Simulation of Synthesis Gas Production from Steam Oxygen Gasification of Colombian Coal Using Aspen Plus ®

Jorge E. Preciado, John J. Ortiz-Martinez, Juan C. Gonzalez-Rivera, Rocio Sierra-Ramirez and Gerardo Gordillo
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Jorge E. Preciado: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Los Andes, Bogotá 11001000, Colombia
John J. Ortiz-Martinez: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Los Andes, Bogotá 11001000, Colombia
Juan C. Gonzalez-Rivera: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Los Andes, Bogotá 11001000, Colombia
Rocio Sierra-Ramirez: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Los Andes, Bogotá 11001000, Colombia
Gerardo Gordillo: Energy Conversion Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogotá 11001000, Colombia

Energies, 2012, vol. 5, issue 12, 1-17

Abstract: A steady state simulation of syngas production from a Steam Oxygen Gasification process using commercial technologies was performed using Aspen Plus ® . For the simulation, the average proximate and ultimate compositions of bituminous coal obtained from the Colombian Andean region were employed. The simulation was applied to conduct sensitivity analyses in the O 2 to coal mass ratio, coal slurry concentration, WGS operating temperature and WGS steam to dry gas molar ratio (SDG) over the key parameters: syngas molar composition, overall CO conversion in the WGS reactors, H 2 rich-syngas lower heating value (LHV) and thermal efficiency. The achieved information allows the selection of critical operating conditions leading to improve system efficiency and environmental performance. The results indicate that the oxygen to carbon ratio is a key variable as it affects significantly both the LHV and thermal efficiency. Nevertheless, the process becomes almost insensitive to SDG values higher than 2. Finally, a thermal efficiency of 62.6% can be reached. This result corresponds to a slurry solid concentration of 0.65, a WGS process SDG of 0.59, and a LTS reactor operating temperature of 473 K. With these fixed variables, a syngas with H 2 molar composition of 92.2% and LHV of 12 MJ Nm ?3 was attained.

Keywords: Aspen Plus ® simulation; coal; steam-oxygen gasification; synthesis gas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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