Experimental Study of Coal Gasification Coupling with Natural Gas Autothermal Re-Forming for Synthesis Gas Production

A new process, coal gasification coupling with natural gas autothermal re-forming for synthesis gas production, is introduced in this paper. Following the technological principle of this process, the H2/CO ratio of crude synthesis gas can been controlled in a range of 1.0-2.0. Using a moving bed as the reactor and coke as the raw material in the preliminary study of hot simulative experiments, the effects of blowing parameters H2O/CH4/O2 on the temperature in the flame zone and the H2/CO ratio of synthesis gas were investigated. The results of preliminary experiments showed that for the produced crude synthesis gas, with a H2/CO ratio in a range of 1.0-2.0, the contents of the active compounds (H2, CO) were more than 90% and the residual methane was less than 2%. The process went smoothly by keeping the temperature of the reactor above 1000 (degree)C and adjusting the blowing parameters H2O/CH4/O2, with natural gas and oxygen being blown into the reactor at the same position. The preliminary results presented demonstrate that coal gasification coupling with natural gas autothermal re-forming process has the potential for commercial synthesis gas production.