DONOR SOLVENT COAL LIQUEFACTION PROCESS.

The EDS process is designed to maximize liquid products. The feed coal is crushed, dried, and slurried with hydrogenated recycle solvent (the donor solvent) and fed to the liquefaction reactor in admixture with gaseous hydrogen. The reactor design is relatively simple: an upward plug flow design operating at moderate conditions of 427-482 degree C and about 2,000 psi (13,790 kPa) total pressure. The reactor effluent is separated by a series of distillation steps into a recycle solvent depleted of its donor hydrogen, light hydrocarbon gases, C//3-538 degree C liquids, unconverted coal, and coal mineral matter. The spent recycle solvent is catalytically hydrogenated in a conventional fixed bed catalytic reactor employing ″off-the-shelf″ hydrotreating catalysts. The light hydrocarbon gases are steam reformed to produce the necessary process hydrogen. Commercial feasibility is discussed.