Simplex Coal and Biomass Gasification Process. Phase II-C. Demonstration of Bepex Briquetting Process Properties of Commercial Simplex Briquettes

摘要

The technical feasibility of adapting the high-speed rotary press to the production of Simplex briquettes was successfully demonstrated. More than 50,000 2'' X 2'' pillow-shaped briquettes were produced comprising six Simplex formulations of immediate interest to the Phase II-D Simplex Development Program. The operating results confirm that the briquetting operation can be implemented commercially at an economic cost. The commercially produced batches of briquettes were characterized and evaluated by subjecting representative samples to a battery of mechanical tests which had been previously developed to determine the structural integrity and caking propensity of Simplex briquettes in the environment they will encounter in gravitating through the shaft furnace during gasification. The test results are presented and discussed in Part I of this report. Part II documents the formulations and raw materials employed in producing the six batches of briquettes for the semi-continuous, steady-state runs to be conducted in Phase II-D. The entire briquette inventory was shipped to the Fossil Energy Laboratory at Columbia. During the experimental operation of the Bepex rotary press it was observed that the productivity of this machine could be substantially improved if the feed mixture were precompacted to counteract the fluffy nature of the RDF. The Bepex management indicated that an effective precompaction device could be designed and constructed at a cost of $50,000. Given such an improved feed mechanism, it was estimated that the productivity of the rotary press might be increased three to five-fold. 11 figures, 10 tables. (ERA citation 09:032607)