Upcycling Plastic and Coal Wastes into Syngas by Steam Gasification
For presention at the AIChE Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, November 5-10, 2023.
Natesakhawat, Sittichai↗
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Microwave Catalytic Gasification of Mixed plastics and Corn Stover for Clean Hydrogen Production
For presentation at the AICHE Fall 2023 National Meeting, Orlando, FL, November 5-10, 2023.
Abedin, Ashraf↗
Capabilities Development at the University of Texas at El Paso for Hydrogen Generation Research and Education
Gasification-based systems have recently received much attention due to their capability of converting wastes into useful fuels. The gasification of biomass, municipal solid waste (MSW), plastics, and other sustainable resources has shown promise in hydrogen production. When coupled to a CCU or CCS unit, these systems have the potential to achieve carbon neutrality or carbon-negative emissions. In addition, these systems have an edge over conventional incineration or landfill systems by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and recovering useful energy. However, the gasification of MSW and other wastes is still in its early stages. In particular, co-gasification of wastes with biomass has significant unknowns in optimizing the reaction kinetics, operability, design and performance improvements. Currently, Supercritical Water Gasifiers (SCWG) and Plasma Gasifiers are the major systems that are capable of producing high hydrogen amounts from Biomass and MSW, respectively. However, both systems have high capital and operating costs, adversely affecting efficiency and the hydrogen production cost. Additionally, due to lower temperatures, SCWGs are prone to tar formation and fouling in the heat exchangers. Hence, there is a need to look for alternative solutions for MSW and biomass gasifications, particularly in co-gasification. The current effort aims to develop a strategic plan to establish a sustainable gasification facility for hydrogen research at the University of Texas at El (UTEP). A major part of this effort involves an extensive literature survey to identify technological gaps and potential areas of interest. Several concepts were developed in accordance with the current demands from the literature survey. Based on the concepts, a center-wide capability assessment was conducted to measure the current capacity and feasibility of establishing hydrogen research. Afterward, a strategic research plan was developed, and a list of required resources was made for the expansion of hydrogen research at UTEP. In addition, successful partnerships with the local county and the city were developed to pursue hydrogen research. The strategic goal setting and planning of UTEP Aerospace Center resulted in securing $2.5 million in external support to expand the hydrogen research during the project performance period. In addition, during the project period, a course in Hydrogen Energy Systems was developed to expand the energy curriculum at the UTEP Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department. The course focused on hydrogen production, storage, supply and delivery and application. The cross-listed course was offered at both undergraduate and graduate levels during the Spring 2024 semester and had 27 enrolled students. Moreover, the students supported under this award were trained in gasification process modeling, CAD, CFD and FEA during the project period. The training enabled the students to move into new projects to support gasification design, integrated gasification combined cycle process plant analysis, gasifier structural and operational analysis, and digitally threading the systems.
08 HYDROGEN↗
Hybrid Molten Bed Gasifier for High Hydrogen Syngas Production
The techno-economic analyses of the hybrid molten bed gasification technology and laboratory testing of the HMB process were carried out in this project by the Gas Technology Institute and partner Nexant, Inc. under contract with the US Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. This report includes the results of two complete IGCC and Fischer-Tropsch TEA analyses comparing HMB gasification with the Shell slagging gasification process as a base case. Also included are the results of the laboratory simulation tests of the HMB process using Illinois #6 coal fed along with natural gas, two different syngases, and steam. Work in this 18-month project was carried out in three main Tasks. Task 2 was completed first and involved modeling, mass and energy balances, and gasification process design. The results of this work were provided to Nexant as input to the TEA IGCC and FT configurations studied in detail in Task 3. The results of Task 2 were also used to guide the design of the laboratory-scale testing of the HMB concept in the submerged combustion melting test facility in GTI’s industrial combustion laboratory. All project work was completed on time and budget. A project close-out meeting reviewing project results was conducted on April 1, 2015 at GTI in Des Plaines, IL. The hybrid molten bed gasification process techno-economic analyses found that the HMB process is both technically and economically attractive compared with the Shell entrained flow gasification process. In IGCC configuration, HMB gasification provides both efficiency and cost benefits. In Fischer-Tropsch configuration, HMB shows small benefits, primarily because even at current low natural gas prices, natural gas is more expensive than coal on an energy cost basis. HMB gasification was found in the TEA to improve the overall IGCC economics as compared to the coal only Shell gasification process. Operationally, the HMB