Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Gasification”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Final Report: Process Intensification of Hydrogen Production through Sorption-Enhanced Gasification of Biomass

The University of Utah, in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), evaluated Sorption-Enhanced Gasification (SEG) as a transformative pathway for producing hydrogen with the potential for negative CO 2 emissions. SEG integrates gasification, water-gas shift, and in-situ carbon capture within a dual fluidized bed reactor to enable efficient clean hydrogen production. Key challenges related to biomass variability and process complexity were addressed through feedstock engineering, reaction optimization, and process validation. A co-pelletized biomass–limestone feedstock was developed to simplify feeding and introduction of makeup limestone. Kinetic and sorbent studies identified optimal operating conditions and confirmed the suitability of low-cost limestone, while catalysts were developed to reduce tar formation. Reactor modeling and techno-economic analysis indicated that SEG can achieve competitive hydrogen production costs, particularly when combined with carbon incentives, supporting its potential for scale-up and carbon-negative operation.

08 HYDROGEN↗
NASA NTRS1976

Energy Conversion Alternatives Study (ECAS), General Electric Phase 1. Volume 3: Energy conversion subsystems and components. Part 3: Gasification, process fuels, and balance of plant

Results are presented of an investigation of gasification and clean fuels from coal. Factors discussed include: coal and coal transportation costs; clean liquid and gas fuel process efficiencies and costs; and cost, performance, and environmental intrusion elements of the integrated low-Btu coal gasification system. Cost estimates for the balance-of-plant requirements associated with advanced energy conversion systems utilizing coal or coal-derived fuels are included.

Boothe, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Solar heated fluidized bed gasification system

A solar-powered fluidized bed gasification system for gasifying carbonaceous material is presented. The system includes a solar gasifier which is heated by fluidizing gas and steam. Energy to heat the gas and steam is supplied by a high heat capacity refractory honeycomb which surrounds the fluid bed reactor zone. The high heat capacity refractory honeycomb is heated by solar energy focused on the honeycomb by solar concentrator through solar window. The fluid bed reaction zone is also heated directly and uniformly by thermal contact of the high heat capacity ceramic honeycomb with the walls of the fluidized bed reactor. Provisions are also made for recovering and recycling catalysts used in the gasification process. Back-up furnace is provided for start-up procedures and for supplying heat to the fluid bed reaction zone when adequate supplies of solar energy are not available.

Qader, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Continuous Removal of Coal-Gasification Residue

Continuous-flow hopper processes solid residue from coal gasification, converting it from ashes, cinders, and clinkers to particles size of sand granules. Unit does not require repeated depressurization of lockhopper to admit and release materials. Therefore consumes less energy. Because unit has no airlock valves opened and closed repeatedly on hot, abrasive particles, subjected to lesser wear. Coal-gasification residue flows slowly through pressure-letdown device. Material enters and leaves continuously. Cleanout door on each pressure-letdown chamber allows access for maintenance and emergencies.

Collins, Earl R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Supercritical droplet gasification experiments with forced convection

Preliminary results of a comprehensive experimental program are presented which offer the first direct observations of suspended n-heptane droplet gasifications in pure nitrogen with forced convection without the interference to optical probing associated with a flame. Measurements show attainment of a wet-bulb temperature until reduced pressures exceed about 1.0 under supercritical gas temperatures. Thereafter, temperature measurements indicate fully transient heat-up through the critical temperature. The surface is found to regress in a continuous manner with the measured temperature approaching the critical value at the end of the droplet lifetime under supercritical conditions with very mild level of convection. At increased level of convection for the same ambient conditions, similar sized droplets will undergo significant deformation during the gasification process until partially convected away as a dense vapor cloud as the critical temperature is approached.

Litchford, Ron↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integration of LIBS with Machine Learning for Real-Time Monitoring of Feedstock in H 2 Gasification Applications

This project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) – Office of Fossil Energy under Award Number DE-FE0032177, aimed to assess the feasibility of an integrated Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) system with advanced machine learning (ML) models for real-time characterization and potential control of hydrogen gasifiers running on waste materials as feedstocks. This was a multidisciplinary effort that encompassed the acquisition and standardized analysis of individual and blended feedstocks—comprising biomass, coal waste, and plastic waste, followed by the development of a dynamic LIBS bench system for material sample analysis and development of predictive ML models. Comprehensive laboratory testing enabled the creation of a robust elemental dataset that served as the foundation for ML model training. Techniques such as Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Regression, and Neural Networks were employed to predict key feedstock properties, including higher heating value (HHV), moisture content, thermal conductivity, and ash composition with high accuracy. The results were validated against experimental data and demonstrated strong potential for real-time application in gasifier control systems. The project concluded with a study on the integration of the LIBS+ML approach for gasifier control and a techno-economic analysis of the implementation of the approach into hydrogen (H 2 ) gasification systems. Dissemination of results was carried out at a DOE meeting. This work establishes a scalable framework for automated, in-line feedstock quality assessment, offering significant implications for process optimization and emissions reduction in hydrogen production.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2026

Modular Biomass Gasification for Co-Production of Hydrogen and Power

The overall goal of this project was to demonstrate a novel process-intensified and modular Combined Hydrogen, Heat and Power (CH 2 P) production technology, targeting commercial scales of 5-to-10-megawatt electric (MWe) equivalent of hydrogen (H 2 ). The process technology integrates a novel adaptation of the steam-iron process to produce high purity H 2 from gasification of biomass and biomass blends with a compression-ready carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) stream, enabling significant progress towards achieving $1 per kilogram (kg) cost for clean H 2 .

