HYDROCARB process for environmentally acceptable and economically competitive coal-derived fuel for the utility and heat engine market.

摘要

A new process has been developed to produce a clean carbon fuel and co-product hydrogen-rich gas, methane-rich gas and methanol liquid fuel from the vast resources of US coal. The main product is a solid fine particulate carbon black, containing >99.9% carbon and is ash-, sulfur-, nitrogen- and oxygen-free. HYDROCARB is a two step process wherein coal is first hydropyrolyzed to methane, and the methane is then pyrolyzed to carbon black, and the hydrogen formed is recycled. The co-products distribution depends on the feedstock composition. Because of its clean specifications, the carbon fuel can be burned in solid form in a manner similar to burning coal, but without ash, sulfur and nitrogen handling, or the carbon can be slurried and used as fuel in stable mixes with water, oil or methanol. In carbon-liquid mix form, the fuel can be used in oil burners and in heat engine combustors as in turbines and diesel engines. The gaseous and liquid fuel co-products, hydrogen, methane and methanol can be used as such in conventional combustors. 2 figs., 4 tabs.