process proved to be robust and easy to operate. The burner was stable over the full oxygen to fuel firing range (0.8 to 1.05 of fuel gas stoichiometry) and with all fuel gases (natural gas and two syngas compositions), with steam, and without steam. The lower Btu content of the syngases presented no combustion difficulties. The molten bed was stable throughout testing. The molten bed was easily established as a bed of molten glass. As the composition changed from glass cullet to cullet with slag, no instabilities were encountered. The bed temperature and product syngas temperature remained stable throughout testing, demonstrating that the bed serves as a good heat sink for the gasification process. Product syngas temperature measured above the bed was stable at ~1600ºF. Testing found that syngas quality measured as H 2 /CO ratio increased with decreasing oxygen to fuel gas stoichiometric ratio, higher steam to inlet carbon ratio, higher temperature, and syngas compared with natural gas. The highest H 2 /CO ratios achieved were in the range of 0.70 to 0.78. These values are well below the targets of 1.5 to 2.0 that were expected and were predicted by modeling. The team, however, is encouraged that the HMB process can and will achieve H 2 /CO ratios up to 2.0. Changes needed include direct injection of coal into the molten bed of slag to prevent coal particle bypass into the product gas stream, elevation of the molten bed temperature to approximately 2500ºF, and further decrease of the oxygen to fuel gas ratio to well below the 0.85 minimum ratio used in the testing in this project.
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
Performance Testing of a Moving-Bed Gasifier Using Coal, Biomass, and Waste Plastic Blends with Washed and Unwashed Legacy Coals and Other Waste Fuels to Generate White Hydrogen
The objective of this effort, primarily funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE), and led by the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI), with support by Hamilton Maurer International (HMI) and Sotacarbo S.p.A. (Sotacarbo), has been to qualify coal, biomass, and plastic waste blends based on performance testing of selected fuel pellet compositions in a pilot-scale updraft moving-bed (UDMB) gasifier. The testing provided relevant data to advance the commercial-scale design of the moving-bed gasifier to be able to successfully use these feedstocks to produce hydrogen. In particular, the effects of waste plastics on feedstock development (i.e., blending and pelletizing) and the resulting products (i.e., syngas compositions, organic condensate production, and ash characteristics) are the focus. The gasifier used for testing is HMI’s moving-bed gasifier, which has been proven capable of gasifying nearly all coal ranks. It has also shown the ability in prior testing work to gasify wood chips (biomass). However, mixtures of these fuels with plastic wastes have not been prepared and gasified together. The three feedstocks were densified and pelletized by California Pellet Mill (CPM) to meet the feedstock size required by Sotacarbo’s 30mm ID UDMB gasifier, under contract to HMI. The technical tasks and results from this two-year research project included: (1) Feed Procurement and Preparation: Nine different tri-fuel pellets were prepared from varying compositions of fresh mined PRB coal, corn stover biomass, and car fluff waste plastics. Tri-fuel pellets were produced by CPM and shipped to Sotacarbo’s test facility in Carbonia, Sardinia, Italy. (2) Test Plan Development: A test plan was created to define the test runs to be performed. The test plan detailed the different UDMB gasification tests to be performed in Sotacarbo’s 12-inch ID pilot scale gasifier, the process monitoring instrumentation used, and the extractive samples recovered for analysis of the total gasification process mass and energy balance. (3) Gasifier Testing: Nine different gasification runs were performed in the pilot-scale gasifier at Sotacarbo using nine different fuel feedstock compositions generated from varying mixtures of PRB coal, biomass, and plastic wastes. The testing generated performance data on gasification reaction efficiency and performance, yielding relevant data for models used to scale up the gasifier design. This task also included work to refurbish and reassemble the pilot gasifier at Sotacarbo and perform a baseline 100% PRB coal run. (4) Data Analysis and Reporting: Review of the data, determination of figures of merit, and interpretation of the results are reported in the project’s final report, published in March 2024. The results show that all tri-fuel pellets gasified well and maintained structural integrity throughout the gasification process. The syngas generated can be shifted to hydrogen by using commercial syngas shifting technologies. (5) High Fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) Simulation: The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) team performed CFD simulations of the UDMB gasifier for two of the tri-fuel pellets gasified in Sotacarbo’s pilot scale gasifier. The kinetic mechanisms for the pyrolysis of each constituent, PRB coal, corn stover biomass, and waste plastics are based on thermogravimetric analysis performed by Sotacarbo. The gasification model was validated by comparing the predicted syngas composition at the exit of the gasifier with the measured syngas composition. In addition, the reactor’s measured internal temperature profile agreed well with the predicted internal reactor temperature profile. These results validate that the model can be used to predict the performance of the updraft moving bed gasifier for different feedstocks and operating