The main technical challenges encountered in the engineering scale-up of current mainstream gasification units
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Coal gasification, as the key technology in coal chemical industry, provides basic raw materials for the synthesis of subsequent products. Currently, the mainstream coal gasification technologies mainly include SHELL furnaces, space furnaces, water-coal slurry gasifiers, multi-nozzle opposed furnaces, and Ruhrkohle furnaces. For these gasifiers, the maximum operating load at present is 4,000 tons per day. What problems are encountered during the industrial scale-up of these gasifiers, and what factors limit an increase in their loading capacity? I would appreciate any guidance from those who are familiar with this topic.
As you mentioned, all these furnaces have shown improvements in terms of scale, and their operational performance is good as well; this includes issues such as the difficulty in treating wastewater in previous Ruchi units, the conversion rate in single-nozzle gasification, and low pressures in powder coal gasification
Well, it seems that the maximum processing capacity for these furnace types is currently around 3000 t/d. I would like to ask why these gasification furnaces aren’t capable of handling higher capacities, such as 4000 t/d or 5000 t/d. What are the main challenges encountered during the process of scaling up their design?
The maximum capacity for multi-nozzle systems is currently 4000 t/d; GE offers furnaces with a capacity of 3100 t/d. The scale of powder gasification is also considerable. As for why further expansion isn’t pursued, it’s necessary to consult the patent holders to determine what the bottlenecks are.
There are no technical issues in continuing to expand; it’s a matter of operational considerations – one furnace has an excessive load, its cost is too high, and installing a backup furnace also incurs high costs； Secondly, there are too many non-standard devices; due to their excessive size and weight, they cannot be transported by road. It is necessary to establish own large-scale assembly plants, but the quality of the products manufactured there is not guaranteed ； Thirdly, if a single furnace is too heavy, the load requirements on the framework increase by a geometric factor, and safety cannot be ensured.
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It seems that, due to current equipment manufacturing capabilities and requirements regarding reliability, the scale of equipment deployment does not match the output, resulting in a sharp decline in economies of scale or even negative values. A different approach is needed
It seems that, due to current equipment manufacturing capabilities and requirements regarding reliability, the scale of equipment deployment does not match the output, resulting in a sharp decline in economies of scale or even negative values. A different approach is needed
It seems that currently, three black water circulation pumps are installed above the large furnace, with two of them in operation