REACTION ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL — Department of Energy SBIR Phase II: Coal gasification plants have exhibited sub-par performance and plant economics due to poo

Description

Coal gasification plants have exhibited sub-par performance and plant economics due to poor reliability and availability. A major contributor to the poor performance has been fouling of the syngas cooler located downstream of the gasifier. The fouling is due to vaporized ash from the coal gasification process depositing on the fireside surface of the tubes in the fire tube heat exchanger used for convective syngas cooling. At present the understanding of the fouling mechanism for coal gasification is not adequately understood for equipment vendors to develop a solution. In this project we will develop a soot blowing technology tailored to the coal gasification conditions that exist in the convective syngas cooler used at coal gasification plants. The new soot blower design will be based on an improved understanding of the relevant governing mechanisms for fouling developed in this project. The new soot blower technology will be designed to have the option to be combined with anti-fouling coatings that could be applied to heat exchanger surfaces in the syngas cooler. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The target application for the soot blower technology developed in this project is coal gasification plants producing syngas for use in power generation, refinery and chemical production applications. If successful, the soot blower technology will improve the reliability and availability of coal gasification plants, reducing the US dependence on foreign energy sources and reduce green house gas emissions.