Theoretical analysis of hydrogen solubility in direct coal liquefaction solvents

The cyclic hydrogenation technology in a direct coal liquefaction process relies on the dissolved hydrogen of the solvent or oil participating in the hydrogenation reaction.Thus,a theoretical basis for process optimization and reactor design can be established by analyzing the solubility of hydrogen in liquefaction solvents.Experimental studies of hydrogen solubility in liquefaction solvents are challenging due to harsh reaction conditions and complex solvent compositions.In this study,the composition and content of liquefied solvents were analyzed.As model compounds,hexadecane,toluene,naphthalene,tetrahydronaphthalene,and phenanthrene were chosen to represent the liquefied solvents in chain alkanes and monocyclic,bicyclic,and tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.The solubility of hydrogen X(mol/mol)in pure solvent components and mixed solvents(alkanes and aromatics mixed in proportion to the chain alkanes+bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,bicyclic saturated aromatic hydrocarbons+bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,and bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons+compounds containing het-eroatoms composed of mixed components)are determined using Aspen simulation at temperature and pressure conditions of 373–523 K and 2–10 MPa.The results demonstrated that at high temperatures and pressures,the solubility of hydrogen in the solvent increases with the increase in temperature and pressure,with the pressure having a greater impact.Further-more,the results revealed that hydrogen is more soluble in straight-chain alkanes than in other solvents,and the solubility of eicosanoids reaches a maximum of 0.296.The hydrogen solubility in aromatic ring compounds decreased gradually with an increase in the aromatic ring number.The influence of chain alkanes on the solubility of hydrogen predominates in a mixture of solvents with different mixing ratios of chain alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons.The solubility of hydrogen in mixed aromatic solvents is less than that in the corresponding single solvents.Hydrogen is less soluble in solvent compounds containing heteroatoms than in compounds without heteroatoms.

Direct transformation of fossil carbon into chemicals: A review

Despite the long tradition of fossil carbon(coal,char,and related carbon-based materials)for fueling mankind,the science of transforming them into chemicals is still demandingly progressing in the current energy scenario,especially when considering its responsibilities to the global climate change.Traditionally,there are four routes of preparing chemicals directly from fossil carbon,including hydrogasification,gasification,direct liquefaction,and oxidation,in the macroscope of gas-solid reaction(hydrogasification and gasification)and liquid-solid reaction(direct liquefaction and oxidation).When the study goes to microscale,the gas-solid reaction can be considered as the reaction between the severe condensed radicals and gas,while the liquid-solid reaction is the direct reaction between the radical and the activated-molecule.To have a full overview of the area,this review systematically summarizes the main factors in these processes and shows our own perspectives as follows,(ⅰ)stabilizing the free radicals generated from coal and then directly converting them has the highest efficiency in coal utilization;(ⅱ)the research on the self-catalytic process of coal structure will have a profound impact on the direct preparation of chemicals from fossil carbon.Further discussions are also proposed to guide the future study of the area into a more sustainable direction.

Research on the maceral characteristics of Shenhua coal and efficient and directional direct coal liquefaction technology

In this research,molecular structure models were developed respectively for Shenhua coal vitrinite concentrates(SDV)and inertinite concentrates(SDI),on the basis of information on constitutional unit of Shenhau coal and elemental analysis results obtained from^(13)C-NMR analysis characterization,FTIR analysis characterization,X-ray diffraction XRD and XPS analysis characterization.It can be observed from characterization data and molecular structure models that the structure of SDV and SDI is dominated by aromatic hydrocarbon,with aromaticity of SDI higher than that of SDV;SDV mainly consists of small molecule basic structure unit,while SDI is largely made from macromolecular structure unit.Based on bond-level parameters of the molecular model,the research found through the autoclave experiment that vitrinite liquefaction process goes under thermodynamics control and inertinite liquefaction process under dynamics control.The research developed an efficient directional direct coal liquefaction technology based on the maceral characteristics of Shenhua coal,which can effectively improve oil yield and lower gas yield.

The relationship between the microstructures and catalytic behaviors of iron–oxygen precursors during direct coal liquefaction

A series of both unsupported and coal‐supported iron–oxygen compounds with gradual changes in microstructure were synthesized by a precipitation‐oxidation process at 20 to 70°C.The relationship between the microstructures and catalytic activities of these precursors during direct coal liquefaction was studied.The results show that the microstructure could be controlled through adjusting the synthesis temperature during the precipitation‐oxidation procedure,and that compounds synthesized at lower temperatures exhibit higher catalytic activity.As a result of their higher proportions ofγ‐FeOOH orα‐FeOOH crystalline phases,the unsupported iron–oxygen compounds synthesized at 20–30°C,which also had high specific surface areas and moisture levels,generate oil yields 4.5%–4.6%higher than those obtained with precursors synthesized at 70°C.It was also determined that higher oil yields were obtained when the catalytically‐active phase formed by the precursors during liquefaction(pyrrhotite,Fe1-xS)had smaller crystallites.Feed coal added as a carrier was found to efficiently disperse the active precursors,which in turn significantly improved the catalytic activity during coal liquefaction.

