Tek-kol Partnership

National Institute of Clean and Low-carbon Energy (nice)

National Institute of Clean-and-low-carbon Energy

Maumee Research & Engineering, Incorporated

Shenhua Group Corporation Limited

Sgi International, Inc.

Tek-kol

Green Search, LLC

Dennis W Coolidge

Deane Avent Horne

Franklin G Rinker

Ronn G Smith

Ernest P Esztergar

Leslie C White

Timothy J Kuhn

James G Powers

Richard A Kindt

Kerry B Tausch

A method for upgrading coal and other carbonaceous fuels includes subjecting the carbonaceous fuel to a pyrolyzing process, thereby forming upgraded carbonaceous fuel and a flow of lean fuel gases. Auxiliary fuel is combusted in an auxiliary fuel combustor to produce auxiliary fuel combustion gases, and the lean fuel gases are heated with the auxiliary fuel combustion gases. The heated lean fuel gases are combusted in a lean fuel combustor, thereby producing a gas stream of products of combustion, and at least a portion of the gas stream of products of combustion are directed to the pyrolyzer.

Upgrading coal and other carbonaceous fuels using a lean fuel gas stream from a pyrolysis step

An apparatus and a method for dedusting coal or other material are described. The apparatus and method involve the coal or other material moving down a declined sliding bed composed of slats through which air or gas is blown to provide an air or gas cushion. Dust particles are lofted so as to separate dust from the material. Either or both of the dust and the resulting dedusted material can be collected.

Apparatus and method for coal dedusting

A method and apparatus for upgrading coal and other carbonaceous fuels includes subjecting the carbonaceous fuel to a pyrolyzing process, thereby forming upgraded carbonaceous fuel and a flow of lean fuel gases. Auxiliary fuel is combusted in an auxiliary fuel combustor to produce auxiliary fuel combustion gases, and the lean fuel gases are heated with the auxiliary fuel combustion gases. The heated lean fuel gases are combusted in a lean fuel combustor, thereby producing a gas stream of products of combustion, and at least a portion of the gas stream of products of combustion are directed to the pyrolyzer.

A method of treating untreated low calorific coal containing moisture and organic volatiles includes feeding untreated coal to a dryer, and drying the coal. The dried coal is subjected to a pyrolyzing step where oxygen-deficient gases are brought into contact with the coal, thereby lowering the volatile content of the coal and producing a stream of pyrolysis effluent gases. The pyrolysis effluent gases are subjected to a separation process to separate lean fuel gases from liquids and tars, wherein the separation process removes less than about 20 percent of the pyrolysis effluent gases as the liquids and tars, with the remainder being the lean fuel gases. The lean fuel gases are returned to the dryer combustor, the pyrolyzer combustor, or the pyrolyzer.

Coal processing to upgrade low rank coal having low oil content

A method of processing flue dust that contains one or more compounds from a first group of zinc, lead and cadmium compounds, and contains iron compounds, involves heating the flue dust to cause a substantial portion of one or more of the compounds of the first group to become gas-borne. A carbonaceous material is introduced to the remaining flue dust, and the flue dust/carbonaceous material mixture is heated to cause a substantial portion of the remaining compounds from the first group to become gas-borne while retaining a substantial portion of the iron in a non-gas-borne condition. The gas-borne compounds are separated from the non-gas-borne compounds.

Furnace flue dust processing method

A method and apparatus are provided to control the burning of a lean hydrocarbon containing gas stream under stable conditions using a combination of control logic and hardware. Temperature within the combustor is controlled by using a plurality of staging valves that adjust the amount of oxygen and auxiliary fuel supplied to the combustor burner. Oxygen level is controlled by using actuated butterfly valves that control the flow of primary air to the combustor. The system has pressure control valves for anticipating and compensating for pressure changes and resulting air flow changes as well as temperature monitors and transmitters for anticipating and correcting temperature drops.

Lean fuel combustion control method

A continuous process for treating coal to form stable coal char by passivating the coal and then rehydrating and cooling the product thereof to prevent spontaneous ignition. The process includes the steps of pyrolyzing the coal to vaporize and remove low end volatile materials and to mobilize high end volatile materials and cooling to demobilize the high end volatile materials within the at least partially collapsed micropores of the coal char to pyrolytically passivate the coal char and form a char having about 14-22 wt % high end volatiles. The pyrolytically passivated coal char is then conveyed to a reaction vessel wherein a process gas having about 3%-21% by volume oxygen flows through the reaction vessel to at least partially fluidize the coal char and oxidatively passivate the coal by chemisorption of oxygen. The passivated coal char is then substantially simultaneously rehydrated and cooled to form a stable coal char having about 5-10 wt % moisture.

Process for passivation of reactive coal char

A continuous process for treating a noncaking coal to form stable char. The process includes the sequential steps of drying the coal to remove moisture therefrom and form a dry coal; pyrolyzing the dry coal by progressively heating substantially all of the coal to a temperature sufficient to vaporize and remove low end volatile materials from the coal to form char and sufficient to mobilize at least a portion of high end volatile materials within the char and at least partially collapse micropores within the char. The char is then cooled to a temperature sufficient to demobilize the volatile materials within the at least partially collapsed micropores of the char to pyrolytically passivate the char. The char is then conveyed to a reaction vessel wherein a process gas having about 3%-21% by volume oxygen flows through the reaction vessel to oxidatively passivate the coal by chemisorption of oxygen. The oxidatively passivated char is then substantially simultaneously rehydrated and cooled to form a char having about 5-10 wt % moisture and then conveyed to a final passivation vessel wherein a process gas having about 3%-21% by volume oxygen flows through the vessel to finally passivate the rehydrated char by chemisorption of oxygen.

Process for treating noncaking coal to form passivated char

According to this invention there is provided a process and apparatus for the ignition of a pilot burner in an inert atmosphere without substantially contaminating the inert atmosphere. The process includes the steps of providing a controlled amount of combustion air for a predetermined interval of time to the combustor then substantially simultaneously providing a controlled mixture of fuel and air to the pilot burner and to a flame generator. The controlled mixture of fuel and air to the flame generator is then periodically energized to produce a secondary flame. With the secondary flame the controlled mixture of fuel and air to the pilot burner and the combustion air is ignited to produce a pilot burner flame. The pilot burner flame is then used to ignited a mixture of main fuel and combustion air to produce a main burner flame. The main burner flame then is used to ignite a mixture of process derived fuel and combustion air to produce products of combustion for use as an inert gas in a heat treatment process.

Growing community of inventors

Palm Coast, FL, United States of America

Dennis W Coolidge