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June 22, 2009

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June 22, 2009

Comparative Analysis of Costs of Alternative Coal Liquefaction Processes - Energy & Fuels (ACS Publications) 
 

We have previously documented West Virginia University's participation in China's ambitious plans to establish a major industry based on the conversion of coal into liquid fuels and chemicals.
 
WVU and the Chinese principals have not neglected the economics of the coal conversion industry, as they have worked on refining the technology to effectively and efficiently accomplish the transmutation.
 
As evidence that the conversion of coal into liquid fuels has the true potential to be commercially viable, we present the enclosed article, published jointly by WVU and Shenua, a Chinese coal mining corporation heavily involved in China's coal-to-liquid conversion industry.
 
An excerpt:
 
"Comparative Analysis of Costs of Alternative Coal Liquefaction Processes
 
Qingyun Sun* and Jerald J. Fletcher
Natural Resource Analysis Center, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6108, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506
Yuzhuo Zhang and Xiangkun Ren
Shenhua Group Corporation, Shenhua Tower, 22 Xibinhelu, Andingmen, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100011, China
Abstract
As the cost of production is a key determinant of long-term viability, developing methods that reduce the cost of direct coal liquefaction has posed a challenge to scientists and industrial organizations worldwide. This paper summarizes recent developments in technology and processes and explores the overall economic competitiveness of direct coal liquefaction using the China Shenhua Group Corp. (Shenhua) project as a case study. A comparative analysis of the costs and economic competitiveness of the Shenhua approach and a variety of conceptual designs outlined in U.S. studies is presented. The comparison shows that the economic competitiveness of direct coal liquefaction is dependent on production costs that consist primarily of raw material, operation and management, and capital costs. Capital cost is shown to be a primary determinant of the cost of production. The relative competitiveness of the plant and supporting facilities depends heavily on the economic alternatives relevant to a particular plant site. Initial results indicate that the Shenhua direct coal liquefaction plant is relatively competitive given the cost allocation assumptions made. Long-term financial markets as well as safety and environmental factors are all issues that may affect the analysis and ultimate conclusions."

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June 22, 2009

Co-liquefaction of Micro Algae with Coal Using Coal Liquefaction Catalysts - Energy & Fuels (ACS Publications)    

We have presented evidence that algae can, on a commercial basis, be used to "clean up" the Carbon Dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants and coal-to-liquid fuel facilities, and that the algal biomass could then be used as an additional raw material for the liquid fuel conversion process.   In further support of that contention, we present this research, from Japan, where, we would remind you, they were converting coal into liquid fuels, in the 1940's, at Kobe, to support their war efforts.   The excerpt:   "Co-liquefaction of Micro Algae with Coal Using Coal Liquefaction Catalysts   Na-oki Ikenaga, Chiyo Ueda, Takao Matsui, Munetaka Ohtsuki, and Toshimitsu Suzuki* Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kansai University, Suita, Osaka 564-8680, Japan  

Abstract

Co-liquefaction of micro algae (Chlorella, Spirulina, and Littorale) with coal (Australian Yallourn brown coal and Illinois No. 6 coal) was carried out under pressurized H2 in 1-methylnaphthalene at 350-400 °C for 60 min with various catalysts. Co-liquefaction of Chlorella with Yallourn coal was successfully achieved with excess sulfur to iron (S/Fe = 4), where sufficient amount of Fe1-xS, which is believed to be the active species in the coal liquefaction, was produced. The conversion and the yield of the hexane-soluble fraction were close to the values calculated from the additivity of the product yields of the respective homo-reactions. In the reaction with a one-to-one mixture of Chlorella and Yallourn coal, 99.8% of conversion and 65.5% of hexane-soluble fraction were obtained at 400 °C with Fe(CO)5 at S/Fe = 4. When Littorale and Spirulina were used as micro algae, a similar tendency was observed with the iron catalyst. On the other hand, in the co-liquefaction with Illinois No. 6 coal, which is known to contain a large amount of sulfur in the form of catalytically active pyrite, the oil yield in the co-liquefaction was close to the additivity of the respective reaction with Fe(CO)5-S, even at S/Fe = 2. Ru3(CO)12 was also effective for the co-liquefaction of micro algae with coal."

Note that the use of algae as a co-feed for coal-to-liquid conversion factories would not only provide a way through which Carbon Dioxide emissions could be profitably dealt with, it might also help to resolve some other pollutant issues as well.

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June 22, 2009