Non-air polluting, non-pyrolytic upgrading of coal for cleaner and more effective electrical power generation

摘要

A non-polluting, non-pyrolytic process to increase the electrical energy derived from coal comprises the reacting of coal with water at a sufficient temperature to form carbon monoxide and hydrogen with the further processing of the carbon monoxide to formate and the reacting of the formate and the hydrogen in separate fuel cells to generate electric current, water, and hydroxide, wherein the water and the hydroxide are recycled back into the initial coal-water reaction and the carbon monoxide-hydroxide reaction to provide further feedstocks for electrical power generation. Since the process does not involve combustion, the common air-pollutants, such as oxides of nitrogen and linear and aromatic carbonaceous free radicals, are not released into the atmosphere.