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Liquid and Gaseous Fuel from Coal

Liquid fuel of Coal
Liquefaction technology for coal has its origins in work pioneered by German
scientists in the 1930s prior to World War II. Coal is well suited for direct combustion in
stationary power applications, and pulverized coal-liquid slurries: transporting coal from
the mine to the utility site, where it could be separated and burned in coal-fired boilers.
Burning coal-oil mixtures as a substitute liquid fuel could be a means of stretching oil
reserves at certain existing oil-fired power plants as well as postponing their replacement
with either a new coal or nuclear unit.
Coal liquefaction techniques are needed that can remove sulphur as well as extract
carbon, and/or add hydrogen to increase the H: C ratio of the liquid product.
Carbonization, or destructive thermal distillation of coal by pyrolysis, yields a carbonrich solid char, a hydrogen-rich liquid tar, and coal gas. The low liquid yields of coal
pyrolysis have properties similar to those of low sulphur heavy crude oil, but this effluent
may be processed further to yield more desirable liquid fuels.
There two type of coal liquefaction:

Direct liquefaction: This liquefaction works by dissolving the coal in a solvent at

high temperature and pressure. This process is generally achieved by reacting coal
as slurry in a process-derived solvent.

Indirect liquefaction: This process was mainly consisted of the complete

breakdown of the coal structure by gasification and with steam and oxygen.The
composition of gasification products is adjusted tofilling the required mixture of
hydrogen and carbon monoxide and cleaned to remove the sulphur containing
catalyst. This leads for producing high quality and ultra-clean products.
Hydrogenation in the coal conversion process uses direct hydrogen addition via a

hydrogen-rich gas and/or a hydrogenated solvent-rich donor, such as Solvent Refined

Coal (SRC). Pulverized coal, in this instance, is fed to a hydrogen-rich gas and recycled
coal derived liquid slurry at elevated temperature and pressure to shift the H: C ratio of
the liquid. The resulting products of hydrogenated coal are solid, gas, and liquid, and the

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HC shift process may require catalysis, depending on the type of coal and ash content.
Indirect hydrogenation uses coal-derived syngas to produce methanol and/or further
conversion of methanol into gasoline.

Gaseous Fuel of Coal

Gaseous fuels have been generated using coal resources for more than 100 years, most
coal-derived fuel gas technologies fall into one of three general categories:
i.
ii.
iii.

Coal pyrolysis
Coal gasification
Coal catalytic synthesis.

These factors draw a need for gaseous coal fuel:

i.
ii.

Environmental pressure for greater coal combustion pollution reduction.

Sulphur removal as H2S during gasification versus sulphur generation as SO2

iii.
iv.
v.

during combustion
Market for clean-burning, coal-based fuel gas in stationary power plants.
Transportable.
Synthetic gaseous fuel via pipelines.

Carbonization, or pyrolysis, is a destructive thermal distillation process in which volatile

combustible fractions contained in raw coal or coke (such as hydrogen, methane,
ethylene, and carbon monoxide) are driven off. To release gases, coal or coke is placed in
a closed vessel, or retort, and heated by external coal combustion to a temperature range
of 5301,000C (9851,830F). These gas energy volumes cover the range 18,630
24,220 kJ/m3 (500650 Btu/ft3).

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Environmental Issues
Emission
Coal is one of commodities that contribute high-energy supply and at same time, a source
for emission of:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

Acidifying air pollutants sulphur dioxide (SO2).

Nitrogen dioxide (NOx).
Particulate matter.
Carbon monoxide.

These emission leads to formation of pollutants which are produce acid formation, the
green house effect and global warming. The risk only minimized by new technology
(carbon capture and storage) for coal power plant.
Waste
The coal power plant produces four main type of large waste material:
i.

Fly ash: fine particles of silica glass, which are removed from exhaust plant gases

ii.

by air emission control device.

Bottom ash: ash particles which is too large to be carried in flue gases and collect

iii.

on furnace walls
Boiler slag: molten bottom ash collected at base of slag tap and cyclone type

iv.

furnace that is quenched with water. It consist hard, black, angular particle.
Flue gas desulfurization materials such as gypsum: sludge or powered sulphate
and sulphite produce through a process used to reduce sulphur dioxide emission
from the exhaust gas system of a coal-fired boiler.

There are alternative to reduce waste that hazardous to environment and human health:

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i.

Eradicating the pollutant from process effluents by passing polluted air through a

ii.
iii.

series of dust collectors that filter the fine particulate.

Removing the pollutant from process input by desulfurization of feed coal
Controlling the process by lowering combustion temperature to minimize the

iv.

generation of nitrogen oxides.

Exchanging the process with one that does not generate or will minimize the

v.

pollutant (pressurized fluidized bed combustion instead pulverized coal burning)

Selecting a type of coal-fuel that eliminates or minimizes the pollutant (use low
sulphur coal)

Waste disposal
The disposal of waste is crucial and necessary stringent regulation and legistration. Solid
waste and dewatered sludge are generally tipped on selected site above ground, thrown
into mine cavities or dump in landfill, which is a serious cause for environmental
pollution. For example, the non-volatile inorganic constituents of fuel are left as ash and
contribute to development of corrosive deposits.
Nowadays, these waste materials have transformed to status by product sought for
construction; fly ash for cement and concrete. The fly ash displacement Portland cement
which requires the burning of fossil fuel and decomposition of carbonates. Thus reduce
emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) in atmosphere. While bottom ash is dewatered in bins
in wet disposal (pond or lagoon).

WorksCited

Kartika Kus Hendratna, O. N. (2010). Laboratory Scale of Liquid Coal

Fuel Combustion Process and Exhaust Gas Formation. American
Journal of Environmental Sciences 6 , 204-211.
Speight, J. G. (2013). Environmental Aspects of Power Generation. In J.
G. Speight, Power Generation: Coal-Fired Power Generation
Handbook (p. 521). Somerset, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.