conditions. This paper summarizes the results of the completed work in which the pelletizing procedure was validated to ensure the viability of the tri-fuel pellets for the gasification runs performed at Sotacarbo’s 30 mm UDMB gasifier. The gasification performance data from this series of nine runs will enable modeling of a full-scale HMI industrial scale gasifier supporting both combined heat and power, and Hydrogen production from coal (both fresh mined and legacy) combined with various biomass and waste plastics. Additionally, plans and progress on a follow-up project, being executed by the same project team, will be presented. In this project, a total of twenty (20) different feedstocks are being prepared from varying compositions of biomass (both woody biomass and corn stover) with a mixture of legacy coal waste, plastic waste, and refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The testing will provide information on gasification reaction efficiency/performance, yielding relevant data for models used to scale up the gasifier design to 50 megawatt electric (MWe) (equivalent hydrogen production). Tests will also be performed on a bench-scale fluidized-bed gasifier for comparison purposes. The results of this testing will be used to specify the range of feedstock blends that can be successfully gasified as well as quantify gasifier outputs based on specific blends.
08 HYDROGEN↗
Implementation of waste-to-energy options in landfill-dominated countries: Economic evaluation and GHG impact
Highlights: • Replacing landfilling with WtE schemes in landfill-dominated European countries. • WtE schemes provide GHG reduction potential compared with landfilling. • Gasification schemes compare favorably with incineration. • Gasification with engine is the best option for GHG emissions and profitability. • Gate fee is the main factor affecting profitability in WtE schemes. - Abstract: The economic and environmental impact of several waste-to-energy (WtE) schemes to produce electricity from municipal solid waste (MSW) refuse is evaluated and compared with landfill disposal. Both incineration and gasification alternatives are considered. The gasification option includes three different configurations: (1) a fluidized bed gasifier (FBG) with internal combustion engine (ICE), (2) a FBG with organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and (3) a grate gasifier with steam Rankine cycle (SRC). The study is primarily applied to regions where the management system is based on Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plants, generating a large share of refuse (>70%), which is currently landfilled. The specific case of Andalusia, a region in the south of Spain with 23 MBT plants distributed over a region of 87.000 km{sup 2}, where about 80% of municipal solid waste (MSW) is currently landfilled, is taken as main reference; thereafter, the study is further extended to preliminary assess other regions of some European landfill-dominated countries with similar characteristics. The results show that both incineration and gasification improve landfill disposal, contributing favorably to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and fulfilling EU environmental regulations, although the three gasification options analyzed yield lower GHG emissions than incineration. In addition, gasification enables better integration of WtE into existing MBT plants, especially in the particular case of Andalusia, where MBT plants are widespread on the region, making it a more promising option than incineration, which is mainly based on large centralized plants, and less socially accepted. From the options analyzed, the WtE scheme based on FBG with ICE gives the highest profitability for a given gate fee, due to much higher electrical efficiency. However, FBG with ORC seems to be a better option in the short-term for landfill-dominated countries, due to its higher technical reliability and the low gate fee currently available in these countries.
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
Staged OMB for Modular Gasifier/Burner
The goal of this final project report is to comprehensively summarize the work conducted on project DE-FE0031506. In accordance with the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO), the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UK CAER) (Recipient) has developed a staged opposed multi-burner (OMB) gasifier, scaled down from a commercial gasification technology to utilize coal slurry as feed for the high-temperature gasification. The project involved the design, fabrication, commissioning, parametric testing, and performance validation of the entrained gasifier with multiple burners to narrow the major near-term technical gaps that impede the application of small-size gasification by modularizing the system. Project results verified the UK CAER approach to address the major technical challenges on the gasification modularization for a distributed application at a small scale of 1-5 MWe, while maintaining advantages in cost and flexibility, which include: 1) a cost-effective burner configuration to provide high flexibility in both load and fuel feed; 2) the modularized staged-OMB to provide better gasification performance such as a desired temperature profile, better fuel conversion, better gasification efficiency, and long lifetimes of the refractory wall and burners; and 3) load control simply through changing the number of burners firing. UK CAER’s staged gasifier configuration, fuel blend performance, and economic evaluation shows promise, as summarized in this report, as an effective means for improved gasification efficiency with reduced operation cost and process complexity.
