Patent GB-683318-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to process for disintegrating solid materials
IPC: C10J3/46
Filed: 1949-09-16
Abstract: 683,318. Gasifying solids. TEXACO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. Sept. 16, 1949 [Sept. 16, 1948 ; July 21, 1949 ; Aug. 15, 1949], Nos. 23917/49, 23918/49 and 23919/49. Class 55 (i) [Also in Group II] A fluid mixture of solid in granular form e.g. coal, oil shale, marl or clay, mixed with a vaporisable liquid e.g. water or oil is passed in turbulent flow through a sinuous tube in a heating zone where substantially all the liquid is vaporised and the solid is disintegrated by the vaporisation and by the turbulent flow at a velocity of at least 60 feet per second to form a dispersion of small solid particles in a stream of vapour. The granules are normally half inch or less in diameter and may be less than one-third the diameter of the tube. Coarser particles may be separated from the suspension or slurry and recycled. Granular anthracite, lignite or bituminous coal mixed in a mixer 8 with at least 35 per cent by volume of oil or water or an emulsion of these preferably with the addition of a wetting agent e.g. oxygenated hydrocarbons and a flux e.g. lime pass through a thickener 9 where excess liquid is removed. The slurry is pumped at 12 into a sinuous pipe 13 in a furnace 14 and passes at 650‹-1400‹F. through a pipe 18 and after addition of oxygen at 21 enters a synthesis gas generator 19, when carbon monoxide and hydrogen are discharged through a pipe 22, where it is cooled with water from a pipe 23. The generator 19 is maintained at 2200‹-2600‹F. at a pressure of 100-1,000 1bs. per sq. in., is unobstructed and has a refractory lining and a cooling coil 20. The gas passes through a heat exchanger 24 heating a boiler 27 from which steam is delivered at 29. Ash is removed by a cyclone separator 26. In Fig. 2 the slurry of coal in relatively inert liquid is passed by a pump 42 to a sinuous pipe 43 with an intermediate valve 45 e.g. a plate orifice, Venturi or baffles so that pressure in the upper part of the pipe is reduced. The disintegrated carbonised coal and steam pass through a valve 17 to a separator 48, whence steam and other vapours pass through a pipe 53 to a scrubber 56. The coal passes with added oxygen and steam through pipe 49 into a gas generator 51. Nitrogen and methane are removed through pipe 59 from the scrubber, through which water is recirculated by pipe 61, excess water being removed by a pipe 72 and fed to the slurry mixer 38. Oil withdrawn from the scrubber by pipe 63 is fed to a fractionation column 67, whence the light oil is returned with the water to the mixer. The heat in the gas generator may be used in the disintegration zone through a heat exchanger. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen from the generator 51 are quenched with water from a pipe 77 and pass to a heat exchanger 76 heating a steam generator 82. Ash is removed from the gases by a separator 78. Iron oxide may be added to the slurry to aid the formation of methane, also oxygen or copper oxide and a flux such as fluorspar or lime with silica or alumina or magnesia. Hydrocarbons formed during the distillation may be added to the synthesis gas to form a fuel gas. The slurry of coal and water is fed to the heating tube at ¢-10 ft. per second and the speed at the outlet is 60-500 ft. per second. The coal slurry may be mixed with hot gases from the gasifier and passed through an insulated pipe coil. In the pulverisation zone, the particles may be rewetted and the liquid revaporised. Oversized particles and fine dust may be removed and the pulverised solid after removal of vapours may be dried in a dense fluidised bed with an inert dry gas as fluidising medium. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91, comprises also a speed of 25-60 feet per second in the disintegrating zone. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.