U.S. patent number 3,754,876 [Application Number 05/206,819] was granted by the patent office on 1973-08-28 for upgrading low rank coals as fuel.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Esso Research and Engineering Company. Invention is credited to Jack M. Hochman, Robert E. Pennington, Hermann E. VON Rosenberg.
United States Patent |
3,754,876 |
Pennington , et al. |
August 28, 1973 |
UPGRADING LOW RANK COALS AS FUEL
Abstract
A process in which lumps of sub-bituminous or lower rank coal
are heated to pyrolysis temperatures of up to about 1,000.degree.
F. by contact, preferably countercurrent, with an inert
hydrogen-poor hydrocarbonaceous heat transfer fluid, preferably a
coal-derived oil, thereby transforming the coal to a char product
in lump form of upgraded calorific value, such product, moreover,
being less pyrophoric than a char product produced by pyrolysis at
the same temperatures in an inert gaseous (nitrogen)
atmosphere.
Inventors: |
Pennington; Robert E. (Baytown,
TX), VON Rosenberg; Hermann E. (Baytown, TX), Hochman;
Jack M. (Morris Plains, NJ) |
Assignee: |
Esso Research and Engineering
Company (Linden, NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
22768112 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/206,819 |
Filed: |
December 10, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
44/607; 44/608;
201/10; 44/620; 208/432 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C10L
9/00 (20130101); C10G 1/00 (20130101); C10G
1/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
C10L
9/00 (20060101); C10G 1/02 (20060101); C10G
1/00 (20060101); C10l 005/00 (); C10g 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;44/1R,1B,1F ;208/8 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
387,658 |
|
May 1931 |
|
GB |
|
464,337 |
|
Apr 1937 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Dees; C. F.
Claims
We claim:
1. A process for upgrading subbituminous or lower rank coal as
fuel, which comprises:
introducing said coal in lump form and at ambient temperature and a
hydrogen-poor coal-derived oil having a temperature of from about
650.degree. F. to about 1000.degree. F. into a contacting zone,
contacting said coal with said oil in said contacting zone in the
substantial absence of molecular hydrogen for a period of time
sufficient to gradually transform the coal to a char product in
lump form which is substantially completely free of water,
and separately withdrawing coal-derived oil and char product in
lump form from said compacting zone.
2. The process of claim 1 in which said coal-derived oil has a
hydrogen to carbon ratio of less than about 1.5.
3. The process of claim 1 further comprising:
removing a fluid effluent including coal-derived oil and vaporized
water from said contacting zone,
recovering said coal-derived oil from the remainder of said fluid
effluent in sufficient quantity for recycle to said contacting zone
in oil balance, and
introducing said coal-derived oil into said contacting zone at said
temperature.
4. The process of claim 1 further comprising
contacting said char product with steam so as to steam strip such
char product.
5. A process for upgrading subbituminous or lower rank coal as
fuel, which comprises:
continuously introducing said coal in lump form and at ambient
temperature into a contacting zone at a coal inlet point near a
first end of said zone,
continuously introducing a stream of inert hydrogen-poor
hydrocarbonaceous heat transfer fluid at least partially in liquid
phase into said contacting zone at a fluid inlet point remote from
said coal inlet and near a second end of said zone,
said hot heat transfer fluid having a temperature of from about
650.degree. F. to about 1000.degree. F.,
passing said coal and said heat transfer fluid in countercurrent
contact through said contacting zone in the substantial absence of
molecular hydrogen both to progressively cool said heat transfer
fluid, until such fluid near said coal inlet has a predetermined
temperature lower than its temperature at said fluid inlet, and to
progressively heat said coal, until such coal, near said fluid
inlet, has been transformed to a char product in lump form which is
substantially free of water,
continuously withdrawing heat transfer fluid from said contacting
zone near said first end, and
continuously withdrawing char product in lump form from said
contacting zone near said second end of said contacting zone.
