Patent US3329575A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4472172A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Arc gasification of coal
Assignee: Sheer Korman Associates Inc
•
Filing: 1979-12-03
•
Granted: 1984-09-18
•
Expires: 1999-12-03
Abstract
Abstract A process for the gasification of coal consisting essentially of forming a free-burning arc discharge between at least one anode and a cathode having a conical tip, wherein said arc discharge forms a contraction of the current-carrying area in the transition region in the vicinity of the cathode, forcefully projecting a reactive material consisting of a mixture of pulverized coal and steam parallel to the surface of said conical tip of said cathode and through said contraction of the current-carrying area in the transition region in the vicinity of the cathode, at such a rate that said mixture of pulverized coal and steam is exposed to the free-burning arc for less than 3 milli-seconds, and recovering a solid carbonaceous fume having a surface area equivalent to a particle size in the range of 0.01 to 0.2 microns and a gaseous product comprising of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The carbonaceous fume is highly reactive and in a second steam treatment step is readily converted to gas at a rate of an order of magnitude higher than that for a conventionally devolatilized coal char.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles Sheer
- 👤 Samuel Korman
- 👤 Thomas J. Dougherty
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 08:52
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10J; C10J3/00; C10J3/46; C10J3/466; C10J2300/00; C10J2300/12; C10J2300/123; C10J2300/1238
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A process for the gasification of coal consisting essentially of forming a free-burning arc discharge between at least one anode and a cathode having a conical tip, wherein said arc discharge forms a contraction of the current-carrying area in the transition region in the vicinity of the cathode, forcefully projecting a reactive material consisting of a mixture of pulverized coal and steam parallel to the surface of said conical tip of said cathode and through said contraction of the current-carrying area in the transition region in the vicinity of the cathode, at such a rate that said mixture of pulverized coal and steam is exposed to the free-burning arc for less than 3 milliseconds, and recovering the major portion of the coal fed in the form of a solid carbonaceous fume having a surface area in the range of 40 to 100 m 2 /gm and the minor portion of the coal fed in the form of a gaseous product consisting of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
168 words
A process for the gasification of coal consisting essentially of forming a free-burning arc discharge between at least one anode and a cathode having a conical tip, wherein said arc discharge forms a contraction of the current-carrying area in the transition region in the vicinity of the cathode, forcefully projecting a reactive material consisting of a mixture of pulverized coal and steam parallel to the surface of said conical tip of said cathode and through said contraction of the current-carrying area in the transition region in the vicinity of the cathode, at such a rate that said mixture of pulverized coal and steam is exposed to the free-burning arc for less than 3 milliseconds, and recovering the major portion of the coal fed in the form of a solid carbonaceous fume having a surface area in the range of 40 to 100 m 2 /gm and the minor portion of the coal fed in the form of a gaseous product consisting of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said mixture is exposed to the free-burning arc for about 1 millisecond.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 2 wherein 50% to 80% of the carbon in the pulverized coal feed is recovered as said carbonaceous fume.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the mixture ratio by weight of said mixture of pulverized coal and steam is from 1:1 to 4.4:1.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 4 wherein said mixture ratio by weight is from 2.5:1 to 4.4:1.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
187 words
A two-stage process for the gasification of coal consisting essentially of forming a free-burning arc discharge between at least one anode and a cathode having a conical tip, wherein said arc discharge forms a contraction of the current-carrying area in the transition region in the vicinity of the cathode, forcefully projecting a reactive material consisting of a mixture of pulverized coal and steam parallel to the surface of said conical tip of said cathode and through said contraction of the current-carrying area in the transition region in the vicinity of the cathode, at such a rate that said mixture of pulverized coal and steam is exposed to the free-burning arc for less than 3 milliseconds, recovering the major portion of the coal fed in the form of a solid carbonaceous fume having a surface area in the range of 40 to 100 m 2 /gm and the minor portion of the coal fed in the form of a gaseous product comprised of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, reacting said solid carbonaceous fume with steam at elevated temperatures and pressures and recovering more of said gaseous product.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
187 words
A two-stage process for the gasification of coal consisting essentially of forming a free-burning arc discharge between at least one anode and a cathode having a conical tip, wherein said arc discharge forms a contraction of the current-carrying area in the transition region in the vicinity of the cathode, forcefully projecting a reactive material consisting of a mixture of pulverized coal and steam parallel to the surface of said conical tip of said cathode and through said contraction of the current-carrying area in the transition region in the vicinity of the cathode, at such a rate that said mixture of pulverized coal and steam is exposed to the free-burning arc for less than 3 milliseconds, recovering the major portion of the coal fed in the form of a solid carbonaceous fume having a surface area in the range of 40 to 100 m 2 /gm and the minor portion of the coal fed in the form of a gaseous product comprised of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, reacting said solid carbonaceous fume with steam at elevated temperatures and pressures and recovering more of said gaseous product.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
The process of claim 6 wherein said reaction of said carbonaceous fume with steam is conducted at temperatures of 800° C. to 1100° C. at pressures from atmospheric to 300 pounds per square inch gauge and said gaseous product consists of about 60% hydrogen, 30% carbon monoxide and 10% carbon dioxide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
The process of claim 6 wherein said reaction of said carbonaceous fume with steam is conducted at temperatures of 400° C. to 600° C. at pressures of from atmospheric to 300 pounds per square inch gauge and said gaseous product consists of about 40% methane, 5% hydrogen, 10% carbon monoxide and 42% carbon dioxide.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 8 conducted in a flow-through reactor in the absence of an added methanation catalyst.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process of claim 6 wherein said pulverized coal is a high sulfur coal containing mineral matter and said gaseous product is substantially free of a sulfur content without special desulfurization processes.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-09-18 | 1988-03-19 | 1988-09-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-09-18 | 1992-03-19 | 1992-09-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-09-18 | 1996-03-19 | 1996-09-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |