- Details
To further support our contention that there is much, much more to the story of how technology is available, and how that technology is being further refined, that would allow us, the United States, to convert abundant coal and CO2-recycling renewable biomass into the liquid fuels we need, liquid fuels that we are led to believe we're short of and that we must import, through bloated oil companies and from hostile OPEC nations, we submit the enclosed selection of works from one of our premier National Laboratories, Sandia.
Some excerpts, comment follows:
"Fine particle catalyst testing
Sponsor: DOE/FE
Contact: Fran Stohl
The goal of Sandia's Testing of Fine-Particle Catalysts project is to evaluate the fine-particle size unsupported catalysts that are being developed for coal liquefaction. It is difficult to compare catalytic testing results from different researchers because of the variety of testing procedures used. Sandia has developed a standard test procedure that can be applied to all these catalysts so the best catalysts can be identified. This testing is performed in small batch microautoclaves. Additional efforts include developing procedures to coprocess waste materials (such as plastics or heavy resid) with coal in coal liquefaction reactions.
Sponsor: DOE/FE
Contact: Tim Gardner
Sandia has been involved in the direct liquefaction of coal and the upgrading of coal-derived liquids for over ten years. Catalysts based on sulfided NiMo phases supported on silica-doped hydrous titanium oxide (HTO:Si) have been developed which offer distinct advantages over similar catalysts utilizing commercial alumina supports. These advantages are related to the very high dispersion of the catalytic active phase on the HTO:Si supports and the ability to synthesize the catalyst in either a bulk or a coated form. Superior results have been obtained for the HTO:Si-supported NiMo catalysts relative to commercial alumina-supported NiMo catalysts in model reactions (pyrene hydrogenation [see Figure 2] and dibenzothiophene hydrodesulfurization), as well as for actual pilot scale direct coal liquefaction tests and continuous hydrotreatment of coal- or petroleum-derived liquids.
Novel catalysts can enhance the efficiency of coal liquefaction processes through improvements in catalyst activity, selectivity, and life. A viable coal liquefaction process can improve U.S. economic competitiveness by offering an alternative to imported oil and thereby keeping an economic cap on the cost of imported oil. These new catalyst materials may also find important applications in the efficient upgrading of heavy oils, bitumens, and petroleum residues, which are becoming increasingly important as the world's supply of light crude oil is depleted.
The primary goal for the Advanced Direct Liquefaction Concepts for Improved Efficiency and Economics project (Contact: Fran Stohl) is to evaluate new concepts for producing coal liquids that will enable coal-derived liquids to be obtained cost effectively. Sandia's experimental work is aimed at optimizing coal liquefaction processing conditions for various portions of the coal liquids by using continuous operation reactors that can be run unattended. This project is a joint effort with the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, CONSOL Inc., and LDP Associates.
The Refining of Coal Liquids project (Contact: Fran Stohl) involves hydrotreating various distillate cuts of the final coal-derived liquid product to determine how best to introduce these liquids into an existing refinery. This project also uses Sandia's continuous operation reactors. This project is a joint effort with Bechtel, Southwest Research Institute, Amoco Oil Co., and M.W. Kellogg.
Sponsor: DOE/FE
Contact: Nancy Jackson
Fossil fuel/waste coprocessing
Sponsor: DOE/FE and DOE/EE
Contact: Anthony Martino
Under Construction
Sponsor: LDRD (internal Sandia R&D support)
Contact: Nancy Jackson"
Allow us to recap some of what's going on at Sandia, in addition to the work on CO2 recycling we documented for you quite some time ago. They are/have been:
- developing technology "for coal liquefaction" and "procedures to coprocess waste materials (such as plastics or heavy resid) with coal in coal liquefaction reactions."
- "involved in the direct liquefaction of coal and the upgrading of coal-derived liquids for over ten years."
- working on "novel catalysts" that "can enhance the efficiency of coal liquefaction processes through improvements in catalyst activity, selectivity, and life."
- evaluating "new concepts for producing coal liquids that will enable coal-derived liquids to be obtained cost effectively."
They note that "A viable coal liquefaction process can improve U.S. economic competitiveness by offering an alternative to imported oil and thereby keeping an economic cap on the cost of imported oil."
We'll note, again, that we've also reported on advanced work at Sandia which focuses on the recycling of Carbon Dioxide.