6. The process of claim 5 wherein said hydrocarbonaceous heat
transfer fluid has a hydrogen to carbon ratio of from about 0.5 to
about 1.5.
7. The process of claim 5 wherein said contacting zone is operated
at substantially atmospheric pressure.
8. The process of claim 7 wherein said hydrocarbonaceous heat
transfer fluid is a coal-derived oil having a hydrogen to carbon
ratio of from about 0.7 to about 1.4.
9. The process of claim 8, further comprising recovering said oil
from said first end of said contacting zone in sufficient quantity
for recycle in fluid balance to said second end of said contacting
zone.
10. The process of claim 9, wherein said oil introduced into second
end of said contacting zone has a temperature within the range from
about 750.degree. F. to about 900.degree. F.
11. The process of claim 7 further comprising:
passing said hot char from said contacting zone, into a cooling
zone under non-oxidizing conditions, and,
contacting said hot char in said cooling zone under non-oxidizing
conditions with a predetermined quantity of water effective to
reduce the temperature of said char to no greater than about
300.degree. F. and to generate steam as a stripping agent for said
char in said cooling zone.
12. The process of claim 11 further comprising passing said steam
from said cooling zone into said contacting zone for countercurrent
contact with said coal passing therethrough effective to transfer
at least a portion of the heat of said steam to said coal.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to processes for removing water from
sub-bituminous or lower rank coal.
Low sulphur coal is in high demand for use a boiler fuel in the
high population density areas of the United States. Large supplies
of low sulphur sub-bituminous or lower rank coals exist in low
population density areas of the western United States. These coals
have a relatively high water content, however, ranging from about
10 to about 30 weight percent for sub-bituminous A grade coal to
about 23 to about 60 weight percent for lignite. The caloric value
(BTUs per unit weight) of such coals is low because of their water
content. The cost of transporting such coals to distant markets is
based on weight, but the salable value of such coals as fuel is
based on BTU value per unit weight. Accordingly, it is highly
desirable to eliminate water from such coals both to upgrade the
caloric value of the coal and to reduce the transportation costs of
such coal per BTU delivered.
Of course, water can be eliminated from sub-bituminous or lower
rank coal simply by heating the coal to pyrolysis temperatures.
However, for economic feasibility it is necessary to transfer
combustion heat to the coal with simple, low cost equipment and to
obtain a high thermal efficiency in the process. Also, since
valuable liquid and gaseous byproducts can be recovered, it is
desirable that the byproducts emanate from the process at low
temperatures, for good thermal efficiency, and that such byproducts
not be contaminated with nitrogen from combustion or soot and dust,
for low cost recovery. No known process suitably meets these
requirements.
Also, dried coal or known low temperature (700.degree. F. -
1,000.degree. F.) carbonization chars are highly pyrophoric,
producing severe handling problems. This pyrophoricity is caused by
two basic properties of such coals or chars: (1) the hydroscopicity
of the coal or char, i.e., its propensity for sorbing moisture
vapor, which is attended with a rise in temperature due to release
of latent heat of vaporization to the coal, and (2) the inherent
chemical reactivity of the particular coal or char with oxygen,
i.e., its susceptibility to self-ignition. It would be highly
desirable to make a char product from a subbituminous or lower rank
coal so that the product is less hydroscopic and less susceptible
to self-ignition than dried coals or known char products.
Prior art considered in connection with the preparation of this
application includes U. S. Pat. Nos. 1,871,862; 2,057,631;
2,131,702; 2,931,765; 3,488,278; and 3,520,067.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly summarized, in this invention, sub-bituminous or lower rank
coal is upgraded as fuel by contacting the coal in lump form and at
its ambient temperature in a contacting zone with an inert
hydrogen-poor hydrocarbonaceous heat transfer fluid having a
temperature of from about 650.degree. F. to about 1000.degree. F.,
in the substantial absence of molecular hydrogen, for a period of
time sufficient to gradually transform the coal to a char product
in lump form which is substantially completely free of water.
