Skip to main content
Log in

Metal chloride influence on syngas component during coal pyrolysis in fixed-bed and entrained flow drop-tube furnace

  • Article
  • Published:
Science China Technological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pyrolysis was carried out in an entrained flow drop-tube furnace (DTF) and tube furnace (TF) using Pingzhuang lignite coal with various catalyst concentrations (2 wt%, 4 wt%, and 6 wt%) of KCl and CaCl2 for the syngas component at 800°C–1200°C. Five catalysts (KCl, CaCl2, NiCl2, MnCl2, and ZnCl2) at 6 wt% were chosen for DTF at 800°C–1200°C. An online gas chromatograph analyzer and the Fourier transform infrared spectra were used for the analysis of the syngas and char structure. Results showed that the overall CO2 and CH4 content in DTF was lower than that in TF, mainly due to the CH4 carbon reaction at high temperature. Moreover, the CO% in DTF was higher than in the TF experiment, as char reacts with carbon dioxide to form carbon monoxide. In DTF experiment, the maximum and minimum CO2 content was 15.20% with 6 wt% Mn at 800°C and 0.33% with 6 wt% K at 1100°C, respectively. The maximum CO% was found in raw coal. Concentrations of Mn2+, Zn2+, and K+ can significantly increase H2%, whereas Ca2+ and Ni2+ have a minor effect on H2%; however, the overall presence of catalyst has a positive impact on the H2 content.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. British Petroleum (BP). Statistical review of world energy. https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-re-view-of-world-energy/coal.html#coal-reserves, 2017

  2. Zellagui S, Schönnenbeck C, Zouaoui-Mahzoul N, et al. Pyrolysis of coal and woody biomass under N2 and CO2 atmospheres using a drop tube furnace: Experimental study and kinetic modeling. Fuel Process Technol, 2016, 148: 99–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Guo R, Yang J, Liu Z. Behavior of trace elements during pyrolysis of coal in a simulated drop-tube reactor. Fuel, 2004, 83: 639–643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gonzalez V, Rußig S, Schurz M, et al. Experimental investigations on lignite char gasification kinetics using a pressurized drop tube reactor. Fuel, 2018, 224: 348–356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Valdés C F, Chejne F. Effect of reaction atmosphere on the products of slow pyrolysis of coals. J Anal Appl Pyrolysis, 2017, 126: 105–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Liu L, Kumar S, Wang Z, et al. Catalytic effect of metal chlorides on coal pyrolysis and gasification part I. Combined TG-FTIR study for coal pyrolysis. Thermochim Acta, 2017, 655: 331–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Xu W C, Tomita A. The effects of temperature and residence time on the secondary reactions of volatiles from coal pyrolysis. Fuel Process Technol, 1989, 21: 25–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Wang H, Chen Z, Zhang X, et al. Thermal decomposition mechanisms of coal and coal chars under CO2 atmosphere using a distributed activation energy model. Thermochim Acta, 2018, 662: 41–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Griffin T P, Howard J B, Peters W A. Pressure and temperature effects in bituminous coal pyrolysis: Experimental observations and a transient lumped-parameter model. Fuel, 1994, 73: 591–601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Cetin E, Gupta R, Moghtaderi B. Effect of pyrolysis pressure and heating rate on radiata pine char structure and apparent gasification reactivity. Fuel, 2005, 84: 1328–1334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Calkins W H. Investigation of organic sulfur-containing structures in coal by flash pyrolysis experiments. Energy Fuels, 1987, 1: 59–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Zhang K, Li Y, He Y, et al. Volatile gas release characteristics of three typical Chinese coals under various pyrolysis conditions. J Energy Institute, 2018, 91: 1045–1056

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Reichel D, Siegl S, Neubert C, et al. Determination of pyrolysis behavior of brown coal in a pressurized drop tube reactor. Fuel, 2015, 158: 983–998

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Li Q, Wang Z, He Y, et al. Pyrolysis characteristics and evolution of char structure during pulverized coal pyrolysis in drop tube furnace: Influence of temperature. Energy Fuels, 2017, 31: 4799–4807

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Binner E, Facun J, Chen L, et al. Effect of coal drying on the behavior of inorganic species during victorian brown coal pyrolysis and combustion. Energy Fuels, 2011, 25: 2764–2771

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ohtsuka Y, Asami K. Highly active catalysts from inexpensive raw materials for coal gasification. Catal Today, 1997, 39: 111–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Clemens A H, Damiano L F, Matheson T W. The effect of calcium on the rate and products of steam gasification of char from low rank coal. Fuel, 1998, 77: 1017–1020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Wang J, Yao Y, Cao J, et al. Enhanced catalysis of K2CO3 for steam gasification of coal char by using Ca(OH)2 in char preparation. Fuel, 2010, 89: 310–317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Ding L, Dai Z, Wei J, et al. Catalytic effects of alkali carbonates on coal char gasification. J Energy Institute, 2017, 90: 588–601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Tang J, Wang J. Catalytic steam gasification of coal char with alkali carbonates: A study on their synergic effects with calcium hydroxide. Fuel Process Technol, 2016, 142: 34–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Ding L, Zhou Z, Guo Q, et al. Catalytic effects of Na2CO3 additive on coal pyrolysis and gasification. Fuel, 2015, 142: 134–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Zhang F, Fan M, Huang X, et al. Catalytic gasification of a powder river basin coal with CO2 and H2O mixtures. Fuel Process Technol, 2017, 161: 145–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Zhang J, Zhang R, Bi J. Effect of catalyst on coal char structure and its role in catalytic coal gasification. Catal Commun, 2016, 79: 1–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Zhang L, Kudo S, Tsubouchi N, et al. Catalytic effects of Na and Ca from inexpensive materials on in-situ steam gasification of char from rapid pyrolysis of low rank coal in a drop-tube reactor. Fuel Process Technol, 2013, 113: 1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Li Q, Wang Z, Lin Z, et al. Effects of hydrothermal modification on sulfur release of low-quality coals during thermal transformation process. J Energy Resour Technol, 2018, 140: 072201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Sun Z, Wu J, Haghighi M, et al. Methane cracking over a bituminous coal char. Energy Fuels, 2007, 21: 1601–1605

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Zou X, Yao J, Yang X, et al. Catalytic effects of metal chlorides on the pyrolysis of lignite. Energy Fuels, 2007, 21: 619–624

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Murakami K, Shirato H, Ozaki J, et al. Effects of metal ions on the thermal decomposition of brown coal. Fuel Process Technol, 1996, 46: 183–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Song H, Liu G, Zhang J, et al. Pyrolysis characteristics and kinetics of low rank coals by TG-FTIR method. Fuel Process Technol, 2017, 156: 454–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Liu L, Yuan Y, Kumar S, et al. Catalytic effect of metal chlorides on coal pyrolysis and gasification part II. Effects of acid washing on coal characteristics. Thermochim Acta, 2018, 666: 41–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Niu Z, Liu G, Yin H, et al. Investigation of mechanism and kinetics of non-isothermal low temperature pyrolysis of perhydrous bituminous coal by in-situ FTIR. Fuel, 2016, 172: 1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yong He or ZhiHua Wang.

Additional information

This work was supported by the Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51621005).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sunel, K., He, Y., Wang, Z. et al. Metal chloride influence on syngas component during coal pyrolysis in fixed-bed and entrained flow drop-tube furnace. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 62, 2029–2037 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-018-9492-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-018-9492-5

Keywords

Navigation