Production of hot, saturated fuel gas
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorShiro G. Kimura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clean, cool stream of low BTU gas is heated and saturated with water vapor by means of a hot liquid stream containing water. Contamination of the gas stream by droplets, particulate matter and salt content of the liquid stream is obviated by maintaining separation between the gas and liquid phases by means of a microporous barrier. The barrier is made of a material selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic polymer material and hydrophilic polymer material having a gel structure.
Claims11
In apparatus for the production of a low BTU fuel gas stream comprising in combination a coal gasifier and, thereafter in sequential flow communication therewith, means for adding water to the product gas stream from said coal gasifier to reduce the temperature thereof;
- heat exchange means for further reducing the temperature of said product gas stream sufficient to condense water therefrom;
- means for reducing the hydrogen sulfide and ammonia content of said product stream;
- and means for reheating said product stream and increasing the water vapor content thereof by means of a hot liquid, the improvement in which the means for reheating the product stream and increasing water vapor content thereof comprises in combination:
- an enclosure;
- means disposed in said enclosure for defining two separate flow volumes therein;
- means connected to said enclosure for admitting a first fluid flow into one of said flow volumes;
- means connected to said enclosure for removing first fluid flow from said one flow volume;
- means connected to said enclosure for admitting a second fluid flow into the other of said flow volumes;
- and
- means connected to said enclosure for removing second fluid flow from said other flow volume;
- said defining means being formed at least in part as a microporous barrier;
- said microporous barrier being made of a material selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic polymer material and hydrophilic polymer material having a gel structure.
In the method of producing a low BTU fuel gas stream comprising the steps of gasifying coal;
- adding water to the product gas stream so produced, thereby reducing the temperature thereof;
- further reducing the temperature of said product gas stream sufficient to condense most of the water vapor contained therein;
- separating the condensate so produced from said product gas stream;
- reheating said condensate;
- removing hydrogen sulfide and ammonia from said product gas stream, and employing said heated condensate to reheat said product gas stream and increase the water vapor content thereof, the improvement comprising:
- reheating and increasing the water content of said product gas stream by bringing said heated condensate into contact with one side of a microporous barrier and bringing said product gas stream into contact with the opposite side of said microporous barrier, said microporous barrier being made of material selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic polymer material and hydrophilic polymer material having a gel structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.