Preferably, according to the invention, a sub-bituminous or lower
grade coal in lump form and at its ambient temperature is
continuously introduced into a contacting zone at a coal inlet
point near a first end of the zone. Also continuously introduced
into the contacting zone, but at a fluid inlet remote from the coal
inlet and near a second end of the zone, is a stream of inert
hydrogen-poor hydrocarbonaceous heat transfer fluid having a
temperature of from about 650.degree. F. to about 1000.degree. F.
The coal and the heat transfer fluid are passed in countercurrent
contact through the contacting zone in the substantial absence of
molecular hydrogen toward opposite ends from where they are
introduced. The countercurrent contacting is effected so as both to
gradually cool the heat transfer fluid until, at a point near the
coal inlet, the heat transfer fluid has a predetermined temperature
lower than its temperature at the fluid inlet, and also to
gradually heat the coal until, at a point near the fluid inlet, the
coal has become transformed into a char product in lump form which
is substantially completely free of water.
The char product produced according to the process of this
invention has an increased calorific value. Surprisingly, such char
product is less pyrophoric (less hydroscopic and less susceptible
to self-ignition) than either the dried parent coal from which it
is produced (where such parent coal is dried with nitrogen to a
water content of 4 weight percent), or a char produced from the
parent coal by pyrolysis in nitrogen at the same (or higher)
temperature as the maximum temperature within the 650.degree.
F.-1000.degree. F. range at which the char product of the invention
is produced.
In one preferred form of the invention, the char product is steam
stripped, suitably by contacting the char with sufficient steam to
cause such stripping. Preferably, steam stripping is accomplished
in concert with cooling the char. In such case, the (hot) lump char
product is passed from the aforesaid contacting zone under
non-oxidizing conditions into a cooling zone, where the hot char is
contacted under non-oxidizing conditions with a predetermined
quantity of water effective both to reduce the temperature of the
char to 300.degree. F. or lower and to generate steam which acts as
a stripping agent for the char in such cooling zone. Preferably,
also, the steam generated in such cooling zone is then passed into
the aforesaid contacting zone for countercurrent contact with the
coal passing therethrough for recapture of at least a portion of
the heat in the steam.
The steam stripped char product recovered from said cooling zone
has unique properties. It has been unexpectedly found that the
steam stripped char product is even less susceptible to
self-ignition than the char product produced by this invention at
the same maximum temperature but not steam stripped.
DETAILS OF THE INVENTION
Sub-bituminous or lower rank coal and not higher rank coal is
processed by this invention. Under the conditions used in the
present process, sub-bituminous and lower rank coal neither melts
nor significantly decrepitates during or as a result of the process
treatment, unlike caking-type bituminous coals, which melt and
agglomerate in the course of such treatment. The sub-bituminous or
lower rank coal processed according to the invention is in lump
form, and normally will be "run-of-mine" coal. It is unnecessary,
and from the standpoint of keeping the cost of the char produced by
the process as low as possible, it is undesirable, to comminute the
coal in order to treat it by the present process. Of course any
quantity of coal will have coal solids of various sizes. Ordinarily
lump "run-of-mine" coal will have some fragments in small particle
sizes, even 8 mesh and smaller, but the great majority of the
particles will be at least 1/2 inch in longest dimension or
larger.
The ambient temperature of the coal will vary according to how the
coal is handled prior to use in the process. If the coal is
conveyed into the contacting zone directly from the mine, without
intermediate storage, the temperature of the coal will approximate
the temperature of the bed from which it is produced. On the other
hand, if the coal is piled for holding until it is upgraded by the
present process, the ambient temperature of the coal from the pile
may be much higher, because of oxidative heat generation in the
pile. Preferably the temperature of the coal will be no higher than
about 150.degree. F.