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Economic and environmental performance of biomass gasification for renewable natural gas production in the context of the U.S. natural gas supply

Bioenergy technologies offer potential for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One such promising technology is biomass gasification, which is the conversion of biomass into renewable natural gas (RNG) for use with a natural gas combined-cycle power generation system. However, the associated economic and emission effects need to be better understood to enable optimal decision-making and avoid missed opportunities for enhancing efficiency and increasing system circularity. This analysis explores opportunities to (1) decarbonize natural-gas-based systems and (2) leverage the extensive US natural gas infrastructure to mobilize biomass resources to achieve environmental and economic benefits. Here, in this analysis, the research team used a spatially explicit biomass logistics model (integrated with relevant biomass availability, technoeconomic analysis, and life cycle assessment information) to simulate economically optimal biomass allocation for RNG production and use for decarbonization in the United States. Results show that the United States has the potential to produce 9203 million GJ of RNG within the expected range of $\$$12–30/GJ. Further analyses tested the overall RNG production system's sensitivity to economic and emissions parameters of nine different processes. The sensitivity analysis results indicate that the median carbon abatement cost of RNG is most sensitive to changes in emissions associated with conversion processes and land use changes. These findings provide a deeper understanding of RNG's economic and emission potential for decision-making and guiding future research.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

MultiTaskDeltaNet: change detection-based image segmentation for operando ETEM with application to carbon gasification kinetics

Transforming in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging into a tool for spatially-resolved operando characterization of solid-state reactions requires automated, high-precision semantic segmentation of dynamically evolving features. However, traditional deep learning methods for semantic segmentation often face limitations due to the scarcity of labeled data, visually ambiguous features of interest, and scenarios involving small objects. To tackle these challenges, we introduce MultiTaskDeltaNet (MTDN), a novel deep learning architecture that creatively reconceptualizes the segmentation task as a change detection problem. By implementing a unique Siamese network with a U-Net backbone and using paired images to capture feature changes, MTDN effectively leverages minimal data to produce high-quality segmentations. Furthermore, MTDN utilizes a multi-task learning strategy to exploit correlations between physical features of interest. In an evaluation using data from in situ environmental TEM (ETEM) videos of filamentous carbon gasification, MTDN demonstrated a significant advantage over conventional segmentation models, particularly in accurately delineating fine structural features. Notably, MTDN achieved a 10.22% performance improvement over conventional segmentation models in predicting small and visually ambiguous physical features. This work bridges key gaps between deep learning and practical TEM image analysis, advancing automated characterization of nanomaterials in complex experimental settings.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Critical Component/Technology Gap in 21 st Century Power Plant Gasification Based Polygeneration: Advanced Ceramic Membranes/Modules for Ultra Efficient Hydrogen (H 2 ) Production/Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) Capture for Coal-Based Polygeneration

The 21 st Century Power Plant Gasification Based Polygeneration power plant layout is a relatively straightforward retrofit of well-established ammonia synthesis technology to the baseline IGCC process and envisions co-production of power and chemicals from coal in the context of carbon capture. A Dual Stage Membrane Process (DSMP) for pre-combustion CO 2 capture in a coal fired IGCC power plant has been demonstrated by Media and Process Technology Inc (MPT) (DE-FE0013064) in bench-scale live gas testing at the NCCC. This work, however, highlighted the importance of permeate purge capability to deliver deep H 2 recovery at moderate pressures and high carbon capture performance. Further, in the area of warm gas processing, a permeate purgeable membrane support for a wide range of inorganic high-performance membrane materials (CMS, Pd-alloy, zeolite, ZIF, graphene, etc.) was not available and hence had been a common and significant barrier to their commercialization. Hence, the Critical Technology Gap to implementing the DSMP in the Polygeneration power plant and more broadly in advanced warm gas separation applications was the inability to permeate purge the membranes coupled with the lack of the availability of a high packing density scalable package design. To overcome this Critical Technology Gap, in this project, the primary objective was the development of a permeate purgeable full ceramic support for these high-performance inorganic membranes and the complementary high packing density housing. Our goal and approach were to extend our “candle filter” design to a “dual end open” package to enable permeate purge and scalability. Microporous ceramic membranes have been proven to be a low cost, stable material for high temperature applications under harsh environment. They are the leading support choice of researchers in advanced inorganic membrane development in applications such as pre-combustion CO 2 capture. The new 2nd Generation “dual end open” bundle developed in this project is a universal support for these existing and emerging inorganic membrane technologies that up to now have lacked a pathway out of the laboratory. The full ceramic permeate purgeable support represents a transformational technology and opens the door to commercialization of these advanced membrane materials in a wide array of mega scale commercial applications in gas (and liquid) processing under aggressive conditions not suited to conventional polymeric membranes.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
NASA NTRS1975

