Effect of slag composition on corrosion resistance of high chromia refractory bricks for industrial entrained-flow gasifier

The slag composition corresponding to different coals varies significantly,which directly affects the operation of industrial entrained-flow gasifier and the service life of refractory bricks.In this study,the corrosion resistance of several typical coal slags for gasification on high chromia refractory bricks was comparatively investigated by static laboratory crucible tests and thermodynamic simulations.The results demonstrated that the corrosion degree of high chromia refractory bricks by different coal slags was high-Ca/Na slag>high-Fe slag>high-Si/Al slag.The surface structure of the refractory was relatively flat after corrosion by high-Si/Al slag,and the primary corrosion reaction was the partial dissolution of the matrix by the slag.High-Fe slag was prone to the precipitation of iron phases as well as the formation of(Mg,Fe)(Al,Cr)_(2)O_(4)composite spinel layer at the slag/refractory interface.The high-Ca/Na slag was susceptible to react with the refractory to yield a low melting point phase,which led to the destruction of the matrix structure of the refractory and an isolated distribution of particles.In addition,the monoclinic ZrO_(2) in the refractory reacted with CaO in the slag to formed calcium zirconate,which loosened its phase toughening effect,was the primary factor that aggravated the refractory corrosion.

Study for entrained-flow gasifier modeling and measurement

The syngas composition change during the measurement process was analyzed using a detailed gas phase reaction mechanism.Results showed that the measurement error induced by the temperature and pressure change in the measurement process cannot be ignored.Based on the results,suggestions were proposed for syngas concentration measurement and temperature measurement.

CPFD simulation on particle behaviour in an entrained-flow gasifier

A computational particle fluid dynamics simulation model for entrained-flow gasification was established in this study.The simulation results agree with the experimental data.The detailed particle information and residence-time distribution were obtained by injecting particle tracers in the simulation.The results show that the particles in the gasifier can be classified into three flowing zones,i.e.a fast-flowing zone,a recirculation zone and a spreading zone.The criterion for this classification was also provided.The rapid gas expansion caused by the fast reactions plays a significant role in forming the particle stream into these three zones.It accelerates the particles in the centre of the gasifier while pushing the particles near the expansion edge into the gas recirculation.Also,the concentrated oxygen distribution in the gasifier results in the formation of high-and low-temperature regions.The particles in the fast-flowing zone flow directly through the high-temperature region and most of these particles in this zone were fully reacted with a short residence time.Since particles in the recirculation zone are in a relatively low-temperature region,most of these particles are not fully gasified,although with a long residence time.The rest of particles in the spreading zone show moderate properties between the above two zones.

Comparison of Combustion Characteristics of Tars Produced with Tobacco Stem Biomass Gasification

In order to study the combustion characteristics of tar in biomass gasifier inner wall and gasification gas,“tobacco stem semi-tar inside furnace”,“tobacco stem tar inside furnace”and“tobacco stem tar out-of-furnace”were subjected to thermogravimetric experiments,and the combustion characteristics and kinetic characteristics were analyzed.The result shows that“tobacco stem semi-tar inside furnace”has the highest value and“tobacco stem tar out-of-furnace”is has the lowest value on ignition characteristics,combustion characteristics and combustible stability;“tobacco stem semi-tar inside furnace”has the lowest value and“tobacco stem tar outside furnace”has the highest value on burnout characteristics;“tobacco stem tar outside furnace”has the highest value and“tobacco stem tar inside furnace”has the lowest value on integrated combustion characteristics.

Implementation of a Demoisturization and Devolatilization Model in Multi-Phase Simulation of a Hybrid Entrained-Flow and Fluidized Bed Mild Gasifier

