CONTROLLING FLUIDIZED-BED GASIFICATION.

This study briefly reviews the process, describes its principal features, and discusses the instrumentation techniques utilized for measurement and control of process variables. Level, density, flow, pressure, and temperature are discussed, along with an analysis of their importance in the successful operation of the pilot plant. A flow diagram is presented of the process which uses a multi-zone, fluidized-bed reactor to convert the carbon and volatile matter in coal to methane by direct hydrogenation at operating temperatures of 704 degree to 982 degree C and pressures of 1,000 to 1,500 psig (6,895 to 10,342 kPa). The process-feeds include bituminous coals, as well as noncaking lignite and subbituminous coals. The gas produced in the hydrogasifier reactor is purified and converted to pipeline specifications by catalytic methanation. The hydrogasified char is used for hydrogen production by steam-oxygen gasification in the lower zone of the reactor.