|
Commercialization of Coal Gasification Technologies
by Barbara Drazga 02-15-2007 |
page 1 |
Article:
Coal gasification offers one of the most versatile and cleanest ways to
convert the energy content of coal into electricity, hydrogen, and other energy
forms.
Coal gasification allows the U.S. to more effectively exploit its enormous,
inexpensive coal reserves. The process assists lower environmental-impact power
generation and is quickly becoming a viable alternative to traditional
generation methods.
advertisement
The first pioneering coal gasification electric power plants are now
operating commercially in the United States and in other nations, and many
experts predict that coal gasification will be at the heart of the clean coal
technology plants for several decades into the future. For example, an advanced
coal gasifier will be at the core of the U.S. Department of Energy's FutureGen
power plant.
Rather than burning coal directly, gasification breaks down coal - or
virtually any carbon-based feedstock - into its basic chemical constituents. In
a modern gasifier, coal is typically exposed to hot steam and carefully
controlled amounts of air or oxygen under high temperatures and pressures. Under
these conditions, carbon molecules in coal break apart, setting into motion
chemical reactions that typically produce a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen
and other gaseous compounds.
The process of coal gasification offers many advantages over the traditional
coal combustion technology in terms of reduced emissions, thermal efficiency,
and the ability to generate hydrogen or other high-value fuels or chemicals. In
addition, coal gasification plants do not produce any scrubber sludge that needs
careful and costly disposal. Another advantage of coal gasification is that coal
ash from gasifiers is not hazardous and its leaching effect is low.
Energy Business Report's focus on coal gasification provides an in-depth
analysis of the coal gasification industry and helps one understand this
fascinating technology further. The report discusses in detail the various
challenges facing the technology, along with factors that are boosting the
growth and of gasification. You can find information on all the different types
of gasification processes and the technologies that are used during
gasification. Case studies of successful projects and a focus on the leading
players in this industry make this report vital to the informed reader, inside
and outside the industry.
|
