Brown coal gasification in combustion in supercritical water

Abstract

The yield and composition of conversion products are investigated in a layout that provides countersupply of reagents (brown coal, supercritical water (SCW), and O₂) into a vertical tubular reactor and drain of reactants into replaceable collectors under isobaric conditions (30 MPa). The coal (gross formula CH_0.96N_0.01S_0.002O_0.31) incorporated into coal-water slurry (CWS) stabilized by starch addition (1 wt.%), was supplied through the top end of the reactor, while SCW and SCW/O₂ fluids were supplied through the bottom end. Based on the results of elemental analysis of liquid products and solid residue of conversion, and mass spectrometric analysis of volatile products, we obtained gross reactions of brown coal conversion in SCW and SCW/O₂ fluids. It was found that addition of O₂ to SCW leads to autothermal conversion conditions and an increase in the contribution from heterogeneous reactions between carbon and water, which provides additional yield of H₂ and CH₄.