A mild gasification process has been implemented to provide an alternative form of clean coal technology called the Integrated Mild Gasification Combined Cycle (IMGCC), which can be utilized to build a new, highly efficient, and compact power plant or to retrofit an existing coal-fired power plant in order to achieve lower emissions and significantly improved thermal efficiency. The core technology of the mild gasification power plant lies on the design of a compact and effective mild gasifier that can produce synthesis gases with high energy volatiles through a hybrid system: utilizing the features of both entrained-flow and fluidized bed gasifiers. To aid in the design of the mild gasifier, a computational model has been implemented to investigate the thermal-flow and gasification process inside this mild gasifier using the commercial CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) solver ANSYS/FLUENT. The Eulerian-Eulerian method is employed to model both the primary phase (air) and the secondary phase (coal particles). However, the Eulerian-Eulerian model used in the software does not facilitate any built-in devolatilization model. The objective of this study is therefore to implement a devolatilization model (along with demoisturization) and incorporate it into the existing code. The Navier-Stokes equations and seven species transport equations are solved with three heterogeneous (gas-solid) and two homogeneous (gas-gas) global gasification reactions. Implementation of the complete model starts from adding demoisturization first, then devolatilization, and then adding one chemical equation at a time until finally all reactions are included in the multiphase flow. The result shows that the demoisturization and devolatilization models are successfully incorporated and a large amount of volatiles are preserved as high-energy fuels in the syngas stream without being further cracked or reacted into lighter gases. The overall results are encouraging but require future experimental data for verification.

Employment of Two-Stage Oxygen Feeding to Control Temperature in a Downdraft Entrained-Flow Coal Gasifier

The traditional practice of employing a two-stage coal-fed gasification process is to feed all of the oxygen to provide a vigorous amount of combustion in the first stage but only feed the coal without oxygen in the second stage to allow the endothermic gasification process to occur downstream of the second stage. One of the merits of this 2-stage practice is to keep the gasifier temperature low downstream from the 2nd stage. This helps to extend the life of refractory bricks, decrease gasifier shut-down frequency for scheduled maintenance, and reduce the maintenance costs. In this traditional 2-stage practice, the temperature reduction in the second stage is achieved at the expense of a higher than normal temperature in the first stage. This study investigates a concept totally opposite to the traditional two-stage coal feeding practices in which the injected oxygen is split between the two stages, while all the coal is fed into the first stage. The hypothesis of this two-stage oxygen injection is that a distributed oxygen injection scheme can also distribute the release of heat to a larger gasifier volume and, thus, reduce the peak temperature distribution in the gasifier. The increased life expectancy and reduced maintenance of the refractory bricks can prevail in the entire gasifier and not just downstream from the second stage. In this study, both experiments and computational simulations have been performed to verify the hypothesis. A series of experiments conducted at 2.5 - 3.0 bars shows that the peak temperature and temperature range in the gasifier do decrease from 600?C - 1550?C with one stage oxygen injection to 950?C - 1230?C with a 60 - 40 oxygen split-injection. The CFD results conducted at 2.5 bars show that 1) the carbon conversion ratio for different oxygen injection schemes are all above 95%;2) H2 (about 70% vol.) dominates the syngas composition at the exit;3) the 80% - 20% case yields the lowest peak temperature and the most uniform temperature distribution along the gasifier;and 4) the 40% - 60% case produces the syngas with the highest HHV. Both experimental data and CFD predictions verify the hypothesis that it is feasible to reduce the peak temperature and achieve more uniform temperature in the gasifier by adequately controlling a two-stage oxygen injection with only minor changes of the composition and heating value of the syngas.

CFD simulation on the gasification of asphalt water slurry in an entrained flow gasifier

Gasification technology is suggested to utilize asphalt particles, which are produced in the heavy oil deep separation process of using coupled low temperature separation of solvent and post extraction residue. In this work, the asphalt particles were first slurried with water and then gasified to produce synthesis gas. The gasification process of asphalt water slurry in an entrained flow gasifier was simulated using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics （CFD） model based on an Eulerian- Lagrangian method. The trajectories and residence time of asphalt particles, and the reaction rates, gas species distribution, temperature field and carbon conversion in the entrained flow gasifier were obtained. The predicted results indicated that the asphalt water slurry was a good feedstock for gasification. Moreover, the effects of particle size, oxygen equivalence ratio, and mass content of asphalt particles on the gasification performance of asphalt water slurry were investigated. These results are helpful for industrial application of asphalt water slurry gasification technology.

Three Stage Equilibrium Model for Coal Gasification in Entrained Flow Gasifiers Based on Aspen Plus

A three stage equilibrium model is developed for coal gasification in the Texaco type coal gasifiersbased on Aspen Plus to calculate the composition of product gas, carbon conversion, and gasification teml^erature. The model is divided into three stages including pyrolysis and combustion stage, char gas reaction stage, and gas p.hase reaction stage. Part of the water produced in thepyrolysis and combust!on stag.e is assumed to be involved inthe second stage to react with the unburned carbon. Carbon conversion is then estimated in the second stage by steam participation ratio expressed as a function of temperature. And the gas product compositions are calculated from gas phase reactions in the third stage. The simulation results are consistent with published experimental data.

