The United States is the world¿s second largest producer of natural gas and also the largest importer. The increasing price of natural gas, along with a decreasing domestic supply, presents an opportunity to develop low-cost replacements. Thermo-chemical production of Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) from abundant, low-cost, domestic coal offers one viable solution. However, conventional processes for SNG production have several limitations. This project will continue the development of a new gasification technology, based on Steam Hydrogasification Reaction (SHR), to produce methane-rich gas from abundant carbonaceous resources such as coal or biomass. The SHR gasifier can handle wet feedstocks without drying, does not require expensive oxygen plants, and operates below high ash-slagging temperatures. Phase I will involve the selection of target feedstocks that will maximize economic benefits and minimize life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. During Phase II, an experimental and simulation study of the gasification of the selected feedstocks will be conducted, using a Process Development Unit (PDU) scale reactor and the Aspen Plus simulation tool.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The new process would be used to produce SNG from abundant domestic feedstocks such as coal and biomass in a cost effective and environmentally friendly manner. The resulting SNG could serve as a clean burning fuel for transportation and fuel cell applications.
