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Far too late, we introduce you to some of the work of Coal-to-Liquid conversion pioneer Frank Derbyshire.
He had a career, that ended too soon, marked by milestones of achievement in the science of converting abundant coal into scarce liquid fuels.
We enclose, following, a few selections from his catalogue of published research. You will see that he started with Mobil Oil, where he researched for them the science of coal-to-liquid conversion. Some of his discoveries might now be embodied in Exxon-Mobil's MTG (r), Methanol-to-Gasoline, technology, wherein the methanol is synthesized from coal.
He later continued his research into coal conversion at Penn State University, as evidenced by reference to two of his works included below.
He went on to work, until his death, at the University of Kentucky's Center for Adavnced Energy Research, whom we have cited previously as developers of coal-to-liquid conversion art.
We thus submit a few of Derbyshire's publications, just as more evidence that coal-to-liquid conversion is very real technology; technology that could, if we centered our will upon the goal, help us, the US, to achieve liquid fuel self-sufficiency and thus restore some level at least of national prosperity.
As follows:
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Several international studies attest to the improvement of direct coal liquefaction processes that employ WVU's preferred hydrogen-donor solvent, "Tetralin", as specified in their "West Virginia Process" for coal conversion, when Ethanol, as would be produced from fermentation and distillation of agricultural produce, or which could, as we've documented, be, perhaps with more efficiency, directly manufactured from coal itself, is added to the coal solvent blend.
We submit the enclosed documentation, out of the selection available, because it results from the collaboration of multiple researchers in several countries, and might thus convey to you more credibility.
Additional comment follows the excerpt:
"The nature of the synergistic effect of binary tetralin-alcohol solvents in Kansk-Achinsk brown coal liquefaction
Peter N. Kuznetsov, Jan Bimer, Piotr D. Salbut, Evgeny D. Korniyets, Ludmila I. Kuznetsova and Colin E. Snape
Institute of Chemistry and Chemico-Metallurgical Processes, 42 K. Marx Str., Krasnoyarsk 660049, Russia
Institute of Organic Chemistry, 44 Kasprzaka Str., Warszawa 01-224, Poland
University of Strathclyde, Thomas Graham Building, 295 Cathedral Str., Glasgow G1 1XL, UK
Abstract
Kansk-Achinsk brown coal hydrogenation and swelling in tetralin, in low molecular alcohols, in other solvents and in binary mixtures were studied. Tetralin was found to be the most effective liquefaction solvent, but methanol and ethanol were the active ones in coal swelling. Synergistic effects were observed when the mixtures of tetralin and methanol or ethanol were used for liquefaction and swelling. The effect of binary solvents was shown to be due to the ability of alcohol components to cause brown coal to swell improving the availability of the fragments of coal matter for the reactive hydrogen donor tetralin molecules."
First, perhaps needless to say, Methanol, too, can be manufactured from coal. And, it can also, like Ethanol, but through a different process, be manufactured from biological raw materials, primarily cellulose.
And, note especially the statement: "Synergistic effects were observed when the mixtures of tetralin and methanol or ethanol were used for liquefaction and swelling."
Though not directly stated, we suspect the alcohols provide additional Hydrogen, beyond that supplied by the Tetralin, for the hydrogenation of the coal's carbon into liquid hydrocarbons.
In any case, the use of bio-derived alcohol both enhances the conversion of coal into liquid fuels and chemicals, and, provides a productive route for the recycling of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide.
It's about time we started taking advantage of this synergy to help supply our needs for energy, isn't it?
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We earlier told you of several patented technologies, wherein the patents were assigned, variously, to the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, and to defense contractor Grumman Aerospace, for the recycling of Carbon Dioxide, as arises from our coal-use industries, into liquid fuels.
Those patents are:
1. Process and System for producing synthetic liquid hydrocarbon fuels, Patent: US7420004;
2. Synfuel Production Ship, Patent: US4568522; and,
3. Production of synthetic hydrocarbons from air, water and low cost electrical power, Patent US4282187.
Herein, we introduce you to yet another technology held proprietary by the United States, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy; another technology that should be of great interest to all those of us who call, or want to call, land-locked West Virginia "Home".
We do make this submission with some caution, as we explain, following the Abstract:
"Coal liquefaction
United States Patent 4176040
Abstract:
A method for converting coal to liquid hydrocarbons or oil-soluble solids comprises the steps of contacting said coal with oxygen for at least 15 minutes, at a temperature from about 90° to about 225° C., heating the oxidized coal to a temperature from about 250° to about 450° C., and maintaining the temperature for at least 15 minutes.
Inventors:
Hazlett, Robert N. (Alexandria, VA)
Application Number:
05/903464
Publication Date:
11/27/1979
Filing Date:
05/08/1978
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy (Washington, DC)"
Regarding our note above, about caution: We point out that the Abstract's process description must, in some way, be incomplete. Simply "contacting ... coal with oxygen", for any amount of time, at any temperature, will not produce hydrocarbons; just, one would think, oxides of carbon.
However, the Patent Abstract, as reproduced above, is accurate according to multiple sources. There is something more to the process than is indicated.
And, "Robert N. Hazlett", of Alexandria, VA, is not, we have discovered, an inventor. He is, though, a patent attorney, as listed in several directories, and we thus presume he is acting solely on behalf of the United States Government.
