AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Kinetic model development for low-rank coal liquefaction. Progress report, January 1-March 31, 1985

The major event during this quarter was the receipt and installation of the Finnigan Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer. The unit has been connected to the size exclusion-chromatography-gas chromatography (SEC-GC) system. We are learning how to most efficiently use it in conjunction with the SEC-GC system. Since we are in the commissioning phase of this unit no data are reported herein. The Wyodak recycle slurry was analyzed by use of the SEC-GC and found to contain approximately 60% distillables. Approximately 40% of the distillables consisted of phenolics. The 40% of the recycle slurry not detected by the SEC-GC method consisted of nondistillables, THF insoluble organic matter, and the mineral matter. Further calibration and improvement of the techniques are required to refine the method. The shaker system for the tubing bomb reactors was redesigned and the parts to build this system have been ordered. With this new design we will be able to shake the tubing bombs up to 1000 cpm. A theoretical analysis of the tubing bombs reactors was written by Pat Moore as part of a coursework assignment. This analysis is included herein as chapter 3. The following conclusions were derived from this study: minimize coal particle diameter; maximize frequency of agitation; maximize the amplitude of the agitation cycle; use a vertical reactor configuration; use mixing devices such as steel balls or rods in the reactor; and evaluate experiments for mass transfer effects. The nondistillable tetrahydrofuran soluble (NDTHF) yield has been determined for half of the batch experiments conducted with ZAP 2 lignite and the recycle solvent from the PDU at UNDERC. These yields are equal to or exceed the THF solubles yield. This result implies that part of the recycle solvent is producing NDTHFS material. Furthermore this will result in a negative distillate yield. 4 figs., 3 tabs.

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Thermal dewatering of coal. Progress report, October 1-December 31, 1984

The following conclusions can be drawn from the work described in this paper. (1) The volumetric shrinkage accompanying dying of lignite appears to roughly proportional to the loss of moisture from the lignite. It is affected by macroscopicmechanical factors that are difficult to quantify at this time. The extent of shrinkage perpendicular to the bedding plane may be greater or less than that in directions parallel to the bedding plane, but macroscopic cracks generally develop first in a direction parallel to the bedding plane. (2) Mercury porosimetry is of limited applicability to coals of this rank. An enormous fraction of the porosity is found as macroscopic ''cracks''that, depending upon sample preparation, may be difficult to distinguish from interparticle voidage. Some tentative evidence of compressibility effects has also been noted. Apparent hysteresis in the high pressure (perhaps compressibility-limited) range appears to be partly a kinetic effect. (3) As usual, CO/sub 2/ adsorption indicates specific surface areas about two orders of magnitude greater than does N/sub 2/ adsorption. There does appear to be an affect of drying on N/sub 2/ surface areas -generally the more severe the drying procedure, the lower the apparent surface area. The shape of the pore size distribution curve is largely unaffected by the severity of drying. There seems to be only a slight downward shift of the whole distribution curve with severity of drying. Mercury intrusion and gas adsorption porosity results from one another by an order of magnitude in the overlap region. The reasons for this are not yet fully understood. 11 refs., 13 figs., 7 tabs.

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Thermal properties and fluid diffusivities related to low-rank coal, its char and ash. Technical progress report, January-March 31, 1985

This report summarizes the method and apparatus used to determine the thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and bulk density of low-rank coals. It also summarizes modifications which were made to the instrument during the first quarter of the year 1985. These modifications mainly include the construction of a new stainless steel sample container which allows measurements to be made at temperatures up to 500/sup 0/C. 8 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

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Waste characterization. Final report for the period ending March 31, 1986

Waste materials from conventional and advanced low-rank coal utilization processes are characterized from pilot scale coal combustion tests. Elemental and mineral analyses were followed by leaching tests. Trace element immobilization studies identified additives and treatment processes to reduce leaching of arsenic and selenium in a solid waste disposal site setting. The results indicate that low-rank coal fly ashes produced from coals mined at different sites vary moderately in elemental and mineral compositions and greatly in leachate composition. The ash data was analyzed for mineral phase relationships, and for correlations between the major and trace elements. Solid wastes from several advanced low-rank coal utilization and flue gas clean-up processes were also characterized. These included fly ashes from hot-water-dried coal water slurry combustion tests, fly ashes from direct furnace injection tests using pressure hydrated lime for SO/sub 2/ capture, and fly ashes from flue gas injection tests using NH/sub 3/ and SO/sub 3/ to enhance fine particulate collection in a baghouse. Liquid and solid wastes produced from the incineration of concentrated coal gasification wastewater were also characterized.