Study on reaction characteristics of phenolic hydroxyl in coal by using the model compound during direct coal liquefaction

The reaction characteristics of phenolic hydroxyl group were studied under the conditions of direct coal liquefaction. 2-naphthol was used as a coal model compound in this study. Under the conditions of with and without catalysts, a series of experiments were conducted at different temperatures, pressures and reaction time. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography were used to identify and quantify the reactants and products respectively. The conversion of 2-naphthol rises with the increase of reaction temperature, initial pressure and catalyst amount. The results indicated that tem- perature had a significant effect on 2-naphthol conversion, which promoted the dehydroxylation reaction. However, initial pressure had an important influence on the hydrogenation of 2-naphthol and naphthalene. The iron catalyst plays a significant role of cracking instead of hydrogenation. It is concluded that the harsh reaction conditions of high temperature, high pressure, and more catalyst are conducive to promoting dehydroxylation of 2-naphthol. The reaction mechanism was put forward based the experimental results, in which 2-tetralone was an intermediate.

Determination of the gas compositions for direct coal liquefaction by gas chromatography

Via multi-dimensional gas chromatography, configured with parallel dual-channel, double detectors, valves switching and back flushing, rapid analysis of the gas compositions consisting of C1-C5 hydrocarbons and permanent gases, such as CO2, H2S, H2, and CO, for direct coal liquefaction has been realized. With four packed chromatographic columns, which are Hayesep-Q pre-column, Hayesep-Q column, molecular sieve 5A column and one PLOT A1203 S capillary column, the gas compositions for direct coal liquefaction are analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by the external standard method. The determination method has such advantages as excellent separation, simple operation, rapid analysis and accurate results.

Discharge characteristics of coal and extraction residue from direct coal liquefaction in partial fluidization silo

Gasification of extraction residue(ER) from direct coal liquefaction with pulverized coal is an efficient way for the utilization of carbonaceous wastes, which improve the overall efficiency of direct coal liquefaction technology. The discharge characteristics of ER mixing with pulverized coal is important paraments for its gasification process, which is seldom studied in the literature. In this study, the discharge characteristics of the pulverized coal(M1) as well as its mixture with ER(M2) were systematically investigated in an atmospheric pressure partial fluidization silo with different fluidization apparent velocity. It was observed that although M2 is a viscous powder with lower flowability than M1, the mass flow rate of M2 is 65% higher than M1 at the 3.7 mm·s-1apparent gas velocity. M2 exhibits the properties of Geldart A type powder, which improves the mass flow rate and stability of the discharged material. The mass flow rate of both M1 and M2 first increases and then slowly decreases with the increase of apparent gas velocity of the fluidizing air, which means the discharge process of M1 and M2 can be optimized by the apparent gas velocity.

Effects of Main Parameters on Rheological Properties of Oil-Coal Slurry

Oil-coal slurry prepared in coal direct liquefaction is a dispersed solid-liquid suspension system. In this paper, some factors such as solvent properties, solid concentrations and temperatures, which affect viscosity change of oil-coal slurry, were studied. The viscosity of coal slurry was measured using rotary viscometer, and the rheological properties have been investigated. The viscosity and rheological curves were plotted and regressed, respectively. The results show that the coal slurry behaves a pseudoplastic and thixotropic property. The rheological type of coal slurry was ascertained and its rheological equations were educed. The oil-coal slurry changes to non-Newtonian fluid from Newtonian fluid with the increasing of solid concentration.

The composition analysis of coal-derived light oil

The composition of coal-derived light oil (IBP-220℃) was separated into 5 fractions by atmospheric distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spec- trometry (GC/MS).The light oil was made at 0.1 t/d coal direct liquefaction bench scale unit (BSU) at China Coal Research Institute (CCRI).Six groups of organics,including acyclic hydrocarbon,alicyclic hydrocarbon,aromatics,phenols,polynuclear aromatics and heterocyclics,were found and 80 compounds were tentatively identified in total.Alicyclic hydrocarbon is the main component of the light oil compared to other groups whether in relative mass percentage or the number of compounds in group.The predominant oxy- gen-contained compound is phenols,and the nitrogen-containing compound is pyridine. No sulfur-containing compound is detected.

Rheological behavior of Shengli coal-solvent slurry at low-temperatures and atmospheric pressure

We report the results from systematic studies of Shengli lignite coal-solvent slurries. Solvent type, temperature, coal to solvent ratio, particle granularity, shear rate and shear time were investigated. The viscosity of the solvents is time independent. However, the slurries are thixotropic. A change from pseudo-plastic to Newtonian behavior occurs as the temperature, or as the solvent to coal ratio, increases. The solvent used in the slurry affects the point at which the rheology changes from pseudo-plastic to Newtonian. The REC slurry changes at 1:1.2 coal to solvent ratio and at 40 °C. The HAR slurry changes at a 1:1.5 ratio and at 60 °C. The rheology of the slurries is pseudo-plastic at low shear rates but Newtonian at high shear rates.