The hydrocarbonaceous heat transfer fluid used in the process is
inert in the sense that it will not chemically react to any
material exent with the coal in the contacting zone under the
conditions in such zone. The heat transfer material also is poor in
hydrogen content, the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of such
hydrocarbonaceous material being at most about 1.5 suitably being
within the range from about 0.5 to about 1.5, preferably from about
0.7 to about 1.4, e.g. about 0.9-1.0. Suitable hydrocarbonaceous
heat transfer fluids having such hydrogen-to-carbon ratios are oils
derived from coal. Petroleum oils have generally higher
hydrogen-to-carbon ratios, e.g. 1.5-2.0.
Hydrogen-poor hydrocarbonaceous heat transfer fluids are employed
because hydrogen-rich hydrocarbonaceous materials improve the
solvency power of the heat transfer fluid to the extent that
excessive quantities of high-BTU constituents are extracted from
the coal, undesirably reducing the BTU content of the solid fuel
char produced by the process. For the same reason, the process is
conducted in the substantial absence of molecular hydrogen, so as
to prevent the formation in the contacting zone of hydrogen donor
compounds in the oil which might improve the solvency powers of the
oil.
It is preferred that the heat transfer material be a coal-derived
oil which has not been hydrotreated to upgrade its content of
donatable hydrogen. Such an oil may be a creosote oil suitably used
as an inventory oil to start up the process, but which, on
attainment of process equilibrium for a given oil introduction
temperature, has become augmented and in the main consists
essentially of oils derived directly from the coal being processed.
Typically such an oil will have light ends which boil about
450.degree.-500.degree. F. and heavier ends which distill about
1000.degree.-1200.degree. F., a typical 50 percent off point being
about 700.degree.-750.degree. F. Coal-derived oils which have not
been hydrotreated are rich in aromatic structures such as benzenes,
indene, naphthalenes, acenaphthenes, fluorenes, anthracenes,
pyrenes, chrysenes, and dibenzofurans, and contain only
insignificant amounts, if any, of hydroaromatic structures and
phenolic structures containing donatable hydrogen atoms. Thus, the
coal-derived oil will contain little, if any, octahydronaphthene,
indane, tetralins, dihydronaphthaene, tetrahydroacenaphthene,
hexahydrofluorene, octahydroanthracenes, decahydropyrenes,
tetrahydroanthracenes, hexahydropyrenes, or dihydropyrenes. Small
amounts of such persaturate structures as perhydroindane, decalins,
perhydroacenaphthenes, perhydroanthracenes, and perhydropyrenes can
be tolerated.
The heat transfer fluid, preferably a coal-derived oil, is
introduced into the fluid inlet in the contacting zone at a
temperature from about 650.degree. F. to about 1000.degree. F.,
suitably in the vapor, liquid, or mixed phase, preferably the mixed
phase (partially liquid). At equilibrium composition, a
coal-derived oil normally will have substantial quantities thereof
in the vapor phase when the oil is introduced into the contacting
zone at the fluid inlet at the higher temperatures within the
aforesaid 650.degree. F.-10000.degree. F. range.
At equilibrium conditions, and especially at oil temperatures of
from about 750.degree. F. - 900.degree. F., when the oil is
injected into the contacting zone, sufficient quantities of oil are
derived from the coal treated by the process that the coal-derived
oil can be recycled to the fluid inlet of the contacting zone
without having to add more hydrocarbonaceous heat transfer fluid to
maintain the process in fluid balance. At the temperatures at which
the hydrocarbonaceous heat transfer fluid is introduced into the
contacting zone, no advantage is obtained by using a petroleum oil
as an inventory oil to start up the process or as a diluent or
makeup oil, for petroleum oils are less refractory than the coal
derived oils, and consequently, undergo cracking, being converted
to light ends, gas and coke (which deposits on the char product).
Use of petroleum oil as a heat transfer agent, therefore, requires
makeup oil to maintain fluid balance, unlike the use of
coal-derived oil, as aforesaid.
The feed rate at which the heat transfer fluid is introduced into
the contacting zone is sufficient to provide from about 1 to about
10 lbs. of such fluid per lb. of coal introduced into the
contacting zone. Residence time of the coal in the contacting zone
suitably is within the range from about 1 to about 120 minutes,
preferably, from about 5 to about 30 minutes.