It all sounds good. Where are the results and why haven't they been made public, or publicized, especially in Coal Country? Some contact names and links are included in this dispatch. About time some Coal Country journalists started following up, isn't it? Don't Coal Country people have a right to know?
- Details
We've noted both Honeywell and Rentech previously in our posts concerning coal liquefaction technology and development; and, in the case of Honeywell, the history of coal chemicals industry.
It looks as if they are now combining their efforts to achieve synergies, between coal and biomass, we've suggested to be possible.
The excerpt:
"DES PLAINES, Ill., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that it has expanded its alliance with Rentech, Inc. to support clean fuels production, adding UOP gas processing technology for the treatment of synthesis gas, or syngas, from sources such as biomass, natural gas and coal.
"Our goal has been to provide a one-stop solution for producers to convert syngas into high-quality, ultra-clean transportation fuels and high-value chemicals," said UOP Refining Business Director Ashis Banerji. "UOP's high-performance gas processing technologies are proven worldwide and this alliance will further enhance our ability to support production of ultra-clean fuels."
Specifically, Rentech's technology uses synthesis gas produced from biomass and fossil feedstocks. UOP gas processing technology, now a part of the alliance, can be used to remove impurities from syngas derived from these sources as well as hydrogen-rich streams utilized within the overall plant. The resulting syngas is upgraded to ultra-clean hydrocarbons using Rentech's proprietary iron catalyst and the purified hydrogen streams are used with UOP's Unionfining and Unicracking technology to convert the liquid hydrocarbons to high-value naphtha or distillate products, which are used to produce ultra-clean jet and diesel fuel as well as specialty waxes and chemicals."
Rentech's indirect coal liquefaction technology, using syngas, sounds very much like Sasol's, in South Africa, especially in regards to the sheer range of valuable products which can be made from coal and carbon-recycling biomass: "ultra-clean jet and diesel fuel as well as specialty waxes and chemicals".
All while utilizing our most abundant natural resource, coal, and recycling Carbon Dioxide.
- Details
We have several times cited reports that botanical oils, "biolipids", can be processed into liquid transportation fuels; and, if the appropriate technology is selected, that transformation can be accomplished as part of a coal liquefaction process designed to produce those liquid fuels primarily from coal.
We have also reported that extremely small coal particles, generated inevitably as a part of most coal mining processes, are often separated from marketable coal and discarded, along with incombustible refuse, because of handling limitations.
However, again as per our earlier reports, we submit more evidence that coal fines can be profitably recovered; and, they can be recovered with materials that would themselves be suitable, and renewable, feed stocks for an appropriately-designed and specified coal-to-liquid conversion facility.
As follows:
"Coal Recovery from Coal Fines Cleaning Wastes by Agglomeration with Vegetable Oils
Marta I. Alonso, Adolfo F. Valdés, Rosa M. Martínez-Tarazona and Ana B. Garcia
Instituto Nacional del Carbón, CSIC, Apdo 73, 33080- Oviedo, Spain; September, 1998
Abstract
The aim of this work was to obtain high calorific value products from coal fines cleaning wastes by agglomeration with vegetable oils. These residues are mainly being disposed of in dumps, causing important economic and environmental problems. Three Spanish coal fines wastes from different coal cleaning plants were agglomerated with crude and refined sunflower and soybean oils over a wide range of oil concentrations. The response of these fines wastes to agglomeration with the oils, was evaluated by the percentages of coal matter recovery, ash rejection and efficiency index. Speaking in terms of products quality, the best results were attained at the lowest oil concentrations, especially when the refined ones were used. In these cases, the agglomeration with vegetable oils allowed the recovery from coal fines wastes of a ready to burn fine coal fuel."
Again, submitted just as additional evidence that coal can not only supply our current liquid transportation fuel needs, but, coal, and even some coal wastes, can, through established technologies, also lead us into an era of liquid fuel sustainability. Note that using vegetable oils to recover coal fines, so that both could be processed together into liquid fuels, represents a process of Carbon Dioxide recycling.
- Details
Following up on our previous submission concerning enhanced technology for recovering coal "fines", we submit the enclosed to affirm that coal fines, once recovered, do have value - as a raw material from which we can manufacture liquid fuels.
The enclosed article is from "W2 Energy", an innovative energy conversion enterprise whose technologies we have previously cited.
