Production of Jet Fuels from Coal-Derived Liquids. Volume 11. Production of Advanced Endothermic Fuel Blends from Great Plains Gasification Plant Naphtha by-Product Stream

摘要

The U.S. Air Force has an ongoing program to evaluate various endothermic fuels for cooling aircraft structures. The fuels will provide a heat sink by vaporization (latent heat) and endothermic reactions (dehydrogenation) before use as fuel in aircraft engines. Cycloparaffins hold the most promise for use as endothermic fuels. The U.S. Air Force is also evaluating various feedstock sources of endothermic fuels. The technical feasibility of producing endothermic fuel from the naphtha by-product from the Great Plains Gasification Plant in Beulah, North Dakota was evaluated. The capital and operating costs of deriving the fuel from coal naphtha were also estimated. The coal naphtha from Great Plains was successfully processed to remove sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen contaminants (UOP HD UNIBON Hydrotreating) and then to saturate aromatic molecules (UOP AH UNIBON). The AH UNIBON product was fractionated to yield endothermic fuel candidates with less than 5% aromatics. The major cycloparaffins in the AH UNIBON product were cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane. The production on endothermic fuel from the naphtha by-product stream was estimated to be cost competitive with existing technology. (AW)