Process for treating coal by removing volatile components
AssigneeC2O Technologies, LLC
InventorFranklin G. Rinker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for treating coal includes introducing coal into a chamber and passing an oxygen deficient sweep gas into contact with the coal, the sweep gas being at a higher temperature than the temperature of the coal so that heat is supplied to the coal. The process further includes providing additional heat to the coal indirectly by heating the chamber, wherein the heating of the coal by the sweep gas and by the indirect heating from the chamber causes condensable volatile components to be released into the sweep gas. The proportion of heat supplied to the coal by the sweep gas is less than 40% of the total heat supplied to the coal. The sweep gas is then removed from the chamber and treated to remove condensable components of the coal.
Claims36
A process for treating coal, comprising:
- heating coal in a chamber by (a) direct heat provided by an oxygen-deficient sweep gas flowed through the chamber and brought into contact with the coal, and (b) by indirect heat applied externally to the chamber, said heating of the coal being sufficient to cause volatile components of coal to be released into the sweep gas, the volatile components including condensable hydrocarbons,
- selecting a ratio of direct heat and indirect heat applied to the coal to increase the proportion of condensable hydrocarbons in the sweep gas to 15% or more;
- and
- treating the sweep gas to recover condensable hydrocarbons of the coal,
- wherein coal is continuously supplied into one supply end of a chamber and removed from another discharge end of the chamber, and the sweep gas is continuously supplied into the same supply end of the chamber and removed from the discharge end of the chamber in co-current flow;
- and
- wherein the log mean temperature differential between the sweep gas and the coal from the supply end to the discharge end is from about 300° F. to about 400° F.
A process for treating coal, comprising:
- heating coal in a chamber by (a) direct heat provided by an oxygen-deficient sweep gas flowed through the chamber and brought into contact with the coal, and (b) by indirect heat applied externally to the chamber, said heating of the coal being sufficient to cause volatile components of coal to be released into the sweep gas, the volatile components including condensable hydrocarbons,
- selecting a ratio of direct heat and indirect heat applied to the coal to increase the proportion of condensable hydrocarbons in the sweep gas to 15% or more;
- and
- treating the sweep gas to recover condensable hydrocarbons of the coal,
- wherein coal is continuously supplied into one supply end of a chamber and removed from another discharge end of the chamber, and the sweep gas is continuously supplied into the same supply end of the chamber and removed from the discharge end of the chamber in co-current flow;
- and
- wherein the temperature differential between the sweep gas and the coal at the discharge end of the chamber is from about 100° F. to about 200° F.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.