass chars have different gasification characteristics and the overall reaction rate decreases with an increase in the ratio of coal–to-biomass.The microstructure of the coal char and biomass char was examined using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and it was found that the biomass char is more amorphous, whereas the coal char has larger pore size. The former enhances the intrinsic reaction rate and the latter influences the intra particle mass transportation. The difference in mass transfer of the gasification agent into the char particles between the two fuels is dominant in the char gasification.