Hydrogen manufacture by Lurgi gasification of Oklahoma coal

Advantages and disadvantages of using the Lurgi gasification process to produce hydrogen from Oklahoma coal are listed. Special attention was given to the production of heat for the process; heat is generated by burning part of pretreated coal in the steam generator. Overall performance of the Lurgi process is summarized in tabular form.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1977

Some studies on a solid state sulfur probe for coal gasification systems

Measurements on the solid electrolyte cell (Ar + H(2) + H(2)S/CaS + CaF(2) + (Pt)//CaF(2)//(Pt) + CaF(2) + CaS/H(2) + H(2)+Ar) show that the emf of the cell is directly related to the difference in sulfur potentials established at the Ar + H(2) + H(2)S/electrode interfaces. The electrodes convert the sulfur potential gradient across the calcium fluoride electrolyte into an equivalent fluorine potential gradient. Response time of the probe varies from approximately 9 hr at 990 K to 2.5 hr at 1225 K. The conversion of calcium sulfide and/or calcium fluoride into calcium oxide is not a problem anticipated in commercial coal gasification systems. Suggestions are presented for improving the cell for such commercial applications.

Jacob, K. T.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Lock hopper values for coal gasification plant service

Although the operating principle of the lock hopper system is extremely simple, valve applications involving this service for coal gasification plants are likewise extremely difficult. The difficulties center on the requirement of handling highly erosive pulverized coal or char (either in dry or slurry form) combined with the requirement of providing tight sealing against high-pressure (possibly very hot) gas. Operating pressures and temperatures in these applications typically range up to 1600 psi (110bar) and 600F (316C), with certain process requirements going even higher. In addition, and of primary concern, is the need for reliable operation over long service periods with the provision for practical and economical maintenance. Currently available data indicate the requirement for something in the order of 20,000 to 30,000 open-close cycles per year and a desire to operate at least that long without valve failure.

Schoeneweis, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Some studies on a solid-state sulfur probe for coal gasification systems

As a part of a program for the development of a sulfur probe for monitoring the sulfur potential in coal gasification reactors, an investigation was conducted regarding the efficiency of the solid electrolyte cell Ar+H2+H2S/CaS+CaF2+(Pt)//CaF2//Pt)+CaF2+CaS/H2S+H2+Ar. A demonstration is provided of the theory, design, and operation of a solid-state sulfur probe based on CaF2 electrolyte. It was found that the cell responds to changes in sulfur potential in a manner predicted by the Nernst equation. The response time of the cell at 1225 K, after a small change in temperature or gas composition, was 2.5 Hr, while at a lower temperature of 990 K the response time was approximately 9 hr. The cell emf was insensitive to a moderate increase in the flow rate of the test gas and/or the reference gas. The exact factors affecting the slow response time of galvanic cells based on a CaF2 electrolyte have not yet been determined. The rate-limiting steps may be either the kinetics of electrode reactions or the rate of transport through the electrolyte.

Jacob, K. T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Coal gasification systems engineering and analysis. Appendix B: Medium B+U gas design

A four module, 20,000 TPD, based on KT coal gasification technology was designed. The plant processes Kentucky No. 9 coal with provisions for up to five percent North Alabama coal. Medium BTU gas with heat content of 305 BTU/SCF and not more than 200 ppm sulfur is the primary plant product. Sulfur is recovered for scale as prilled sulfur. Ash disposal is on site. The plant is designed for zero water discharge. Trade studies provided the basis for not using boiler produced steam to drive prime movers. Thus process derived steam in excess of process requirements in superheated for power use in prime movers. Electricity from the TVA grid is used to supply the balance of the plant prime mover power requirements. A study of the effect of mine mouth coal cleaning showed that coal cleaning is not an economically preferred route. The design procedure involved defining available processes to meet the requirements of each system, technical/economic trade studies to select the preferred processes, and engineering design and flow sheet development for each module. Cost studies assumed a staggered construction schedule for the four modules beginning spring 1981 and a 90% on stream factor.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1980

Coal gasification systems engineering and analysis. Appendix F: Critical technology items/issues

Critical technology items and issues are defined in which there is a need for developmental research in order to assure technical and economic success for the state of the art of coal gasification in the United States. Technology development needs for the main processing units and the supporting units are discussed. While development needs are shown for a large number of systems, the most critical areas are associated with the gasifier itself and those systems which either feed the gasifier or directly receive products form the gasifier.

Source record↗