Conceptual design and simulation study for the production of hydrogen in coal gasification system

Abstract: The conceptual design of a coal gasification system for the production of hydrogen is undertaken here using the PRO-II Simulation program. The operating conditions for the gasifier were tuned to between 1200 °C–1500 °C, 15 atm–30 atm and to a feed molar ratio of C:H2O:O2 = 1:0.5–1:0.25–0.5. The refinery temperature and pressure were kept at 550 °Cand 24.5 atm. The syngas produced goes to water gas shift (WGS) reactors operated at 400 °C, 24 atm (HTS) and 250 °C, 23.5 atm (LTS). The production of hydrogen was found to be independent of the concentration of steam in the feed. However, when other operating conditions are constant, the hydrogen output changes dramatically with changes to the concentration of O2 in the feed. The optimal operating conditions for the production of hydrogen by the gasification of Drayton coal were found to be: 1500 °C, 25 atm and a feed ratio C:H2O:O2 = 1:0.58:0.43. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]