Integrated coal hydrocarbonization and gasification of char

Claim 1

In a process employing two separate and interconnected fluid-bed reaction zones, a first zone for gasification and a second zone for combustion of char particles; wherein in said first zone, char particles are gasified with stream at an elevated temperature and pressure between about 150 p.s.i. and about 1000 p.s.i. to produce modified char particles and a first hydrogen-rich gas product; wherein said second zone, said modified char particles from said first zone are burned with air at a temperature sufficient to produce tacky ash particles that accrete to larger ash particles; and wherein said larger ash particles from said second zone provide the heat required to effect the gasification reaction in said first zone by descending in said first zone and transferring their sensible heat to said char particles and said steam, the improvements which comprise providing the char particle feed for said gasification and combustion zones by the steps of: a. fluidizing coal particles with a non-oxidizing gas to form a dense phase; b. pressurizing said fluidized coal particles of step a with a hydrogen-rich gas; c. preheating said coal particles in said dense phase in an essentially oxygen-free environment to a first predetermined temperature below a temperature at which said coal particles undergo plastic transformation. d. providing a third fluid-bed reaction zone for hyrocarbonization at a second predetermined temperature between about 480° C and about 600° C, said third fluid-bed zone consisting essentially of a matrix of non-agglomerating coal and char particles at said second predetermined temperature fluidized by a hydrogen-rich, oxygen-free gas having a velocity between about 0.1 and about 2 feet per second; e. continuously introducing said coal particles of step c and a hydrogen-rich, oxygen-free gas into the lower part of said third zone in an essentially vertically upwards direction, said coal particles having a velocity sufficient to rapidly and uniformly disperse, at said first predetermined temperature, within said matrix; said velocity being greater than about 200 feet per second. f. continously providing said char particles for gasification in said first zone by reacting said coal particles of step e and a condensable vapor product, the hydrocarbonization being conducted at said second predetermined temperature, a hydrogen partial pressure of from about 100 p.s.i. to about 1200 p.s.i. and an average solids resident time of about 5 minutes to about 60 minutes; g. continuously withdrawing said char particles at said reaction temperature and said condensable vapor product from said zone; h. continuously introducing said char particles into said first zone for gasification with steam; i. condensing the condensable vapor in said vapor product to recover a heavy oil boiling above about 200° C; and j. separating a light oil boiling above about 30° C and a second hydrogen-rich gas product from said vapor product.