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
A review of technologies and performances of thermal treatment systems for energy recovery from waste
Highlights: • The topic of energy recovery from waste by thermal treatment is reviewed. • Combustion, gasification and pyrolysis were considered. • Data about energy recovery performances were collected and compared. • Main limitations to high values of energy performances were illustrated. • Diffusion of energy recovery from waste in EU, USA and other countries was discussed. - Abstract: The aim of this work is to identify the current level of energy recovery through waste thermal treatment. The state of the art in energy recovery from waste was investigated, highlighting the differences for different types of thermal treatment, considering combustion/incineration, gasification and pyrolysis. Also different types of wastes – Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) or Solid Refuse Fuels (SRF) and some typologies of Industrial Waste (IW) (sludge, plastic scraps, etc.) – were included in the analysis. The investigation was carried out mainly reviewing papers, published in scientific journals and conferences, but also considering technical reports, to gather more information. In particular the goal of this review work was to synthesize studies in order to compare the values of energy conversion efficiencies measured or calculated for different types of thermal processes and different types of waste. It emerged that the dominant type of thermal treatment is incineration associated to energy recovery in a steam cycle. When waste gasification is applied, the produced syngas is generally combusted in a boiler to generate steam for energy recovery in a steam cycle. For both the possibilities – incineration or gasification – cogeneration is the mean to improve energy recovery, especially for small scale plants. In the case of only electricity production, the achievable values are strongly dependent on the plant size: for large plant size, where advanced technical solutions can be applied and sustained from an economic point of view, net electric efficiency may reach values up to 30–31%. In small-medium plants, net electric efficiency is constrained by scale effect and remains at values around 20–24%. Other types of technical solutions – gasification with syngas use in internally fired devices, pyrolysis and plasma gasification – are less common or studied at pilot or demonstrative scale and, in any case, offer at present similar or lower levels of energy efficiency.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Systems Based Approaches for Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass to Bioenergy and Bioproducts
Auburn’s Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts conducts research on production of synthesis gas for use in power generation and the production of liquid fuels. The overall goal of our gasification research is to identify optimal processes for producing clean syngas to use in production of fuels and chemicals from underutilized agricultural and forest biomass feedstocks. This project focused on construction and commissioning of a bubbling-bed fluidized-bed gasifier and subsequent shakedown of the gasification and gas cleanup system. The result of this project is a fully commissioned gasification laboratory that is conducting testing on agricultural and forest biomass. Initial tests on forest biomass have served as the foundation for follow-up studies on gasification under a more extensive range of temperatures, pressures, and oxidant conditions. The laboratory gasification system consists of a biomass storage tank capable of holding up to 6 tons of biomass; a biomass feeding system, with loss-in-weight metering system, capable of feeding biomass at pressures up to 650 psig; a bubbling-bed fluidized-bed gasification reactor capable of operating at pressures up to 650 psig and temperatures of 1500oF with biomass flowrates of 80 lb/hr and syngas production rates of 37 scfm; a warm-gas filtration system; fixed bed reactors for gas conditioning; and a final quench cooling system and activated carbon filtration system for gas conditioning prior to routing to Fischer-Tropsch reactors, or storage, or venting. This completed laboratory enables research to help develop economically feasible technologies for production of biomass-derived synthesis gases that will be used for clean, renewable power generation and for production of liquid transportation fuels. Moreover, this research program provides the infrastructure to educate the next generation of engineers and scientists needed to implement these technologies.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Chapter 6: Recycling Plastic Waste to Produce Chemicals - A Techno-Economic Analysis and Life-Cycle Assessment
This study presents the results of a preliminary assessment on the technology, economics, and sustainability of using waste plastics as a feedstock to produce low molecular weight olefins via pyrolysis and gasification pathways. We also studied the formation of formaldehyde - an important polymer precursor - via the gasification of waste plastics. Process pathways for recovery of ethylene and propylene and production of formaldehyde from a simulated mixed plastic waste were constructed based on literature data. They included direct and indirect pathways based on either gasification or pyrolysis as the primary conversion step. Results of these studies have shown that significant economic challenges exist of producing olefins via pyrolysis and gasification, with the latter pathway especially difficult. Base costs of pyrolysis naphtha from waste plastics are higher when compared to the same material produced from fossil feedstocks. Base olefin costs for one direct route are two times higher than comparable costs from steam cracking of fossil naphtha. These costs are driven primarily by feedstock costs; some pyrolysis scenarios become more economically feasible when very low feedstock costs are used. Similarly, for gasification, the cost of methanol - the central intermediate - was found to be noticeable higher when produced by gasification of waste plastics compared to current selling prices, which negatively impacts all pathways that go through methanol as the central intermediate. Life-cycle assessment indicates that the production of pyrolysis naphtha from plastics is a carbon intensive operation; no major advantages were found in terms of greenhouse gas emissions for any of the pathways producing C2 and C3 olefins. The results of this study can serve as the baseline for future comparison to other plastic waste valorization processes.
