The aim of this study is the technical and economical feasibility of hydropyrolysis (Hypy). The classical industrial model is Hypy with recycled H2, as heat carrier and dry coal feed. The economic balance is not satisfactory. The factors determining the profitability are H2 consumption and costs. Several innovations were introduced so as to improve the economic balance of production and to reduce the costs.L%
Hydropyrolysis technique has been optimized with respect both to reduction in cost and increase in valuable oil. The resulting char is a clean solid fuel, having low sulfur content, high reactivity with air for combustion and gasification and no cancerogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The high reactivity permits combustion at lower temperatures and thus, reduction in NOx formation. Ammonia and other nitrogen compounds are eliminated during the pyrolysis under hydrogen pressure and cannot contribute to the formation of nitrogen oxydes.
The economy of hydropyrolysis or hydromethanolysis like all the other coal gasification and liquefactions processes does not seem to be competitive at the energy market prices of 1989, if a quality supplement in price for the char is not paid considering his environment protection advantages.
The study covers the technical and economical aspects of :
- Hydrogen consumption in hydropyrolysis.
- Hydrogen superheating.
- Gas separation and hydrogen recycling.
- Hydropyrolisis with H2-CH4 mixtures and alternative use of coke oven gas in hydropyrolysis.
- Co-pyrolysis of coal and oil by feeding with coal oil mixtures (C.O.M.).
- Multisolid fluidized bed reactor.
- Upgrading of hydropyrolysis oil by on line postcracking and catalytical perhydrogenation and craking of the resulting naphtenic compounds.