Partial Liquefaction of Coal by Flash Hydropyrolysis, Phase IV. Final Technical Report

摘要

This is the final technical report on Rockwell International's research and development work for the Department of Energy for production of liquid hydrocarbons from coal via short-residence-time, entrained-flow flash hydropyrolysis (FHP). The report covers the fourth and final phase of investigations that spanned more than six years. Phase IV studies were centered around testing a 1-ton/h coal hydroliquefaction process development unit (PDU). Following facility modifications to improve material recoveries, 30 PDU tests were conducted in brief series of tests addressing specific objectives. In conjunction with the PDU testing, two supporting experimental studies were conducted. In the first, a material surveillance activity, small specimens of several metal alloys were exposed to the PDU reaction environment and then evaluated. In the second, a cold-flow investigation of dense-phase flow feeding, both pulverized coal and a typical FHP by-product char were fed at elevated pressures. An analytical model for uniform dense-phase plug flow of solids correlated quite well the experimental coal flow rate as a function of overall feed system pressure drop. Liquid product samples from a few of the PDU tests were subjected to indepth characterization of their chemical make-up and properties. Through comparison with other studies of coal liquids from other liquefaction processes and with conventional petroleum processing technology, a preliminary engineering study estimated processing requirements for upgrading the PDU liquid products and estimated potential costs of such upgrading. (ERA citation 08:003944)