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Hydrocarbon autothermal reforming program. Final technical report, 28 September 1979-31 October 1981

The goal of the PSI program was to understand the mechanisms of the formation of carbon deposits under conditions relevant to authothermal reformers (ATR). The first year of this two year program was dedicated almost entirely to investigations of gas phase soot formation. It was speculated that soot could form in the gas phase and deposit downstream in the catalyst bed. A high temperature experimental test rig was constructed and computer models developed to aid in understanding this process. The conclusion of these studies is that soot does not form in the gas phase upstream of the catalyst bed, under ATR conditions, at least, not under well mixed conditions. In the second year, the program was redirected to study carbon formation processes on surfaces and to perform testing and analysis of Engelhard's six inch ATR rig. This work has resulted in an operational computer code for use in modeling the Engelhard ATR. This code requires rate constant information for performance prediction. The PSI laboratory experiments have shown that coke formation on surfaces of nickel catalysts is very rapid, particularly from olefins. Filamentary carbon was formed. Various relevant processes and their relative rates were studied on various nickel surfaces. Coke was not observed when precious metal catalysts were used. Testing on the Engelhard reactor was performed. These preliminary tests show that the Engelhard catalysts can be used to reform number two fuel oil with no problems associated with carbonaceous deposits. Some hydrocarbon breakthrough was observed, increasing at low oxygen to carbon ratio (0.355). These limited data clearly indicate a high potential for a useful ATR. Further testing and analysis are clearly necessary.

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Sensitivity analysis and model optimization for reaction-diffusion systems

This paper presents a computational framework for the optimization and sensitivity analysis of a process whose state depends upon several parameter functions. Assuming that the process is described by a system of quasilinear, parabolic, partial differential equations, we show how determining problem parameters to improve an associated objective functional is directly related to knowing the state function sensitivities. An expression for the gradient of the objective functional in terms of the solutions of an adjoint system enables one to bypass the calculation of state function sensitivities. These concepts are illustrated for a simple model of cooperative processes in chemical kinetics, and parameter identification are important motivations for this paper.

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Development of an advanced continuous mild gasification process for the production of coproducts

This document describes the results of Task 4 under which a 50 pound/hour char-to-carbon (CTC) process research unit (PRU) was designed in the second half of 1989, with construction completed in June 1990. The CTC PRU at Golden was operated for nearly one year during which 35 runs were completed for a total of nearly 800 hours of operation. Char methanation and carbon production reactor development activities are detailed in this report, as well as the results of integrated runs of the CTC process. Evaluation of the process and the carbon product produced is also included. It was concluded that carbon could be produced from mild gasification char utilizing the CTC process. Char methanation and membrane separation steps performed reasonably well and can scaled up with confidence. However, the novel directly heated reactor system for methane cracking did not work satisfactorily due to materials of construction and heat transfer problems, which adversely affected the quantity and quality of the carbon product. Alternative reactor designs are recommended.

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Methane from coalbeds resource delineation and engineering. Final contract report

TRW continued a sustaining effort in resource delineation and project integration assistance to the Morgantown Energy Technology Center under the Methane Recovery from Coalbeds Project (MRCP). Under the contract, data and coal samples were to be obtained and analyzed from two reservoirs for inclusion in the resource data base. In addition, the project integration support, ostensibly the familiarization of progress of other MRCP contractors, was continued to provide inputs to the UGR Semi-Annual Report and the MRCP Project Plan Document for the coming year. Technology transfer activities included the conduct of a workshop in Resource Engineering. This report summarizes the technology base development during that particular time frame.

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Development of alternative oxygen production source using a zirconia solid electrolyte membrane

The objective of this multiyear effort was the development, fabrication and testing of a zirconia oxygen production module capable of delivering approximately 100 liters/minute (LPM) of oxygen. The work discussed in this report consists of development and improvement of the zirconia cell along with manufacture of cell components, preliminary design of the final plant, additional economic analysis and industrial participation. (VC)

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Improved polymers for enhanced oil recovery synthesis and rheology. Second annual report, October 1978-September 1979

The status of the following studies is given: macromolecular syntheses of model polymers (homopolymer synthesis, random copolymer synthesis, graft-copolymer syntheses,4820 ); macromolecular characterization by size exclusion chromatography; dilute solution studies (ageing effects on viscosity, shear rate effects on viscosity, structure effects on viscosity, turbidimetric studies,4820 ); polymer solution rheological studies; macromolecular flow through controlled porous media; and polymer solution flow through simulated porous reservoirs.