The contacting zone into which the lump coal and the inert heat
transfer fluid are introduced preferably is operated at
substantially atmospheric pressure, although slight sub-atmospheric
or relatively low super-atmospheric pressures, e.g. about 25-50
psig suitably may be employed if desired. The coal and the heat
transfer fluid are preferably countercurrently contacted in the
contacting zone, suitably by passing the coal downwardly through a
rising stream of the fluid, but alternatively the coal may be
passed upwardly, as by elevators, through a downflowing stream of
the heat transfer fluid, using countercurrent contacting devices
familiar to those in the art.
The invention will be further understood from the following
description of a preferred mode of conducting the process, taken
with the examples which follow such description.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The sole FIGURE is a schematic flow path illustrating a preferred
mode of practicing the invention, wherein the contacting and
cooling zones are included in one vessel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the FIGURE, an atmospheric pressure reactor 10 is
illustrated which has a lower cooling zone 12 and an upper
contacting zone 14 that is sized to be in flooded condition with a
pool 16 of a preferred heat transfer fluid of a coal-derived
recycle oil.
Run-of-mine sub-bituminous or lower rank coal 18 in lump form is
continuously introduced into contacting zone 14 and into pool 16
through a coal inlet 20. A stream of hot coal-derived recycle oil
from line 22 at least partially in liquid phase is injected into a
lower portion of pool 16 through an oil inlet 24 which is remote
from coal inlet 20, and which suitably takes the form of an oil
distributor device located near the centerline of reactor 10. The
hot oil has a temperature within the range from about 650.degree.
F. to about 1,000.degree. F., preferably from about 750.degree. F.
to about 900.degree. F., having been preheated to such temperature
in furnace 48. The hot oil provides the heat for raising the
temperature of the coal.
In contacting zone 14, the coal lumps move downwardly from an upper
portion 28 of the contacting zone in countercurrent contact with
rising streams of the hot oil, hot oil vapors, steam and
noncondensable coal gases. In such upper portion 28, the
temperature of the coal progressively increases with absorption of
heat from the rising streams of heat transfer fluids until water in
the coal begins to evaporate. The rise in temperature of the coal
slows as heat transferred to the coal is consumed as heat of
vaporization. Some noncondensable gases are released from the coal
in this portion of the contacting zone. Temperatures in the upper
portion 28 of the contacting zone are within the range from about
100.degree. F. at the top thereof to about 400.degree. F.,
preferably about 212.degree. F. to 300.degree. F. at the bottom
thereof.
As substantially most of the water evaporates from the coal, the
temperature rise of the coal speeds up, progressively increasing as
the downwardly moving coal particles pass into a lower portion 30
of contacting zone 10. In such lower portion 30, some liquid and
gaseous materials are liquefied and pyrolyzed from the coal,
augmenting the coal-derived oil and producing some noncondensable
and condensable gases.
Temperatures in the lower portion 30 range from at least about
212.degree. F. in the portion adjacent to upper portion 28 to the
hottest temperatures commensurate with the temperature of the
introduced oil, which occur at the level of oil inlet 24. The
temperature of the coal progressively increases as it travels
through the lower portion 30 of contacting zone 10. The passage of
the coal solids is controlled such that the coal solids suitably
attain a terminal temperature in contact zone lower portion 30
which approaches and preferably is substantially the same as the
temperature of the hot recycle oil at the point of injection into
contacting zone 10.
In the lower portion 30 of contacting zone 10, the coal has been
transformed to a char in lump form which is substantially
completely free of water. Its content of liquefiable tar materials
and water will decreasingly vary according to the maximum
temperature it attains in such lower portion 30 of the contacting
zone.
