Entrained-bed Gasification processes

• 1. Koppers–Totzek
• 2. Bi-Gas
• 3. Combustion engineering entrained bed
• 4. Texaco (G E Energy)
Koppers–Totzek ( K-T) Process
• The Koppers–Totzek process, which has been commercially used since 1938, is an
entrained-solids process which operates at atmospheric pressure.
• The reactor is a relatively small, cylindrical, refractory-lined coal “burner” into which
coal, oxygen, and steam are injected through two or four tangentially disposed "burner
heads." .
• Steam is introduced around these heads in order to cover the reaction zone and protect the
vessel walls from excessive heat; product gas is taken off through a collector pipe at the
top; and ash leaves as a molten slag through the bottom.

• The feed coal for the process is crushed (so that 70% will pass through a 200-mesh
screen), mixed with oxygen and low-pressure steam, and injected into the gasifier
through a burner head.
• The heads are spaced 180° or 90° apart (representing two-headed or four-headed opposed
burner arrangements) and are designed such that steam envelopes the flame and protects
the reactor walls from excessive heat.
• The reactor typically operates at an exit temperature of about 1480°C (2700°F) and the
pressure is maintained just slightly above atmospheric.
• Only about 85%–90% of the total carbon may be gasified in a single pass through the
gasifier because carbon conversion is a function of the reactivity of the coal and
approaches 100% for lignite.
• Gasification proceeds rapidly at a very high temperature of 1500 – 19500C in the
chamber. The product gas leaves the gasifier at high temperature in the vicinity of about
1400-15000C and is passed through a radiation boiler and waste heat boiler for the
recovery of sensible heat.
• Appreciable amount of coal dust is carried with the gas. This is removed in dust catchers
and the coal is used again. Half of the ash is deposited on gasifier wall as a fluid slag. It
flows down and finally removed from the bottom.
• The Koppers-Totzek generator, generates no tars, and yields a substantially methane free
synthesis gas that typically may contains 30-32% hydrogen, 55% carbon monoxide, and
12% carbon dioxide.
• The heat in the reactor causes the formation of slag from mineral ash and this is removed
from the bottom of the gasifier through a water seal.
• Gases and vaporized hydrocarbons produced by the coal immediately pass through a zone
of very high temperature in which they decompose so rapidly that coal particles in the
plastic stage do not agglomerate, and thus, any type of coal can be gasified irrespective of
caking tendencies, ash content, or ash fusion temperature.
• In addition, the high operating temperature ensures that the gas product contains no
ammonia, tars, phenols, or condensable hydrocarbons. The raw gas can be upgraded to
synthesis gas by reacting all or part of the carbon monoxide content with steam to
produce additional hydrogen plus carbon dioxide.
• Among its technical advantages are its ability to accept all types of coal without any prior
treatment other than pulverization and some flexibility in ash removal : Instead of being
tapped off as a slag, ash can also, where so desired, be removed as fly ash with the raw
gas and then separated from it in an external cyclone.
• The high operating temperature also allows very fast gasification.
• In view of this exceptionally high capacity and the modest cost of the Koppers-Totzek
generator, its relatively low carbon inventory and consequent above-average oxygen
consumption are generally not serious disadvantages.
• But some disincentives arise from the loss of sensible heat when the raw gas, which exits
at 2300-2700°F (1260-1480°C), is cooled to ambient temperatures for cleaning and from
the need to compress the clean gas for downstream chemical syntheses.

• Raw Gas composition

Gas Composition %

H2 22-32%

CO 55-66%

CO2 7-12%

CH4 0.1%
 • Calorific value: 10.6-11.8 MJ/Nm3
• Specific oxygen consumption: 540 Nm3
• Specific steam consumption: 0.24 t low pressure steam
• Specific yield of gas: 1650 m3/t of coal
• Carbon conversion efficiency: 90 - 96%
• Gasification efficiency: 70-77%
• Thermal efficiency: 75-80%
A number of K-T plants are installed in many countries for making synthesis gas for ammonia
methanol etc. Two plants in India i.e., Talcher and Ramagundom were installed in 1978 to
supply synthesis gas for Ammonia with a capacity of 40000 Nm3/hour.
Texaco Process
• The GE Energy gasifier (Formerly Texaco), is a single stage, down-fired, entrained-flow
gasifier . Fuel-water slurry (e.g., 60–70 percent coal) and 95 percent pure oxygen are fed
into the pressurized gasifier.
• Its main feature is the use of a coal slurry feed that greatly simplifies the coal feeding
system. It also greatly improves the operability of the gasifier.
• The Texaco process gasifies coal under high pressure in an entrained bed by the injection
of oxygen (or air) and steam with concurrent gas/solid flow.
• The coal is crushed in a two-stage system (the second step performed under an inert
atmosphere) and is then mixed with water or oil to form a pumpable slurry which is
pumped under pressure into the gasifier vessel (a refractory-lined chamber inside a
pressure vessel).
• In this unit the coal and oxygen react exothermally at a temperature ranging from 2,200
to 2,700F and a pressure greater than 20 atmospheres to produce syngas and molten ash;
the product gas from the reactor contains primarily carbon monoxide and hydrogen, but
may contain appreciable quantities of nitrogen if the reactor is air-blown. Whereas , Slag
drops into the water pool at the bottom of the gasifier, is quenched, and is separated from
the black-water and finally removed through a lock hopper.

•
• Operation at the high pressures eliminates the production of hydrocarbon gases and
liquids in the syngas. The hot gases are cooled using either a radiant syngas cooler
located inside the gasifier to produce high-pressure steam or an exit gas quench.
• Oils or tars are not usually produced by the process and methane is the only hydrocarbon
gas generated.
• The product gases and molten slag produced in the reaction zone pass downward through
a water spray chamber and a slag quench bath and the cooled gas and slag are then
removed for further treatment.
• In most cases the gas leaving the quench unit, once it is separated from the slag, is treated
to remove the carbon fines and ash.
• The gas is then subsequently recycled to the slurry preparation system, treated for acid
gas removal and elemental sulfur is recovered from the hydrogen sulfide rich stream.

• Texaco has also modified the partial oxidation, which is used to gasify crude oil, to gasify
coal; the effluent gas stream has little, or no, hydrocarbon content.

• The GE Energy technology has operated commercially for over 40 years with feed stocks
such as natural gas, heavy oil, coal, and petroleum coke.
 • More than 60 commercial plants are in operation that use coke and coal, oil, and natural
gas as feedstock.

Typical Raw Gas composition

Gas compostion %

H2 38-40%

CO 46-48%

CO2 5-20%

CH4 0.6-0.8%

• Calorific value: 11.1 -12.0 MJ/Nm3