BIOMASS FUELS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
A Scaling Study of Microbially-Enhanced Methane Production From Coal (Mecbm): Optimizing Nutrient Delivery For Maximized Methane Production
Microbially-enhanced coalbed methane (MECBM) recovery is a novel method to stimulate gas production in CBM reservoirs. We first develop suitable nutrient recipes for native coals from sites each in the Illinois Basin and in the San Juan Basin. The optimal concentrations for statistically significant parameters are identified and the methane yields at laboratory scale are obtained (Part I & II). We then demonstrate the importance of replicating truly in-situ conditions for bio- gasification studies by investigating methane productivity in a core holder simulating in-situ conditions. Based on the experimental results, the resulting gas production correlates positively with the permeability of the samples. We examine the deliverability of engineered microbial solutions to promote coal bioconversion in coals and demonstrate that greater than milli-darcy permeability is required under in-situ stress conditions (Part III). This constraint is supplemented by imaging and a fractal-based characterization approach to evaluate changes in the physical properties of coal due to bio-gasification. High resolution SEM imaging is used to observe swelling of the coal matrix with sub-micron wide continuous pores observed to persist even after microbial treatment (IV). We explore the potential of generating, propping-open and sustaining the functionality of hydraulic fractures in coal using different fracturing fluids (Part V). The alteration of the nano-pore structure due to MECBM treatment is examined by using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to define the in-situ porosity evolution as a proxy to infer permeability evolution (Part VI). Coupled hydro-mechanical and bio-gasification modeling is applied to determine the effectiveness of nutrient delivery by hydraulic fracturing and its field implementation. Compared with both the unstimulated and hydro-shear-dilated cases of the natural fracture network, hydraulic fracturing demonstrates a significant improvement to enhance nutrient delivery. A preliminary analysis of field-scale methane yield is completed with consideration of the combined influence of permeability evolution, solute transport and microbial growth (Part VII). Developing nutrient solutions for Illinois Basin and San Juan Basin (Task 2): To enhance methane release from coal through bio-gasification, suitable nutrient solutions are needed to stimulate microbial activities toward coal depolymerization and conversion to biogas. Specific for bituminous coal in the Illinois basin, a nutrient recipe that can be used to enhance coal bio- gasification in situ is developed. Based on our previous experience working with Illinois coal and the characteristics of the formation water and the indigenous microbial community, four parameters, Fe powder, methanol, ethanol, and trace minerals are optimized through using a Box-Behnken design. The optimal condition predicted by the models is: Fe-powder at 74 mM, methanol at 97.91 mM, ethanol at 100 mM, and trace minerals at 100%. Under these conditions, the predicted methane yield and content is 1,417.35 ft 3 /ton and 80.7%, respectively. These results are then validated by experimental studies. In addition, each added component is evaluated in terms of its contribution to methane generated. Specifically, the role of coal in the bio-gasification process is studied against two other solid materials. Experimental data from different solid matrices prove that coal is indeed degraded by the studied microbial community.
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
Final Report – Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between National Energy Technology Laboratory and Oxergy, Inc.