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Coal to methanol feasibility study:  Beluga methanol project. Final report

Cook Inlet Region, Inc. and Placer Amex Inc. intend to develop a coal-to-methanol plant utilizing Winkler gasifiers and the ICI methanol synthesis process in the Beluga district on the west side of Cook Inlet, approximately 60 miles from Anchorage, Alaska. Low-sulfur, high-volatile, sub-bituminous coal reserves will be used to produce fuel grade methanol at a rate of 54,000 barrels per day. CIRI and Placer have completed a year-long analysis of the feasibility of this project. The most significant findings can be abstracted as follows: It is technical feasible to construct a 7500 ton/day plant using commercially proven equipment and process technologies. The only departure from existing commercial applications is the use of higher pressure (4-atmosphere) gasifiers. The final design includes one 10-atmosphere coal gasifier test unit. If, prior to ordering components of the plant, tests performed with gasifiers at 10-atmosphere pressure verify anticipated results, a total of four gasifiers for 10-atmosphere operation will be installed rather than eight (8) gasification trains. The use of gasifiers at 10 atmospheres could reduce unit costs of the product by about $10/ton of methanol. The baseline environmental study indicates that air, water, and ecological impacts can be kept within state and federal regulatory limits. All basic resource inputs, including land, water, and coal, are available. There appears to be more than sufficient markets for the planned methanol production. The accompanying financial analysis shows a strong likelihood that the project will achieve positive cash flows. However, project returns resulting from the methanol prices used may not offer sufficient incentive to private investors due to the risks involved in a project of this magnitude.

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Western gas sands project. Status report, 1 April-30 April, 1980

The progress of the government-sponsored projects directed towards increasing gas production from the low permeability gas sands of the western United States is summarized. Planning activities continued for the multi-well experiment. Bartlesville Energy Technology Center continued formation evaluation studies for the WGSP. Theoretical analyses continued at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory for fracture growth across frictional interfaces and fluid flow in a fracture. Studies have begun at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory on NMR signals coming from fluids in porous media. Analyses continued of information gathered from Sandia's fracture experiment in Grayson County, Texas. Tests using the DOE Well Test Facility were completed for the Colorado Interstate Gas Company cyclic dry gas injection experiment. At the NTS, Sandia is conducting minifractures.

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Imaging techniques applied to the study of fluids in porous media

Improved imaging techniques were used to study the dynamics of fluid flow and trapping at various scales in porous media. Two-phase and three-phase floods were performed and monitored by computed tomography (CT) scanning and/or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) microscopy. Permeability-porosity correlations obtained from image analysis were combined with porosity distributions from CT scanning to generate spatial permeability distributions within the core which were used in simulations of two-phase floods. Simulation-derived saturation distributions of two-phase processes showed very good agreement with the CT measured values.

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Technically recoverable Devonian shale gas in Ohio

The technically recoverable gas from Devonian shale (Lower and Middle Huron) in Ohio is estimated to range from 6.2 to 22.5 Tcf, depending on the stimulation method and pattern size selected. This estimate of recovery is based on the integration of the most recent data and research on the Devonian Age gas-bearing shales of Ohio. This includes: (1) a compilation of the latest geologic and reservoir data for the gas in-place; (2) analysis of the key productive mechanisms; and, (3) examination of alternative stimulation and production strategies for most efficiently recovering this gas. Beyond a comprehensive assembly of the data and calculation of the technically recoverable gas, the key findings of this report are as follows: a substantial volume of gas is technically recoverable, although advanced (larger scale) stimulation technology will be required to reach economically attractive gas production rates in much of the state; well spacing in certain of the areas can be reduced by half from the traditional 150 to 160 acres per well without severely impairing per-well gas recovery; and, due to the relatively high degree of permeability anisotropy in the Devonian shales, a rectangular, generally 3 by 1 well pattern leads to optimum recovery. Finally, although a consistent geological interpretation and model have been constructed for the Lower and Middle Huron intervals of the Ohio Devonian shale, this interpretation is founded on limited data currently available, along with numerous technical assumptions that need further verification. 11 references, 21 figures, 32 tables.

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Catalytic conversion of coal energy to hydrogen

An experimental and conceptual engineering analysis study has been performed to assess the potential of generating hydrogen by means of alkali catalyzed coal char-steam reactions. The experimental studies consisted of a fundamental catalyst research effort and a more process oriented investigation of catalyst performance. The fundamental studies were aimed at determining the nature of catalyst-fuel communication during gasification, the processes involved in catalyst deactivation, and the chemical mechanism of catalysis. The kinetics of fixed-bed conversion reactions were measured and the effects of several reaction parameters on the kinetics evaluated. On the basis of these measurements and the results of supporting studies, a major new step was taken in describing alkali catalyst behavior in catalytic char gasification. In the second part of the experimental studies, the performance of alkali catalysts in fluidized char gasification reactions was investigated. Information gained from these studies was used to develop and support a conceptual catalytic process design. In the engineering analysis studies, a conceptual design for a catalytic hydrogen process was developed and its economics analyzed and compared with other conversion processes. The hydrogen process design developed and assessed was for a catalytic version of the CO/sub 2/-Acceptor process. Results obtained from the experimental and engineering analyses indicated, at the laboratory-scale and conceptual process engineering level of investigation, catalytic hydrogen production is feasible and may offer significant technical and economic advantages over other hydrogen generation and coal conversion processes. Further catalyst research and process development work appear warranted.

