Application of Chemical Looping with Spouting Fluidized Bed for Hydrogen-Rich Syngas Production from Catalytic Coal Gasification
The goal of this final project report is to comprehensively summarize the work conducted in project DE-FE0024000. In accordance with the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO), the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UKy-CAER) developed a multifaceted particle as a catalyst-oxygen carrier (catalyst-OC) for chemical looping gasification. The project also included the design, fabrication, commissioning and performance evaluation of a novel spouted bed approach to gasifiers in conjunction with chemical looping concepts to significantly reduce the capital cost associated with typical gasification technologies. Specifically, UKy-CAER investigated red mud (RM) with and without Cu additives for catalytic and stability benefits in a bench scale reactor, provided the detailed front-end design of a 50 kWth chemical looping gasification (CLG) plant and completed a 70+ hour long experimental campaign to evaluate the coal feed system and the performance and flexibility of the 50 kWth facility with various coal and OCs. Project results verified UKy-CAER’s proposed approach to catalytic coal gasification technology using a chemical looping process with three reaction zones to provide in-situ separated oxygen for coal partial-combustion (e.g. gasification) with water-gas shift reaction. Central to the project was kinetically facile red mud OC and a spouted bed gasifier configuration that enabled the success of the following operation, performance and economic objectives: (1) Low-temperature gasifier operation (as low as 600°C); (2) Avoidance of ash and OCs aggolmeration; (3) Elimination of methane formation; and (4) Promotion of water-gas shift (WGS) reactions and syngas reforming. The red mud OC is economical and the novel spouted bed reducer shows promise, as summarized in this report, as an effective means for improved plant efficiency with reduced process complexity.