Assessment of coal gasification in a pressurized fixed bed gasifier using an ASPEN plus and Euler–Euler model

With the help of Aspen Plus,a two-dimensional unsteady CFD model is developed to simulate the coal gasification process in a fixed bed gasifier.A developed and validated two dimensional CFD model for coal gasification has been used to predict and assess the viability of the syngas generation from coal gasification employing the updraft fixed bed gasifier.The process rate model and the sub-model of gas generation are determined.The particle size variation and char burning during gasification are also taken into account.In order to verify the model and increase the understanding of gasification characteristics,a set of experiments and numerical comparisons have been carried out.The simulated results in the bed are used to predict the composition of syngas and the conversion of carbon.The model proposed in this paper is a promising tool for simulating the coal gasification process in a fixed bed gasifier.

Variation of toxic pollutants emission during a feeding cycle from an updraft fixed bed gasifier for disposing rural solid waste

The variation of toxic pollutants emission during a feeding cycle was examined by field monitoring from a batch feeding updraft fixed bed gasifier for disposing rural domestic solid waste. Results showed that the content of oxygen in flue gas gradually increased, while SO_2 and HCl in flue gas decreased with time after feeding in a whole feeding cycle. Although large amount of CO was produced during the gasifying, low CO content in flue gas could be obtained after the heat treatment with an electric heating device. The distribution characteristics of dioxin congeners in flue gas indicted the re-synthesis of dioxins after flue gas heating, and the increase of oxygen promoted the synthesis of dioxins. The emission content of dioxins could meet the standard(0.1 ng I-TEQ·m^(-3),GB18458-2014) of China when the oxygen content was controlled below 8.3%. Hence, for a batch feeding gasifier,low oxygen condition should be offered by reducing air intake at the later stage of feeding cycle in order to decrease the re-synthesis of dioxins after the flue gas heating.

Damage Mechanism of High Chrome Bricks for Opposed Multi Nozzle Gasifier and Their Improvement

To reveal the damage mechanism of high chrome bricks for opposed multi nozzle gasifier with expanded diameter,the chemical composition and the morphology of a used high chrome brick were researched using XRF,SEM and EDS,and the properties of the high chrome bricks were improved by adding ultra fine alumina,alumina-chrome-iron oxide synthetic material with spinel structure,and chromium metal.The results show that(1)the high chrome brick is seriously damaged by the chemical dissolution of chrome as well as the chemical reactions at the slag/brick interface,the slag penetration and the structural spalling;(2)FeO in the slag reacts with Cr_(2)O_(3)in the brick to form a FeCr_(2)O_(4)layer on the particle surface thus leading to spalling;CaO reacts with SiO_(2)and Al2O3 in the brick forming a metamorphic layer of low melting point materials;due to the different thermal expansion coefficients of the metamorphic layer and the original brick,cracks appear and continue to expand and deepen under multiple temperature and pressure fluctuations thus leading to spalling of brick layer;(3)the improved brick has decreased apparent porosity,increased bulk density and compressive strength,and better thermal shock resistance compared with the original brick;after one cycle of on-site application,the furnace lining surface is smooth and flat with little damage,indicating that the improved high chrome bricks basically meet the working condition requirements of the opposed multi nozzle gasifier with expanded diameter,however,the final effects need to be evaluated in detail after the whole furnace service.

Life Cycle Cost of Electricity Generation from Biomass Gasifier

India is having more than 500,000 villages of which about 85% have been electrified. But as per RGGVY （Rejiv Gandhi Grammen Vidyutikaran Yojana）, the rate of village electrification is much lower as household connectivity has been fairly low. The rest 15% villages and a larger proportion of households have to be electrified. Villages have been a major concern as cost of electrification is fairly high. The most favored alternative to any kind of users is generation of electricity from diesel generating sets and renewable sources of energy. But the capital cost of renewable energy equipments is fairly high. Gradually, there is a reduction in the prices of these systems due to availability of better technological options and they are becoming competitive to grid electricity. In this paper, an attempt has been made to calculate the cost of production of electricity from stand-alone, off-grid devices biomass gasifiers （both dual fuel and pure gas type） and compare with that of diesel generating sets by using the concept of LCC （life cycle costing） and Homer software. It is found that the cost of per unit electricity generation （kWh） has been always the lowest in comparison to diesel generating sets even if the price of biomass increases to some extent.

