GB1526307A - Cool treatment process and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1526307 Producing hydrocarbons and heat from. solid carbonaceous fuels CLEAN ENERGY CORP 29 Sept 1975 [7 Oct 1974 (3)] 39717/75 Heading C5E Hydrocarbons and heat energy are obtained by dissolving a solid carbonaceous fuel (e.g. coal) in a molten inorganic salt, treating with steam to produce hydrocarbons and then treating the molten salt containing the residual components of the fuel with an oxidant (e.g. an oxygen-containing gas or a metal oxide) to produce heat energy. A 5-30 wt. per cent solution of pulverized coal 10 is formed in a recycle stream 16 of molten salt (e.g. comprising mixed lithium, sodium, potassium and magnesium chlorides) and contacted with steam 22 for 0À2-5 sec. at a salt temperature of 300-600‹ C. and 1-25 atmospheres absolute to produce an overhead stream 29 comprising coal-derived hydrocarbons. The stream 29 can be subjected to a shift reaction at 31 and then cooled at 32 to condense a hydrocarbon fraction, which can be fractionated at 34, from the gaseous portion which can be further separated at 42 and 44. The molten salt stream 50 containing 2-10 wt. per cent of the remaining less volatile 15-50% of the coal is treated with air 52 to oxidize the remaining coal components and heat the salt to 600-1000‹C. Heat energy is obtained from the salt leaving the combustion zone 30 by direct heat exchange with a liquid metal (e.g. lead) at 72 which in turn is used to heat steam by direct heat exchange at 78.