From contacting zone 10, the char solids pass downwardly into
cooling zone 12, where the hot char solids are cooled by transfer
of heat to a rising stream of steam. The steam is generated by
contact of the hot char solids with a predetermined quantity of
water in cooling zone 12 effective to reduce the temperature of the
char solids to no greater than about 300.degree. F. The quench
water is introduced near the bottom of reactor 10 by line 32. The
stream generated by contact of the hot char solids and the water
rises through the char solids to provide essentially a simple,
gas-to-solids heat exchange. The rising stream of steam also serves
to strip any liquefied coal and recycle oil adhering to the char
solids.
The steam from the cooling zone 12 passes upwardly into the
contacting zone supplementing the hot oil, any hot oil vapors, and
the liquid and gaseous materials released from the coal which are
rising in the contacting zone in countercurrent contact with the
descending coal solids and being cooled by the entering coal. Thus,
contacting zone 12 and particularly upper portion 28 serves as a
byproduct cooling zone as well as a coal heating zone.
The lump char product is removed by line 34 from the bottom of
reactor 10, suitably at a temperature within the range from about
200.degree. F. to about 300.degree. F.
Although in the embodiment illustrated, quench water is injected
directly into reactor 10, alternatively, the unquenched, hot char
solids may first be transferred under non-oxidizing conditions
through a flow control valve into another vessel, such as onto a
screen in a rotating drum, and there contacted with the quench
water under non-oxidizing conditions, stripped oils passing through
the screen and being cycled for heating in furnace 48 for recycle
to fluid inlet 24. The steam generated by contact with the hot char
may be recovered and introduced into contacting zone 14, either in
the lower portion 30 or upper portion 28 thereof, for recovery of
heat in the steam.
At the top of reactor 10, the cooled vaporous and liquid effluent
streams are removed by line 36. Suitably, the temperature of such
streams is within the range from about 100.degree. F. to about
400.degree. F., e.g. from about 200.degree. F. to 300.degree. F.
The liquid stream includes the coal-derived oil introduced through
inlet 24, liquefied oil from coal 18, and water. The gaseous stream
includes noncondensable gases emitted from the coal, oil vapors
from the coal-derived oil recycle stream, vaporous oils from the
coal, steam, and entrained water and oil. The effluent streams are
passed by line 36 to oil recovery zone 40, where noncondensable
gases are separated from the other effluent materials and removed
by way of line 42.
In oil recovery zone 40, vaporous oil materials are condensed into
liquid form, and oil is separated from the water and recovery by
way of line 44. The oil in line 44 is conveyed through heating
coils in furnace 48, in which some or all of the noncondensable
gases recovered from oil recovery zone 40 are combusted to provide
the heat for increasing the temperature of the oil, with
supplemental coal or other fuel being fired to the furnace as
necessary.
Water from oil recovery zone 40 is removed by line 46 for recycle
to line 32 in sufficient quantities as the quench water for the
process. Any excess water from line 46 not needed for quench is
passed by line 50 to furnace 48 to burn phenols dissolved in the
water. Sufficient oil is recovered from oil recovery zone 44 for
preheating in furnace 48 and recycle to contacting zone 14 to
maintain pool 16 in fluid balance so that no make-up oil is
necessary. At oil injection temperatures from about 750.degree. F.
to about 900.degree. F., preferably about 800.degree. F.,
sufficient oil is recovered from contacting zone 14 for recycle in
fluid balance that a surplus of oil product is produced.
Preferably, the net oil produced is only the lightest oil obtained
from the last stages of partial condensation in oil recovery zone
40 and boils from about C.sub.5 to about 430.degree. F.
The following examples will further illustrate the process of this
invention.
