Automation of a Hydrogen Probe for Determination of Hydrogen Solubilities in Coal Liquids Solvents

摘要

The Hydrogen Probe Equipment developed in our laboratory was automated in order to improve the data acquisition of the variables involved in the process: temperatures, pressures and the time of travel for the mercury bead. The equipment was tested by studying the hydrogen-tetralin, hydrogen-tetralin-methane and hydrogen-tetralin-ethane systems. A 300-ml autoclave equipped with a magnetically driven agitator was used as an equilibrium cell. The in-situ hydrogen probe was used to measure the hydrogen partial pressure in the mentioned systems. The partial pressure of methane was varied from 0 to 1000 psi while the temperatures were 325 sup 0 C and 375 sup 0 C. The ethane partial pressure was varied from 0 to 585 psi and the temperatures were 360 sup 0 C and 395 sup 0 C. For the hydrogen-tetralin system, the temperatures were 350 sup 0 C and 390 sup 0 C. Results from the hydrogen-tetralin system show good agreement when compared with literature data. As they show, the solubility of hydrogen in tetralin increases when the temperature and pressure are increased. For the ternary systems, it was found that the hydrogen solubility in tetralin increased when the partial pressure of the third component added (methane or ethane) was increased and the partial pressure of hydrogen was held constant. The experimental values for the K-value for hydrogen and tetralin where compared with the predicted value by using the correlations proposed by Chao and Seader in 1961 for tetralin and the correlation proposed by Sebastian et al. in 1980 for hydrogen. The experimental values show a good agreement with the values predicted by using these correlations. Besides the experimental work, a commercial hydrogen probe system was constructed to be used in the plant that Catalytic Inc. operates in Wilsonville, Alabama. 41 refs., 65 figs., 32 tabs. (ERA citation 12:047039)