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Ultra fine grinding of low-rank coal. Progress report, January-March 1986

The specific goals for Phase I of this project were to: (1) select a friable Texas lignite for Phase I investigation. (2) In three separate tests, micropulverize the lignite in a fluid-energy mill utilizing steam as the drying agent and carrier media to produce at three levels of moisture content. (3) Measure the power requirements to micropulverize the lignite at each level of product moisture. (4) Measure the product size distribution, ash content as a function of particle size, particle shape, angle of repose and moisture reabsorption. (5) Submit a technical report on the test lignite. Preliminary results are reported.

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Modification and documentation of the PACKAGE code. Final report

A major objective of the US Department of Energy is to increase coal utilization through the development of combustion stream cleanup technologies. Chemical equilibrium and kinetics codes, such as the PACKAGE code, allow the combustion process and effluent gas behavior to be modeled for the purpose of research and development aimed toward increasing the utility of coal as a fuel. The goal of the present program was that of increasing the usefulness of the PACKAGE code in modeling coal combustion processes, and in particular, in modeling the behavior of potentially deleterious trace species present in the mineral matter of the coal. The objectives of this effort were to resolve the numerical problems which interrupted the execution of the code, the revision and extension of the code to incorporate a modular programming style and increase its usefulness to the user. This report summarizes the work accomplished in meeting these objectives, and presents the results of comparisons with phase diagrams which were performed during the testing of the revised code. The results of the phase diagram comparisons show that while the objectives of the program have been fulfilled, further revision and extension of the code may offer significant additional benefits. 7 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

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Volumetric heating of oilshales by electromagnetic methods. Volume 5. Mathematical modeling

A mathematical model for electromagnetic heating of oil shales is developed. The model includes equations for temperature, pressure, saturations, chemical reactions, mass conservation, and source terms. The gases are all assumed to form one bulk species and the oil is assumed to remain in liquid form. The chemical reactions include pyrolysis of kerogen and char, release of bound water, coking, and decomposition of carbonates. Porosity and permeability are dynamic functions of the shale constituents. Nonlinear relationships for viscosity, thermal properties, and source terms are used as inputs to the model. A finite difference approximation to the differential equations is derived and solved using Newton's iteration technique. For the cases studied the solutions are quite stable. Numerical results are included and a preliminary study of the optimization of the heating process is presented. 17 refs., 19 figs.

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Multiwell experiment: reservoir modeling analysis, Volume II

This report updates an ongoing analysis by reservoir modelers at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) of well test data from the Department of Energy's Multiwell Experiment (MWX). Results of previous efforts were presented in a recent METC Technical Note (Horton 1985). Results included in this report pertain to the poststimulation well tests of Zones 3 and 4 of the Paludal Sandstone Interval and the prestimulation well tests of the Red and Yellow Zones of the Coastal Sandstone Interval. The following results were obtained by using a reservoir model and history matching procedures: (1) Post-minifracture analysis indicated that the minifracture stimulation of the Paludal Interval did not produce an induced fracture, and extreme formation damage did occur, since a 65% permeability reduction around the wellbore was estimated. The design for this minifracture was from 200 to 300 feet on each side of the wellbore; (2) Post full-scale stimulation analysis for the Paludal Interval also showed that extreme formation damage occurred during the stimulation as indicated by a 75% permeability reduction 20 feet on each side of the induced fracture. Also, an induced fracture half-length of 100 feet was determined to have occurred, as compared to a designed fracture half-length of 500 to 600 feet; and (3) Analysis of prestimulation well test data from the Coastal Interval agreed with previous well-to-well interference tests that showed extreme permeability anisotropy was not a factor for this zone. This lack of permeability anisotropy was also verified by a nitrogen injection test performed on the Coastal Red and Yellow Zones. 8 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

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Coal gasification reactions with on-line in-situ FTIR analysis

The entrained flow reactor was tested with 4 coals at temperatures up to 1200/sup 0/C. The reactor works well and in-situ gas analysis by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy may be routinely performed. The initial data have been reduced and compared to a previously developed pyrolysis model. The agreement between theory and experiment is good. The report describes the reactor, and plans for modification to improve the accuracy and completeness of the data. The pyrolysis model is reviewed and the most recent modifications employing distributed rate kinetics are discussed. The pyrolysis results are discussed and compared with the prediction of the model.

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