Design and Development of a Laboratory Scale Biomass Gasifier

A laboratory scale downdraft biomass gasifier was designed to deliver a mechanical power of 4 kW and thermal power of about 15 kW. The gasifier was manufactured as a single piece having a water seal and cover. The gasifier was tested in natural downdraft and forced downdraft mode. Ignition of the fuel beneath the grate, during natural downdraft mode, using wood shavings as fuel, produced gas which burned with a blue flame for 15 minutes. Ignition at the throat, using either palm kernel shells or wood shavings, during the natural downdraft mode, the gasifier did not produce syngas. During the forced downdraft mode, fuel was ignited at the throat. Gasification was successful with the palm kernel shells, during forced downdraft, which produced gas which burned steadily with luminous flame for 15 minutes per kilogram of biomass fed. However, wood shavings experienced some bridging problems during the forced downdraft mode of operation. The fuel conversion rate of the gasifier, when using palm kernel shells as fuel in forced downdraft mode, was 4 kg/h. Forced downdraft mode of operation yielded better results and is the preferred operation of the gasifier.

Syngas cleaning with nano-structured micro-porous ion exchange polymers in biomass gasification using a novel downdraft gasifier

Sulphonated nano-structured micro-porous ion exchange polymers, known as sulphonated PolyHIPE Polymers （s-PHPs） were used in syngas cleaning to investigate their impact on tar composition, concentration and dew point depression during the gasification of fuel cane bagasse as a model biomass. The results showed that the s-PHPs used as a secondary syngas treatment system, was highly effective at adsorbing and reducing the concentration of all class of tars in syngas by 95%-80% which resulted in tar dew point depression from 90 ~C to 73 ~C. It was shown that tars underwent chemical reactions within s-PHPs, indicating that tar diffusion from syngas was driven by chemical potential. It was also observed that s-PHPs also captured ash forming elements from syngas. The use of s-PHPs in gasification as well as in an integrated thermochemical biorefinery technology is discussed since the tar loaded s-PHPs can be used as natural herbicides in the form of soil additives to enhance the biomass growth and crop yield.

Refractories Utilizability for Slagging Gasifiers

Slagging coal gasification process became a highlight of coal chemical industry in China during the last decade. Refractory lining＇ s life of slagging gasifiers is one of the most critical factors for a cost - effective operation. The paper introduces current status of coal gasification in China, lining structure of slagging gasifiers and performance of refractory lining. It also summarizes the major factors impacting on refractory wear in slagging coal gasifiers in four Chinese chemical plants, based on ten years of industrial experience. The utilizability is discussed in terms of cost -effectiveness of high chromia refractories and possibility of the alternatives.

Study on Microstructure and Slag Corrosion Mechanism of High Chrome Bricks for Gasifier

Research was focused on slag corrosion mechanism of high chrome bricks used for different types of gasifier by comparing the structure of high chrome bricks for petroleum coke gasifier and water-coal slurry gasifier with slag corroded testing brick and water coal slurry gasifier through Scanning Electron Microscope （SEM） examination and X-ray diffi＇action. Results show that for high chrome brick used for petroleum coke gasifier, corrosion is mainly caused by Cr2O3 in the brick and V2O5 in molten slag and liquid phase generation at low temperature; for high chrome brick used for water-coal slurry gasifier, corrosion is caused by dissolution of Cr2O3 in molten slag and corrosion of ZrO2. For LIRR-HK95 brick, it performs better petroleum coke corrosion resistance than the others due to the optimal composition and structure.

STUDY ON THE VARIATION MECHANISM OF CARBON CONTENT OF LIQUID IRON IN MELTING GASIFIER

This paper studied the changing principles of carbon content in direct reduction iron (DRI) and liquid iron in the COREX melting gasifier. Under the normal working conditions of experimental equipment, liquid nitrogen was poured into the melting gasifier from its tuyere to cool down quickly. And then seven cross sections were made to study the carburization reaction and its characteristics of the solid iron and the liquid iron, and also the reaction of carbon between the slag and the metal. According to the results, the influences of the thickness of the semi-coke layer and the temperature on the carbon content of liquid iron in the COREX melting gasifier were confirmed.

