US4150953A — Coal gasification power plant and process

Claim 1

Independent Claim 256 words

In an integrated coal gasification power plant comprising, in combination: (a) a coal gasifier for producing a raw gaseous fuel by pressure gasification of coal with pressurized air and water vapor; (b) means for pressurizing hot air and water vapor and for supplying the pressurized air and water vapor to said gasifier as blast gas therefor; (c) a gas clean-up system adapted to (I) remove from said raw gaseous fuel at least a portion of any contaminants present therein and (II) produce (i) an aqueous blowdown liquid containing volatile hydrocarbons and (ii) a cleaned-up gaseous fuel; (d) a combustor for combustion of said cleaned-up gaseous fuel to produce a hot expansible gaseous combustion product; (e) means for pressurizing air and for supplying the pressurized air to said combustor; (f) means for supplying said cleaned-up gaseous fuel to said combustor; and (g) means operable by the combustion product for generating electric power; the improvement comprising, in further combination with the above: (h) means for transferring as vapor, from said blowdown liquid into relatively dry air, both (I) at least a portion of the water contained in said aqueous liquid and (II) at least a portion of the volatile hydrocarbons contained in said liquid to provide at least a portion of the hot air and water vapor supplied to said pressurizing means set forth in (b) above, whereby said blast gas supplied to said gasifier comprises as components thereof both (III) recovered water and (IV) recovered volatile hydrocarbons, said recovered components having been recovered from said blowdown liquid.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 256 words

In an integrated coal gasification power plant comprising, in combination: (a) a coal gasifier for producing a raw gaseous fuel by pressure gasification of coal with pressurized air and water vapor; (b) means for pressurizing hot air and water vapor and for supplying the pressurized air and water vapor to said gasifier as blast gas therefor; (c) a gas clean-up system adapted to (I) remove from said raw gaseous fuel at least a portion of any contaminants present therein and (II) produce (i) an aqueous blowdown liquid containing volatile hydrocarbons and (ii) a cleaned-up gaseous fuel; (d) a combustor for combustion of said cleaned-up gaseous fuel to produce a hot expansible gaseous combustion product; (e) means for pressurizing air and for supplying the pressurized air to said combustor; (f) means for supplying said cleaned-up gaseous fuel to said combustor; and (g) means operable by the combustion product for generating electric power; the improvement comprising, in further combination with the above: (h) means for transferring as vapor, from said blowdown liquid into relatively dry air, both (I) at least a portion of the water contained in said aqueous liquid and (II) at least a portion of the volatile hydrocarbons contained in said liquid to provide at least a portion of the hot air and water vapor supplied to said pressurizing means set forth in (b) above, whereby said blast gas supplied to said gasifier comprises as components thereof both (III) recovered water and (IV) recovered volatile hydrocarbons, said recovered components having been recovered from said blowdown liquid.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 26 words

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said transfer means includes means for contacting said relatively dry air with at least a portion of said aqueous liquid.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 46 words

The improvement of claim 2 further including (i) means for providing heat to at least one of said contact means, said aqueous liquid and said relatively dry air in an amount sufficient to effect transfer of substantial amounts of both said volatile hydrocarbons and said water.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 32 words

The improvement of claim 3 wherein said heat-providing means includes a steam coil having such a heating capacity to provide sufficient heat to substantially saturate said realtively dry air with water vapor.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 56 words

The improvement of claim 2 wherein said contact means includes a vessel containing packing adapted to promote intimate contact of said aqueous liquid with said air and further including means for removing tar from said aqueous liquid at a location upstream of said contact means to provide a substantially tar-free aqueous liquid containing said volatile hydrocarbons.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 52 words

The improvement of claim 5 wherein said vessel includes means for introducing said dry air and means for introducing said liquid with said introduction means disposed relatively each to the other such that in operation the flow of said liquid is generally countercurrent to the flow of said air through said packing.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 26 words

The improvement of claim 6 wherein heating means are disposed in heat-exchange relationship with said aqueous liquid in a location upstream of said liquid introduction means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 39 words

The improvement of claim 7 wherein said contact means includes means for removing from said vessel aqueous liquid exiting from said packing and means for recycling at least a portion of the so-removed liquid to said liquid introduction means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 252 words

In a process for operating an integrated coal gasification power plant comprising, in combination, the steps of: (a) producing a raw gaseous fuel in a gasification zone by pressure gasification of coal with pressurized air and water vapor; (b) pressurizing hot air and water vapor and supplying the pressurized air and water vapor to said gasification zone as blast gas therefor; (c) removing from said raw gaseous fuel at least a portion of any contaminants present therein by cleaning up said raw fuel with water in such manner as to produce (i) an aqueous blowdown liquid containing volatile hydrocarbons and (ii) a cleaned-up gaseous fuel; (d) pressurizing air and supplying the pressurized air to a combustion zone; (e) effecting combustion of said cleaned-up gaseous fuel in said combustion zone to produce a hot expansible gaseous combustion product; and (f) employing the combustion product to generate electric power; the improvement comprising, in further combination with the above, the step of: (g) transferring as vapor, from said liquid into relatively dry air, both (I) at least a portion of the water contained in said aqueous liquid and (II) at least a portion of the volatile hydrocarbons contained in said liquid to provide at least a portion of the hot air and water vapor supplied to said pressurizing step set forth in (b) above, whereby said blast gas supplied to said gasifier comprises as components thereof both (III) recovered water and (IV) recovered volatile hydrocarbons, said recovered components having been recovered from said blowdown liquid.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 252 words

In a process for operating an integrated coal gasification power plant comprising, in combination, the steps of: (a) producing a raw gaseous fuel in a gasification zone by pressure gasification of coal with pressurized air and water vapor; (b) pressurizing hot air and water vapor and supplying the pressurized air and water vapor to said gasification zone as blast gas therefor; (c) removing from said raw gaseous fuel at least a portion of any contaminants present therein by cleaning up said raw fuel with water in such manner as to produce (i) an aqueous blowdown liquid containing volatile hydrocarbons and (ii) a cleaned-up gaseous fuel; (d) pressurizing air and supplying the pressurized air to a combustion zone; (e) effecting combustion of said cleaned-up gaseous fuel in said combustion zone to produce a hot expansible gaseous combustion product; and (f) employing the combustion product to generate electric power; the improvement comprising, in further combination with the above, the step of: (g) transferring as vapor, from said liquid into relatively dry air, both (I) at least a portion of the water contained in said aqueous liquid and (II) at least a portion of the volatile hydrocarbons contained in said liquid to provide at least a portion of the hot air and water vapor supplied to said pressurizing step set forth in (b) above, whereby said blast gas supplied to said gasifier comprises as components thereof both (III) recovered water and (IV) recovered volatile hydrocarbons, said recovered components having been recovered from said blowdown liquid.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 27 words

The improvement of claim 9 wherein said transfer step includes the step of contacting said relatively dry air with at least a portion of said aqueous liquid.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 24 words

The improvement of claim 10 further including the step of removing tar and dust from said aqueous liquid prior to effecting said contact step.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 28 words

The improvement of claim 10 wherein water is transferred to said air by said contact step in an amount sufficient to saturate the air leaving the contact step.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1982-04-23	1982-10-23	1983-04-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1986-04-23	1986-10-23	1987-04-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1990-04-23	1990-10-23	1991-04-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Coal gasification power plant and process

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