EXAMPLE 1
In order to eliminate the process described above, a relatively
large quantity of coal was processed with a small quantity of
recycled oil, using a reactor connected to a condenser product
receiver system combined to an oil feed line so that the recovered
feed and product could be recycled. Water was separated from the
oil product by a reboiler-reflux system, and gaseous effluent was
measured through a dry test meter. The entire system was operated
at essentially atmospheric pressure. Batches (750 to 950 gm) of wet
3/4 by 1/2 inch lumps of Wyodak coal were charged to the reactor
and the reactor was plunged in a sand bath at 800.degree. F. and
immediately connected to the other parts of the system. One
thousand grams of raw creosote oil was introduced into the reactor
at nominally 1.5 wt oil/wt. wet coal/hr. to heat up the coal. The
coal normally required about 15 minutes to reach an operating
temperature of 800.degree. F. The oil feed was held constant an
additional 15 minutes after reaching operating temperature, and the
feed was then terminated and a small nitrogen flow introduced for
about 10 minutes to purge oil from the lines and the reactor. Then
the reactor was removed from the sand bath, and a fresh reactor
charged with a bath of coal was introduced to repeat the cycle. The
original oil charged to the system contained about 20 percent
toluene to aid in oil-water separation. After about 28 batches of
coal had been treated, the oil appeared to have equilibrated and
remained essentially constant in composition for the next 24
batches. However, the toluene in the original charge essentially
disappeared, indicating that the condensation and recovery of light
liquids in the effluent gas was imperfect and explaining the fact
that the material balance runs usually achieved only about 98
percent recovery on oil charged. In the course of treating 52
batches, 94 lbs. of coal were processed with a system oil inventory
of 2.3 lbs. It was never necessary to add make-up oil even though
minor leaks and spills did occur.
The experimental results for the foregoing runs are summarized in
Table I below.
TABLE I
Yield as Wt. % of Wet Wyodak Coal Charged Batch Numbers Char Water
Gas Oil Total 1-10 54.4 30.0 -a -b, d - 11-18 55.3 36.0 -a -b, d -
19-28 54.9 36.1 5.2.sup.f 1.8.sup.c 98.0 29-39 56.2 34.8 4.8.sup.f
0.7.sup.c 96.5 40-44 55.0 33.0 4.9.sup.f -d - 45-52 55.3 35.2
4.7.sup.f 2.1.sup.e 97.3 Average 55.2 34.9 4.9.sup.f - - Fisher
Assay 55.4 32.9 4.9 6.8 100.0 .sup.a Not measured. .sup.b Not
determined because oil/water separation after batch 10 was
imperfect. .sup.c Safety valve popped, oil loss estimated as 0.1%
on coal. .sup.d Gasket on oil feed reboiler leaked. .sup.e Includes
0.2% oil caught on paper towel under packing gland leak in feed
pump circulation system. .sup.f Based on average gas gravity from
spot samples of 1.1 .times. air.
As shown by Table I, the average char yield is consistently close
to about 55 percent, which is concidentally the same as that
obtained on Fischer Assay of a typical sample of the wet Wyodak
coal. Gas make is consistently close to the 4.9 grand average and
is equal to the Fischer Assay gas make. The grand average water
yield of 34.9 percent is higher than a Fischer Assay yield of 32.9
percent. This is consistent, however, with a lower oxygen content
found to be in the oil product compared by those from Fischer
Assays, and set out below in Table II, and may be the result of the
oil treatment. Because of the relatively small quantities involved
and the possibility of leaks and poor gas clean up, the small
shortages in coal material balance show up in the oil yield. By
difference, it averages 5.0 percent versus 6.8 percent for Fischer
Assay. The oil, however, was a much lighter, lower oxygen content
material. The oxygen content of the oil from this process is
compared to that of Fischer Assay tar below:
TABLE II
Oxygen Content of Raw Oil Product Wt. % Oxygen in Tar This process
5.3 Fischer Assay 7.9
EXAMPLE 2
The effect of conducting the process at the different temperatures
of 700.degree., 800.degree., 900.degree., and 1000.degree. F. was
determined using the process procedure set out above in Example 1.
The results are set out below in Table III.
TABLE III
Temp., .degree.F. 700 800 900 1000 Yields, Wt. % Wet Feed Char 63.8
56.1 51.5 49.8 Water 32.9 35.1 40.1 40.7 Oil -2 2.1 1.4 0.7 Gas -
5.1 6.1 - Total - 98.4 99.1 -
As shown in Table III, the char yield decreases and the water and
gas yields increase consistently with increasing temperature.