Discussion on Wear Mechanism of High Chrome Brick Used in Coal Slurry Gasifier

The microstructure and phase composition of high chrome brick used in coal slurry gasifier has been analyzed by means of SEM and Energy Spectrum. The results indicate that the used brick can be divided into different zones as slag-adhered zone, reaction zone, penetration zone and unaltered zone. The phase composition and microstructure are different and cracks occurred in different degree at these zones. A dense ring belt was formed with complex spinel (Mg,Fe)(Cr,Al,Fe 2O 4) in the reaction zone near the hot face. The wear mechanism of the brick during its employment has been discussed. It is considered that the reaction and penetration of coal slag and strong reductant bring about the composition change of the brick and destroys its original network inlayed structure and consequently result in its structure spalling and weakening strength, which is the main wear mechanism of the brick and followed by temperature fluctuation and high mechanical impact of flowing fluid with high-speed.

Analysis and Design Innovation on Underground Gasifier for Medium-Deep Coal Seam

Over the past 80 years,dozens of underground coal gasification(UCG)mine field tests have been carried out around the world.However,in the early days,only a small number of shallow UCG projects in the former Soviet Union achieved commercialised production.In this century,a few pilot projects in Australia also achieved short-term small-scale commercialised production using modern UCG technology.However,the commercialisation of UCG,especially medium-deep UCG projects with good development prospects but difficult underground engineering conditions,has not progressed smoothly around the world.Considering investment economy,a single gasifier must realise a high daily output and accumulated output,as well as hold a long gasification tunnel to control a large number of coal resources.However,a long gasification tunnel can easily be affected by blockages and failure,for which the remedial solutions are difficult and expensive,which greatly restricts the investment economy.The design of the underground gasifier determines the success or failure of UCG projects,and it also requires the related petroleum engineering technology.Combining the advantages of the linear horizontal well(L-CRIP)and parallel horizontal well(P-CRIP),this paper proposes a new design scheme for an“inclined ladder”underground gasifier.That is to say,the combination of the main shaft of paired P-CRIP and multiple branch horizontal well gasification tunnels is adopted to realise the control of a large number of coal resources in a single gasifier.The completion of the main shaft by well cementation is beneficial for maintaining the integrity of the main shaft and the stability of the main structure.The branch horizontal well is used as the gasification tunnel,but the length and number of retracting injection points are limited,effectively reducing the probability of blockage or failure.The branch horizontal well spacing can be adjusted flexibly to avoid minor faults and large cracks,which is conducive to increasing the resource utilisation rate.In addition,for multi-layer thin coal seams or ultra-thick coal seams,a multi-layer gasifier sharing vertical well sections can be deployed,thereby saving investment on the vertical well sections.Through preliminary analysis,this gasifier design scheme can be realised in engineering,making it suitable for largescale deployment where it can increase the resource utilisation rate and ensure stable and controllable operations.The new gasifier has outstanding advantages in investment economy,and good prospects for application in the commercial UCG projects of medium-deep coal seams.

Numerical Simulation of Thermal Stress Field of Water-cooled-wall Pulverized-coal Gasifiers

A local thermal stress model of water-cooled-wall pulverized-coal gasifier was built, and ANSYS was used to simulate the stress field in the gasifier operation to research the damage of refractories and slag layer caused by the thermal stress. The results reveal that:（1） the maximum stress of water-cooled-wall gasifier appears at the interface between anchor nails and refractories as well as the interface between refractories and the slag layer, and the maximum stress of slag layer appears on the surface of the slag layer;（2） the increase of slag layer thickness can significantly reduce the thermal stress at the interface between anchor nails and refractories, but increase the thermal stress between slag layer and refractories;（3） when the therma I conductivity is 2-6 W · m-1 · K-1, the thermal stress increases rapidly with the increase of the thermal conductivity, but when the thermal conductivity is 6-10 W · m-1 · K-1, the thermal stress is basically stable;（4） the higher the cooling rate, the faster the decreasing speed of the temperature and thermal stress.