A catalytic process (H-Coal) involving the direct hydrogenation of coal to produce hydrocarbon liquids is described. Bench-scale and pilot plant development of the H-Coal process is reported. Emphasis is placed on a proposed pilot plant which will be the largest coal liquefaction plant on-line in the U.S., processing up to 600 tpd of coal. Economic considerations are given

Voss, W. C.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

ACSTHACT 
H-Coal is a catalytic prdcess  involving the 
d i r ec t  hydrof,enation of coal b produce hydro- 
carbvn liquids. I ts  development was rtar+ed in 
1963 by  Hydrocarbon Research, Inc., a subsidiary 
of Dynalectron. The process  has operated at t l r e  
bench sca l e  :*vel on a wide varicty of coals 
including eas t e rn  ti. S. , western  subbituminous 
and lignites from Texas and North Dakc ta as well 
as foreign coals. A three-ton p e r  day process  
deveLpment unit has a l su  been operated exten- 
sively. confirming bench scale resulci  and adding 
substaniially to the technical data base. 
p rocess  affords wide flexibility n: Lperation f rom 
"fuel oil" to '*syncrude*' modes. 
The 
A pilot plant now undcr construction a t  
Catlettrburg, Kcntucky is rchedulcd fur cumplr- 
tion March 31, 1979. It will hc the la rges t  coal 
liquefaction plant on-line irr  t w  C' S. ,  processing 
up t? 600 tpd of coal. Concurre:* with the pilot 
plant, o ther  development activities are being 
undertaken to provide t imely initiation of a 
commercial project. Assuming successful 
operation of the pilot plant in 1979, engineering on 
a 50,000 BPL) plant is scheduled to start in ea r ly  
1980. construction in mid-1931 and operations 
beginning in late 1984. 
I. INTRODUCTION 
Recently A s h l a d  b s  been studying conimer- 
cialization 01 le H-Coal process  and has hac! 
s eve ra l  meetings with Department of Energy 
personnel concerning such  development. The 
discussion today will addr5ss  both the status uf the 
H-Coal pilot plant now untier construction and the 
s t a t u s  of a proposai for comrncrcialization of the 
process. 
The pilot 'ant will t-- discussed la te r  but jus t  
roject required for commerciali-  rhc scope of 
zation is la rge  by any meascre. An installation 
designed to produce 50.000 bar re l s  per s t r eam 
day of liquid products would require 18,500 tons 
pe r  day of bituminous coal o r  6,100,000 tons per 
year. 
single point consumer of bituminous coal in the 
world, equivalent i n  fuel to a 2,300 MW power 
plant. 
ground coal mines to supply feed to one plant. 
Therefore, the facility would be the la rgcs t  
It would require 3 relatively la rge  under- 
Obviously, much careful planning would be 
required to bring such an undertaking to fruition. 
Our most  optimistic projections for  a commcrcizl  
plant would be on start-up i n  mid-1984 (as 
discussed later). 
11. BACKGHOL'ND 
The H-Coal process  developed by 
Hydrocarbon Resear:h, Incorporated dates back 
to 1963. 
technclogy which is a commerciai  sys t em used 
fo r  hydrogenation of residual oil. 
The procabs is a spin-off of the H-Oil 
H-Coal is a direct, cata?ytic hydiagenation of 
coal in an  ebullating bed (boiling). 
operates at about 3000 psig and BSOOF which are 
relatively seve re  condi:ions. 
The reactor 
The basic experimental work on the pr. cess 
has  been and is still being donr; on a bench scale 
unit and a pilot demonstratibn unit ( W U )  at 
Trenton. NJ operated by tlllt. T1.e data base is 
l a rge  including 60.000 hours on the brneh unit and 
8,000 hours 01. the FDU. 'I'hc p r m e r s  has  becn 
testcd 9n a wide variety of coals f r o m  high 
volatile hituminous to 1 ignites f o r  domestic coals 
and on G o  foreign coals. 
versati l i ty of the processing, that is modifications 
can  be made to accommodate markedly different 
feed coals. 
This indicates the 
In 1976 Ashland Synthetic Fuels, Inc., a 
wholly-owned subsidiary of Ashlanr. Oil, Inc. , 
was awarded the pr ime contract  fo r  coastruction 
and operation of an H-Coal pilot plant. Under 
terms af the contract, Jydrocarbon Resee- ;h, 
Incorporated will supply technical advic,. and 
