Pilot gasification and hot gas cleanup operations

The Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) has an integrated gasification hot gas cleanup facility to develop gasification, hot particulate and desulfurization process performance data for IGCC systems. The objective of our program is to develop fluidized-bed process performance data for hot gas desulfurization and to further test promising sorbents from lab-scale screening studies at highpressure (300 psia), and temperatures (1,200{degrees}F) using coal-derived fuel gases from a fluid-bed gasifier. The 10-inch inside diameter (ID), nominal 80 lb/hr, air blown gasifier is capable of providing about 300 lb/hr of low BTU gas at 1,000{degrees}F and 425 psig to downstream cleanup devices. The system includes several particle removal stages, which provide the capability to tailor the particle loading to the cleanup section. The gas pressure is reduced to approximately 300 psia and filtered by a candle filter vessel containing up to four filter cartridges. For batch-mode desulfurization test operations, the filtered coal gas is fed to a 6-inch ID, fluid-bed reactor that is preloaded with desulfurization sorbent. Over 400 hours of gasifier operation was logged in 1993 including 384 hours of integration with the cleanup rig. System baseline studies without desulfurization sorbent and repeatability checks with zinc ferrite sorbent were conducted before testingmore » with the then most advanced zinc titanate sorbents, ZT-002 and ZR-005. In addition to the desulfurization testing, candle filters were tested for the duration of the 384 hours of integrated operation. One filter was taken out of service after 254 hours of filtering while another was left in service. At the conclusion of testing this year it is expected that 3 candles, one each with 254, 530, and 784 hours of filtering will be available for analysis for effects of the exposure to the coal gas environment.« less