Apparently with Wyodak coal in the equipment utilized, there is a
maximum of oil production in the vicinity of 800.degree. F. It is
believed that this maximum results from the interplay of the two
competing reactions involving a primary production of oil from coal
in the liquefaction process and a cracking and oxygen elimination
occurring when the oil is heated for use as a heat transfer agent.
The temperature at which maximum oil production occurs will
probably differ from various reactor configurations and for
different coals.
The char quality, as measured by Btu content, obtained on treating
the coals at the different temperatures was found to be high and to
increase as temperature was increased, as illustrated in Table
IV.
TABLE IV
Btu/lb. Raw Coal (31% H.sub.2 O) 8,147 Dried Coal (4% H.sub.2 O)
11,412* Bone Dry Coal 11,887* 700.degree. F. Char - 800.degree. F.
Char 12,594 900.degree. F. Char 12,812 1000.degree. F. Char -
EXAMPLE 3
This example shows that a char product of the present process is
less pyrophoric than char products produced by pyrolysis at the
same (or higher) temperatures immersed in an inert nonhydrocarbon
gaseous (nitrogen) atmosphere.
Reduced hydroscopicity. When subjected to an atmosphere containing
water vapor, chars made by the present process absorb less water
than the parent coal dried to 4 percent water content or chars made
by pyrolysis in an inert nitrogen atmosphere. Data showing moisture
absorption levels for samples equilibrated in atmospheres
controlled at several humidities are shown below in Table V. Chars
A and B in Table V were prepared by the present process as
described in Examples 1 and 2.
TABLE V
Moisture retained after equilibrium at humidities shown expressed
as pct. of dry charge Sample 97% 88% 73% 43% 7.5% dried sub-bit.
coal 30.2 18.7 14.8 10.5 3.8 char, made in N.sub.2 at 900.degree.
F. 21.2 11.9 9.9 8.4 3.3 Char A made at 750.degree. F. 20.8 10.5
8.1 5.2 2.7 char B made at 900.degree. F. 18.8 10.7 9.3 6.2 3.0
reduced reactivity. When tested in an adiabatic calorimeter which
maintains an environment around the sample at the same temperature
as the sample which is heating spontaneously due to reaction with
air or oxygen being passed through it, chars produced by the
present process exhibit a lower rate of reactivity with oxygen than
either the parent coal dried to 4 percent water content or chars
made by pyrolysis of the parent coal in an inert nitrogen
atmosphere at a like elevated temperature as that employed in the
process. This is particularly true for chars produced at elevated
temperatures within the 650.degree. F. to 1000.degree. F. range.
Steam stripped chars of this process produced at lower temperatures
within such range are especially less reactive. This is shown by
the data below in Table VI. In Table VI, the measure of reactivity
used is the rate of temperature increase in degrees farenheit at a
temperature of 235.degree. F., using oxygen as the oxidant.
TABLE VI
Reactivity temp. increase Sample at 235.degree. F. Dried sub-bit.
coal 466 Char made in N.sub.2 at 900.degree. F. 447 Char A made at
750.degree. F. 406 Char C made at 750.degree. F., steam stripped
225 Char B made at 900.degree. F. 273
from both Table V and Table VI, it is seen that char A made at
750.degree. F. is less pyrophoric than the dried parent coal and a
char made by pyrolysis of such coal under nitrogen at 900.degree.
F. because char A is less hydroscopic and less reactive to oxygen
than either the dried parent coal or the char made in nitrogen at
900.degree. F. The same is true for char B, but to a much greater
extent. Steam stripping of char A to make char C reduced the
reactivity of char A to below that of char B.
Having now described in detail our invention, various changes and
alterations in the process may be made by those skilled in the art
within the spirit of the process described to accomplish the same
end result. Such changes and modifications are deemed within the
scope of the invention if fairly comprehended in our invention as
claimed.
* * * * *