The excerpt:
"This material (i.e., coal fines) is so fine it can't be used in the power plants and must be disposed of. The program indicated the there will be new rules in December 2009 related to disposal of the coal fines and there is a very real possibility that the coal fines will be designated toxic. The cost to treat or dispose of the coal ash and coal fines will be prohibitive. However, it is a perfect feedstock for the W2 Energy coal to liquid fuel plants. W2 Energy is in the unique position of being one of a few companies able to help the coal industry and the power industry with this emerging problem. The W2 Energy system is a closed system and a net user of CO2. It has no emissions and generates carbon credits.
In a press release on September 14, 2009, W2Energy announced it had received coal samples from a coal company to demonstrate the yield from coal that its technology can produce. The company is gathering all of its test data and will be announcing the results in the near term.
The company is very comfortable that it will be able to clean up the fines and coal ash on power sites while generating diesel and electricity, therefore reducing costs and absorbing the greenhouse gases generated by the coal. The Company will turn the fines or coal gas into syngas and the syngas will be turned into jet fuel, gasoline and diesel fuel."
This is just more affirmation that our knowledge and understanding of coal conversion technology is much more complete and practical than Big Oil, the Environmentalists, and, sadly, our mainstream press and elected government, would, apparently, have us believe.
It's way past time we started making full use of all our coal resources.
- Details
We have documented that very real technologies exist which would allow us to efficiently capture the Carbon Dioxide co-product of our coal-use industries, and recycle it into useful materials. Our US Department of Defense, as you by now know, holds, through defense contractor proxies, several patents on processes that would extract CO2 from the environment and convert it into liquid fuels for Navy ships.
Some of our US National Laboratories, such as Sandia, are engaged in developing similar processes, and propose that energy for the conversion of Carbon Dioxide could be extracted from the environment, thus mimicking the photosynthetic processes of green plants..
A few of our universities are engaged in similar developments, as the enclosed, very recent, article, from Penn State University, will attest.
The excerpt:
"High-Rate Solar Photocatalytic Conversion of CO2 and Water Vapor to Hydrocarbon Fuels
Oomman K. Varghese, Maggie Paulose, Thomas J. LaTempa and Craig A. Grimes
[Unable to display image]Department of Electrical Engineering, Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Nano Lett., 2009, 9 (2), pp 731–737
DOI: 10.1021/nl803258p
Publication Date (Web): January 27, 2009
Copyright © 2009 American Chemical Society
Efficient solar conversion of carbon dioxide and water vapor to methane and other hydrocarbons is achieved using nitrogen-doped titania nanotube arrays, with a wall thickness low enough to facilitate effective carrier transfer to the adsorbing species, surface-loaded with nanodimensional islands of cocatalysts platinum and/or copper. All experiments are conducted in outdoor sunlight at University Park, PA. Intermediate reaction products, hydrogen and carbon monoxide, are also detected with their relative concentrations underlying hydrocarbon production rates and dependent upon the nature of the cocatalysts on the nanotube array surface. Using outdoor global AM 1.5 sunlight, 100 mW/cm2, a hydrocarbon production rate of 111 ppm cm−2 h−1, or ≈160 μL/(g h), is obtained when the nanotube array samples are loaded with both Cu and Pt nanoparticles. This rate of CO2 to hydrocarbon production obtained under outdoor sunlight is at least 20 times higher than previous published reports, which were conducted under laboratory conditions using UV illumination."
So, using sunlight only, Penn State was able to achieve "efficient ... conversion of carbon dioxide and water vapor to methane and other hydrocarbons".
And, using environmental energy, "sunlight", they were able to achieve hydrocarbon production, from CO2 and water vapor, that was "at least 20 times higher than ...under laboratory conditions".
So, our simple green plants got it right several billion years ago. Too bad it's taken all our craniums this long to figure it out.
In any case, this Penn State research, Sandia National Laboratory's work, Sabatier's Nobel Prize achievement, and the USDOD patents are not, as we will document in future dispatches, the only evidence that Carbon Dioxide, as arises from our use of coal, is a valuable raw material resource, which our coal-use industries, by lucky happenstance, create as a by-product. We can convert Carbon Dioxide in "efficient" ways into "methane and other hydrocarbons".
Those "other hydrocarbons" do include, as we will further document in even more submissions, liquid fuels.
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