Regulation of radicals by hydrogen-donor solvent in direct coal liquefaction

Radicals are important intermediates in direct coal liquefaction.Certain radicals can cause the cleavage of chemical bonds.At high temperatures,radical fragments can be produced by the splitting of large organic molecules,which can break strong chemical bonds through the induction pyrolysis of radicals.The reaction between the formation and annihilation of coal radical fragments and the effect of hydrogen-donor solvents on the radical fragments are discussed in lignite hydrogenolysis.Using the hydroxyl and ether bonds as indicators,the effects of different radicals on the cleavage of chemical bond were investigated employing density functional theory calculations and lignite hydrogenolysis experiments.Results showed that the adjustment of the coal radical fragments could be made by the addition of hydrogendonor solvents.Results showed that the transition from coal radical fragment to H radical leads to the variation of product distribution.The synergistic mechanism of hydrogen supply and hydrogenolysis of hydrogen-donor solvent was proposed.

Micro Morphology of Soot Particles Sampled from High Pressure Jet Flames of Diesel from Direct Coal Liquefaction

Diesel from direct coal liquefaction(DDCL) is a new type of engine alternative energy. But its hydrocarbon composition and physicochemical properties are quite different from those of Petro diesel. In this study, a premixed constant volume combustion chamber(CVCC) system with soot particle sampling devices was built. The soot particles in the spray flame were sampled and photographed by thermophoresis probe and transmission electron microscope(TEM). An automatic processing code based on Matlab software was developed to process the TEM images and extract the micro morphology parameters of the soot particles. This study has systematically studied the effects of sampling location, injection pressure, ambient density and oxygen concentration on the micro morphology of soot particles. The ambient density refers to the initial gas density in the CVCC. The results showed that various morphologies and sizes of soot particles coexisted in the upstream of the spray flame. During the evolution of soot particles from upstream to downstream in the flame, the size of soot aggregates gradually decreased, while the maturity of soot aggregates increased. With the increase of injection pressure, ambient density and oxygen concentration, the average sizes of soot aggregates and primary soot particles decreased, but the fractal dimensions of soot aggregates increased gradually. Under the same combustion condition and in-flame sampling location, the average projection area, gyration radius and primary soot diameter of soot aggregates produced by DDCL were significantly lower than those of Petro diesel. The structure of soot particles from DDCL was more compact than that of Petro diesel.

Study on the corrosion of refractory materials by coal blended with the extraction residue of direct coal liquefaction in a simulated gasification atmosphere

Utilizing the extraction residue(ER)of direct coal liquefaction residue as a gasification feedstock has significant economic value.But the characteristic of high ash and iron in the ER would increase the risk of corrosion of the refractory materials and affect the long-term operation of the gasifier.In this work,corrosion experiments of molten slag derived from a mixture of 20 wt%ER and 80 wt%coal on a high-chromia refractory brick and SiC brick were carried out using a rotary-drum furnace in a simulated gasification atmosphere.The experimental results show that the viscosity of the poured slag is larger as compared to the initial ash sample at the same temperature,which suggests that the viscosity-temperature relationship of the poured slag should be used as the reference for the operation temperature of the gasifier to ensure that the slag can flow during operation.For a high-chromia refractory brick,iron oxides in molten slag could react with Cr_(2)O_(3) in the refractory matrix but,because the aggregate was not found to be damaged,the damage to the matrix structure was the key factor for causing the corrosion of the high-chromia refractory brick.Metallic iron was observed in the exposed SiC brick,which indicated that the reaction between the iron oxides in the slag and SiC occurred,forming metallic iron and SiO_(2).The corrosion of a SiC brick by molten slag depended mainly on the dissolution of Al_(2)O_(3) particles and the reaction between iron oxides in the molten slag and SiC particles.Therefore,the high iron content in coal ash had a serious influence on the corrosion of refractory materials.More efforts need to be made on coal blended with ER as a gasification feedstock in the future.

Development on test equipment of coal slurry mixing tank

A coal slurry mixing tank is a key piece of equipment in the preparation of coal slurry for direct coal liquefaction.It is a gas-liquid-solid three-phase mixing device.Based on the performance of the existing coal slurry mixing equipment,a type of test equipment for horizontal continuous coal slurry preparation was developed,but to this point has limited research results.The test equipment consists of a mixing cylinder,mixer,stirring impeller and other components.Slurry mixing experiments were undertaken using the prototype,testing the performance of the device.A mathematical model was proposed specifically for the operation of a coal slurry mixing tank that is horizontally operated with high slurry concentration and rotary flow.The flow field in the horizontal coal mixing tank was simulated with the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method.The experimental results match well with the CFD simulation results.Results show that the test device of a coal slurry mixing tank can be used to model the mixing of pulverized coal and the solvent oil.A strong correlation was obtained.