The NETL Raman Gas Analyzer (RGA) has been demonstrated to have an extremely fast response (<1 second) multi-gas analysis capability. All but the noble gases are Raman active, although the Raman interaction is weak. The RGA uses a reflectively lined capillary as the optical cell, providing both a small sample volume for fast gas exchange, and a much greater Raman signal collection than traditional instrument configurations. This allows very fast measurement of fuel gases (hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane) as well as other common industrial gases (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and water). This provides a new enabling technology for faster, smarter process control based on the chemical composition of the gases in the process – including improved fuel flexibility and efficiency for power generation systems. Research and development up to 2016 resulted in the construction of two field prototypes of the NETL RGA, which has been in applied to various laboratory applications for testing. The results of the testing have been used to improve the RGA design, with the intent to support technology transfer. The quality of the optical capillary used in the RGA is critical to its performance, and prior work at NETL produced a few optical capillaries superior to those commercially available. The production of high optical quality capillaries, however, was inconsistent in its results. With the support of the DOE Office of Technology Transitions, through the Technology Commercialization Fund program, this project was undertaken to address this commercialization barrier and to also evaluate the possible application of Raman gas analysis to a supercritical water gasification process being developed by Oxergy Inc. Oxergy, a small business located in Fairbanks, Alaska, is developing ultra-compact thermochemical reaction devices built with advanced manufacturing processes. Chief Technology Officer Jonathan Kamler holds the (pending) patent to Oxergy’s core reactor technology. Oxergy maintains wet-lab and combustion-lab space at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for Sustainable Living in Palmer, Alaska, where Mr. Kamler operates a pilot-scale, supercritical water gasification system designed and built by Oxergy. Mr. Kamler also operates an All Powers Labs Power Pallet gasifier coupled to a 10KW electrical generator as a dry biomass test platform at the Palmer facility. Both systems are suitable for real-world, collaborative testing of Raman gas analysis applications. The objectives of the CRADA include making the production of high-quality optical capillaries consistent and high yield, investigating other options for optical waveguides, and testing the capillaries for measurements in supercritical water gasification. Success on these objectives will support commercialization of both the RGA and supercritical water gasification technologies. Through the work performed on this project, a new apparatus was constructed and optimized to provide consistent production of high-quality optical capillaries. Several thick-walled capillaries were coated using this apparatus and shipped to Oxergy in September 2018 for testing in both dry gasification and supercritical water gasification process monitoring applications at University of Alaska Fairbanks facilities in Palmer. The strong earthquake near Anchorage and Palmer in November 2018 caused extensive damage and closure of the facilities used by Oxergy, preventing Oxergy from proceeding with experimental testing before the end of the project; the facility has been closed indefinitely. Earthquake damage prohibited the completion of all the project objectives prior to the end of the project. However, significant progress was made toward addressing a core technology commercialization barrier. The largest and most mature potential market for Raman gas analysis is its use in analytical instruments, which require sensitivity and low detection limits, and Oxergy’s market research found that market inertia is a barrier to commercial success in this market. Although NETL’s innovations in capillary coating have substantially improved Raman gas analysis capability, the likely market is expected to be niche applications that value the fast detection of real-time changes in gas composition.
Chorpening, Benjamin↗
A study of industrial hydrogen and syngas supply systems
The potential and incentives required for supplying hydrogen and syngas feedstocks to the U.S. chemical industry from coal gasification systems were evaluated. Future hydrogen and syngas demand for chemical manufacture was estimated by geographic area and projected economics for hydrogen and syngas manufacture was estimated with geographic area of manufacture and plant size as parameters. Natural gas, oil and coal feedstocks were considered. Problem areas presently affecting the commercial feasibility of coal gasification discussed include the impact of potential process improvements, factors involved in financing coal gasification plants, regulatory barriers affecting coal gasification, coal mining/transportation, air quality regulations, and competitive feedstock pricing barriers. The potential for making coal gasification the least costly H2 and syngas supply option. Options to stimulate coal gasification system development are discussed.
Amos, W. J.↗
Sustainable H 2 -Rich Syngas Production via Microwave-Assisted vs Conventional Catalysis of Pinewood
Catalytic gasification of biomass is a promising method for producing hydrogen-rich syngas, which is a valuable resource for cleanenergy applications. In this study, microwave-assisted biomass gasification was compared with conventional thermally driven biomass gasification using pinewood as the biomass without the use of external gasifying agents (such as air, steam, and CO 2 ), under non-catalytic and catalytic conditions. The catalysts consisted of either an iron or a nickel catalyst, and the pinewood used as biomass contained 42% oxygen. This comparative analysis explores the differences in reaction chemistry, product yields, and the role of key reactions such as the water gas shift (WGS) reaction, Boudouard reaction, etc. The gas-phase and liquid-phase products were analyzed using online gas chromatography, and the fresh and spent catalysts were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. It was found that microwave-assisted gasification offers advantages in terms of enhanced reaction efficiency, catalyst stability, and hydrogen yield. For the microwave-assisted reaction, the gas yield reached 87%, the char yield was 12.1%, and the tar yield was less than 1% (0.793%) at 550 °C. In contrast, thermal-assisted gasification using the same catalyst produced a gas yield of 85.796%, char yield of 11.438%, and higher tar yield of 2.8% at 900 °C. The higher microwave-assisted performance was attributed to faster heating and better control over reaction conditions, higher reaction rates, and more favorable conditions for hydrogen production.
