Coal gasification in a spouted bed

Abstract

Abstract Low Btu gas has been produced by gasifying coal in a spouted bed reactor. Coal of size 0.8‐3.6 mm is fed continuously to a 0.15 m diameter spouted bed of inerts and gasified using mixtures of steam and air. Tests of the process with Western Canadian coals of free swelling index 0, 4 and 7 are reported. Gases of heating value to 3.61 MJ/m 3 were produced at coal throughputs of 0.188 kg/m 2 s with the reactor operating at atmospheric pressure and temperatures to 930°C. Characteristics of the spouted bed gasifier are presented and results compared to commercial moving and fluidized bed systems. A simple mathematical model based on the two‐region spouted bed model of Mathur and Lim is used to predict the effect on steam utilization of bed composition, bed height and diameter, and particle size.