A domestically produced million-ton-class coal liquefaction reactor was put into operation at **Energy Group

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Domestically produced million-ton-class coal liquefaction reactors put into operation by **Energy Group / Source: Modern Coal Chemicals / Date: 11-17-2020 / Clicks: 3. Recently, the coal-to-oil and coal liquefaction facilities of **Energy Group began operations using coal, marking a complete success in the development of domestically produced million-ton-class direct coal liquefaction reactors. Over the past year or so, **the coal-to-oil project of the Energy Group has overcome the challenges posed by tight deadlines and heavy workload, as well as the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. By assembling top domestic design and manufacturing teams and employing optimized design solutions and production processes, it has successfully completed the domestic production of million-ton-scale coal direct liquefaction reactors. To achieve an upgraded long-term safe and stable operation of the reactor, the coal-to-oil project took full account of the problems identified during the operation of the original reactor. To address technical challenges such as coking and blockages, a large number of technological innovations were incorporated into the design, with numerous modifications made to elements such as the reactor pressure measurement ports, fan-shaped cups, flushing oil systems, bubble trays, and manholes. These modifications have become a key element in the upgrading of coal direct liquefaction technology. From the signing of the contract on June 28, 2019, to the on-site delivery for installation at the end of August 2020, it took only 14 months to manufacture the new reactor; this manufacturing time was more than 60% shorter than that required for the original reactor, setting a record for the fastest delivery time for a 2,100-ton hydrogenation reactor. The cylinder forging for the original reactor was imported from France, resulting in high costs and long production times. The new reactor achieves complete domestic production from forged materials to forging technology, welding technology, and weld inspection technology. During manufacturing, the coal-to-oil project innovatively adopted an advanced integrated forging technology for transition sections and cylinder segments, developed independently in China, and optimized the heat treatment processes during forging to ensure the mechanical properties of the ultra-large forgings. During welding, the project employed newly developed automatic welding techniques to weld the cylinder seams, and used internationally advanced detection methods for welds with extremely large wall thicknesses to ensure the quality of the reactor. The successful operation of million-ton-scale coal direct liquefaction reactors further demonstrates the speed and strength of Chinese manufacturing, enhances the technological and industrial advantages of coal direct liquefaction, and lays a solid foundation for the high-quality, large-scale development of coal-to-oil production.