biomass↗
Catalytic Conditioning and Conversion of Bio-Syngas: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-10-418
There is a critical need to increase the carbon yield of the gasification process. To this end, it has been suggested that tars and chars formed as by-products of gasification be re-injected into the gasifier. In this CRADA work facile and inexpensive methods of modifying chars and tars received from Enerkem are studied with the aim of increasing their gasification rate upon re-injection into the gasifier. Adding iron to the char, both in nitrate form and in clay form, speeds the CO 2 gasification of the char (CO 2 + C --> 2CO). It has been more difficult to speed the gasification of tar mixed with char, likely due to clogging of pores, resulting in a reduced accessible surface area.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Plasma Assisted Trash Conversion with CO2 Carrier Gas
A sub-atmospheric plasma solid-to-gas conversion system operating under 500 W was tested to be viable for waste conversion to a gaseous state without the use of a feedstock gas as shown in previous plasma torch works. This manuscript lays the groundwork into the feasibility of low-pressure solid-to-gas conversion, reaction chemistry of the by-product gases, and power consumption. The results have shown the possibility of gasification at reduced pressures without the consumable use of a feedstock carrier gas in previous studies. Thus far, the percent gasification averaged around 36% in pre-pellet trials, with the system being far from optimized. The products include H2, CO2, CO, C2H4, and C2H6. Hydrogen production was higher as expected in a CO2-like environment once the gasification process begins. The energy required to generate the plasma was on the order of that previously reported at atmospheric pressures. The ability to eliminate the need for any consumables that were required in previous iterations greatly improves the cost and operational logistics of plasma gasification equipment. Although further development of the system is needed for increased gasification percentages, elimination of useable commodities greatly favors such a system for trash management beyond low Earth orbit.
Malay Shah↗
The National Carbon Capture Center at the Power Systems Development Facility
The Power Systems Development Facility (PSDF) is a state-of-the-art test center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and dedicated to the advancement of clean coal technology. In addition to the development of high efficiency coal gasification processes, the PSDF features the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) to promote new technologies for CO2 capture from coal-derived flue gas and syngas. The NCCC includes multiple, adaptable test skids that allow technology development of CO2 capture concepts using coal-derived flue gas and syngas in industrial settings. Because of the ability to operate under a wide range of flow rates and process conditions, research at the NCCC can effectively evaluate technologies at various levels of maturity and accelerate their development paths to commercialization. During the calendar year 2013 portion of the Budget Period Four reporting period, efforts at the NCCC focused on post-combustion CO2 capture, gasification, and pre-combustion CO2 capture technology testing. Preparations for future testing were on-going as well, and involved facility upgrades and collaboration with numerous technology developers. In the area of post-combustion, testing was conducted on an enzyme-based technology, advanced solvents from two major developers, and a gas separation membrane. During the year, the gasification process was operated for three test runs, supporting development of water-gas shift and COS hydrolysis catalysts, a mercury sorbent, and several gasification support technologies. Syngas produced during gasification operation was also used for pre-combustion capture technologies, including gas separation membranes from three different technology developers, a CO2 sorbent, and CO2 solvents.
None, None↗
TEA and LCA Assessments of H2 Production from Coal, Coal/Biomass, and Biomass
This presentation was made at the "Gasification Technology Status and Pathways for Net-Zero Carbon Economy Workshop" held on November 30, 2022. The presentation primarily focuses on TEA/LCA results that NETL has developed for coal gasification w/ & w/o CCS as well as net-zero greenhouse gas coal/biomass gasification. Full reporting of these cases is publicly available in the NETL report titled "Comparison of Commercial, State-of-the-Art, Fossil-Based Hydrogen Production Technologies," April 2022. Additionally, the presentation describes current NETL work in support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) Gasification Program in the areas of TEA/LCA/Markets analysis of biomass/MSW/waste plastics gasification to achieve cost reductions for net-zero H2 production.
Lewis, Eric↗