support throughout the program. 
The plant, now under construction, is loLatea 
acrcss Interstate Highway 64 f rom Ashland's 
Catlet*sburg. Kentucky refineries. The refinery 
will fuznish .vdrogcn and other utility type 
commodities to thr pilot plant which effectively 
reduces tbr  total capital i.ivestment for  the 
installation. 
mechanical completion and is a joint govrrnment- 
industry effort. The major  portion of the funding 
for the project is from the Dep,. .tnent of Energy. 
Indgstrial participants are as foilows: 
The plant is nea r  40 percent 
0 Ashlar.; Oil, inc. 
0 Conoco Coal Development Company 
Mobil Oil Corporation 
Standard Oil (Indi m a )  
Additional funding is furnished by the 
Commonwer.lth of Kentucky aad the El -c t r i r  
Power Re -.arch Institute. the resear i i l  - - . v  0' 
the electric power generatinq i-vi ,-try. 
The pilot plan+ 
to 600 tons per 8-., 
sized to process f rom 200 
jal, depending on the 
L62 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19790019446 2020-03-21T22:40:10+00:00Z
rcactur space vel uity. 
q u r a t i o n  dctcimin-s the capac:"y of pla-t as 
drsigi..YI. Oper.*t .ig i . a  "fucl oil" mode high sprcc 
velocity. nuid hnkol ,  --rtialn. f-.cl uil Product. Q- 
ca-ci- or thr girt r i i i  r; t3? %* p r  bar. 
Oprrati..g i.1 " s y n c r ~ 3 t "  mode 1- - space velocity 
deep hydrnp nation, sync N& pxmiuct. the capacity 
*if tFr  plant will br 200 tons prr day. 
That LS. the 'hodc" nf 
?-he run-ni-mine coal ;s r rccirrd z t  .sLc platat 
and cnichec mi3us 3'4 inkhes in a hammrr mall. 
Fror the mill the curl is f a  thmg!, a tra-isfer 
housc 1.1 .he coal st-rage pile, thc %team plant. or 
t-.-ush..d -2-1 s;.rrape b .IS. 
F- THE HYDROGEN PI AUT 
io : 
the vacuum towers mixed with tbc ash rad 
uncmrcrted carboa Tbc vacuum tarvr hot(Dtns 
are fed to tk partial rudrtim unit for synthesis 
tas production and subscqucnt hydrogen maamfac- 
tu=. 
cial products a d  ash. an i m r h a t  feature of (he 
prncrss iq  worked out at Ashlaa-d, 
Tbc result i s  zflamt rh t  prwhtccs commer- 
Iable I. Product slate - commercim plant 
Coal Rrqutrcd "As Received" 18.541 tpa 
205 
.. 
The projecti- wen d e  usips c a r r a t  
1917 ddkrs rad prajected current dollars for 
capital determipotioo, 
Table 2. Canmcrcial plant 
45 3.6 . 3 0 . 2  
I is. 2 265-2 
Equity DLF ROI 
Constant Ddlars 14. a?. 
tnflatrd to Start-uo IS. 
Full Inflation 31.ClcI 
Table 3. Cowmerc ia l  plant 
Economic Projections 
Pruject u<:F 5C.lJ 
Constant thdlars: 9.1": 
Inflated tu Start-up IO. 5"; 
Full  Inflation I 9.8'; 
Tlx :;ex? mhlc shvwr the inflTtion rates used 
in tnc preceding r c m o m i r  analysis. Making such 
praaynrwtit ;vtwmr Iii~rc k8.n a Iwvcariiiw wcupatirm 
in rr-crnt history but cxtcndrd f.Brt-raating rryui re- 
some predictions of inflation rater.  
266 
The ccnaomic incroti :es .rhictr tun beem 
suggr--ctd incldr guaran:e,aI aon-mcourse  
gnverameot loans with rari- i d a t r i a l  buy- 
back prorisiams, aczrfrratd ir-estnrent tat 
credits. t u  credi t  all- *ace  for each barrel uf 
pr~luct .  government p r i n t s  for the ini- 
dcrelopncnt.  4 combinations of the above. It  
will t.r awcessary in sr,y cor-nt t.1 requi re  sdfi- 
ricnt funding front thr i d u s t r i a l  cunzo-rtiurn to 
indicate their canmitnarnt ro ?he success  OI tr-e 
c-ojcct, 
1 t i  mcet Ih  schcdde rm:lin.-d ~ r a ~ i r * 1 s I y ,  
unreasonable delays must  be elimitwtcd fmm the 
environmental p r 'q ram which is on &e cr i t ica l  
path. 
tion withnut tcaionablc a s su ranc r  that thc 
envir usmental impact st  trincnt i s  acccotablc. 
Since a n  cnvi ro~men 'a l  asscssmcn . . required 
for the prcpararion - b f  an EIS. any unusual dclays 
ww:d a t end  the schrdul.. bccausc of taint 
r c q u i r c m t d s  for Imsclina- data an& abtht-r ttnh. 
-amstraintr  .n:ici :.a in thv . ~ s s ~ + ~ ~ t v ~ - n r  u arb. 
Cbrirrusly. one can  nct commit t ~ c a n s t r - i c -  
1. \I . *ivvr. at i\ztrland that c r d  Irquvfac- 
tion development in *he i'nitrd States 8 : -  inevitable. 


The H-Coal processes: A status report

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