The date of this patent is of interest. Another coal-to-liquid and synthetic fuel production technology that, for nearly three decades, could have helped our nation, and thus many of our US citizens, avoid impoverishment through enforced tithing to OPEC powers and through waging costly, overseas, oil-producing region conflicts, has been held proprietary, and thus gone unused, by the US Government department, the DOD, and her key contractors, whose primary purpose for existence should be to guard and promote our secure prosperity.
Throughout our American history, many technical innovations developed by and for our military have been passed along, with great benefit, to the public industries, and thus the private citizens, of the United States.
It's way past time that tradition was applied to the technologies our military has developed for converting coal into liquid fuels, and to those for recycling Carbon Dioxide.
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We have confirmed, via citation of multiple authoritative sources, that it is possible to utilize our abundant coal to manufacture the liquid fuels we need without adding to the environmental Carbon burden.
In fact, we have cited references wherein coal and botanicals conversion processes could be synergistically combined to provide a complete and integrated "system", wherein CO2 emissions could be, in essence, thoroughly "recycled", not only by the inclusion of biomass, but also by the direct capture of CO2, and it's subsequent conversion, through Sabatier or Carnol technology, back into valuable hydrocarbon compounds.
And, such a combined system could, as we have thoroughly documented, provide a productive channel through which organic, high-carbon wastes, such as scrapped auto tires, sawdust, used paper, crop residues and sewage sludge could be beneficially and productively disposed of.
Herein, we introduce you to Rakesh Agrawal, Purdue's Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering.
He, as we have previously documented to be feasible, promotes the use of environmental energy to effect the economical production of Hydrogen, from water, for the hydrogenation, into hydrocarbon fuel and chemical compounds, of abundant high-Carbon materials, such as coal and cellulose.
And, even better: Agrawal's process would itself emit no Carbon Dioxide, as some indirect coal and cellulose liquefaction processes might.
Some excerpts:
"(Agrawal reports) ' Power for the electrolysis would be provided by carbon-free energy sources, such as solar, wind or nuclear power. And, unlike conventional methods of producing liquid fuels from plant matter and coal, H2CAR would not emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The goal is to accomplish the complete transformation of every carbon atom in the feedstock to liquid fuel by supplementing the conversion process with hydrogen from a carbon-free energy source,' Agrawal said.
The process also offers potential advantages over producing liquid fuels from coal using conventional methods, which emit carbon dioxide. Because H2CAR would not emit this additional carbon dioxide, the process would eliminate the need for proposed carbon dioxide sequestering.
'The tremendous convenience provided by the existing infrastructure for delivering and storing today's fuels is a huge deterrent to introducing technologies that use only batteries or hydrogen alone,' Agrawal said. 'A major advantage of our process is that it would enable us to use the current infrastructure and internal combustion engine technology.' "
We'll emphasize one final point, which we have made before: As noted in the excerpt's final paragraph, converting coal and biomass into liquid fuels would vastly reduce the need for the hugely-expensive infrastructure and national vehicle fleet adaptations that would be necessary to accommodate more radical transportation concepts, such as electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. That, of course, is in addition to recycling and forestalling the emission of CO2; and, to keeping the all the miners and farmers represented on West Virginia's state seal gainfully employed
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First, the excerpt; with comment following:
"Title: Direct Production of Methane and Benzene from Coal
Authors: Pelofsky, A.L., Greene, M.I., Ladelfa, C.J.
Affiliation: Cities Service R&D Co., Cranbury, NJ
Publication: Energy Communications, vol. 3, no. 3, 1977, pp 253-272
Date: 1977
Abstract: Experimental data obtained when processing a North Dakota lignite in a bench-scale experimental system utilizing the Cities Service flash hydrogenation process for the production of hydrocarbons from coal are reported. Pulverized coal particles are heated rapidly with hot hydrogen. The hydrogenation reaction has a 50-900 millisecond residence time and occurs at commercially feasible reactor pressures (500-3000 PST). Volatile products are rapidly quenched to prevent decomposition. Carbon conversions of 80% have been obtained, with liquid yields of as high as 16%. The liquid product is essentially 94% pure benzene; the gas obtained is primarily methane and ethane."
In 1977, this New Jersey oil company demonstrated that low-grade coal, lignite, could be converted at a rate of 80% into gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons, very quickly - less than a second - and at "commercially feasible reactor pressures".
"Benzene", which was generated in a nearly pure form, though toxic, has applications as a raw material in plastics and other organic chemical synthesis.
By far the major part of the carbon in the lignite coal was converted into methane and ethane. Both are hydrocarbon gases which can be, through established processes, converted into their liquid alcohol counterparts, methanol and ethanol. Both of those alcohols - through known, and even commercialized, processes we have earlier reported to you, such as the"MTG", methanol-to-gasoline, Process owned by Exxon-Mobil - can be converted into gasoline.
And, interestingly, in 1977, Cities Service had a named process: the "Cities Service flash hydrogenation process for the production of hydrocarbons from coal" to convert coal into useful hydrocarbons.
In 1982, Cities Service, the developers of this coal conversion technology, were acquired by the oil giant, Occidental Petroleum. We thus need not wonder why we haven't heard of their "Flash Hydrogenation" process - yet another technology for converting abundant coal into needed fuels that is available; and, which could help the United States to achieve some level of domestic fuel self-sufficiency; thereby freeing herself of overseas drains on her economy, and costly, unwelcome military obligations to foreign regimes that are not, in the first place, all that friendly to her.
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