Could the seniors analyze it and tell me if they think this project is easy to handle?

Young man, do some research – there’s a vast amount of literature available, so it’s easy to get a master’s degree. It’s a doctoral degree – one needs to think carefully about it; it’s not easy to bring about innovation. It is important to develop the good habit of frequently consulting literature.

There is a book titled Fundamentals of Coal Chemical Engineering, which provides a detailed explanation of how to produce methanol; I recommend giving it a read

This topic is quite challenging; there are few reports on the direct conversion of coal to methane. What was mentioned in the previous sections refers to technologies that involve gasification followed by methanation first. Generally, in the gas produced after coal gasification, methane is mostly a product of the decomposition of hydrocarbons in the coal; its concentration depends on the quality of the coal. The gasification temperature also affects the methane content. However, in the absence of a catalyst, it is difficult to produce methane directly from coal, oxygen, and a gasifying agent. It is suggested to consider how to arrange catalytic substances within the gasification furnace so that coal gasification and methanation can take place simultaneously within the furnace; this is just an idea. I hope it can be realized, as it would constitute an invention patent.

It’s very difficult, but it’s not impossible; what China needs is exactly this kind of innovation! Let me give you a brief analysis: coal mainly contains elements such as C, H, O, N, and S, with C, H, and O being the most abundant. Moreover, the amount of hydrogen is much less than that of oxygen (in the case of most coals). If we consider equal chances for synthesis, carbon oxides will be produced in far greater quantities than hydrocarbons, and the conditions required for synthesizing carbon oxides are also much less stringent than those for synthesizing hydrocarbons. To maximize methane production, compounds composed of C, H, and O are more stable. Currently, trying to produce the maximum amount of methane in an oxygen-rich environment while avoiding oxygen is as difficult as trying to bypass U.S. restrictions in the Sudan situation. Here’s my opinion: first and foremost, catalysts must be used for catalytic synthesis, and it’s necessary to thoroughly study the theories related to the Arrhenius equation, haha. Secondly, the raw coal is refined to create conditions that allow it to be transformed into a material suitable for maximizing methane synthesis. For example, elements in the raw coal that are not conducive to methane synthesis, as well as other impurities, are removed as much as possible in a specific environment. In other words, the raw coal, which primarily consists of C, H, O, N, and S, is converted into coal that mainly contains C and H elements; the other elements can then be removed step by step to produce products derived from them, thereby expanding the range of possible products. If coal is composed of C and H elements, then even though synthesizing methane in that case is more difficult, it is still much simpler than synthesizing methane from raw coal. It’s a bit idealistic, but it is feasible. The goal may seem far away, but as long as one stays on the right path, that distance can be greatly reduced! Direct coal liquefaction simply involves adding hydrogen directly to raw coal; it’s also quite idealistic, but it can be implemented in practice! Let’s talk about two points first; you can discuss them with your supervisor and let me know the results of those discussions, hehe. I ask other teachers to offer their criticism and suggestions; at the same time, I welcome anyone on the forum who has better ideas to share them. Thank you. This post was last edited by GSP on 2009-3-18 10:31]

Thank you to UID73981 from above. What I would like to point out is that I prefer to work without an oxygen atmosphere, rather than in a hydrogen and water vapor atmosphere; I want to try it under certain temperature and pressure conditions. I’m not sure if this will be feasible, as it seems quite difficult based on what the person above said!

Thank you to the person above; their analysis is very insightful. It seems that the difficulty level is quite high. Our idea is to give it a try in a hydrogen atmosphere. I hope you can give me some advice in a timely manner, so as to prevent me from taking a path with no way out!

Hehe, I know it’s difficult too, but it’s not easy to graduate with a master’s degree either; it’s hard to just muddle through!

“An “oxygen atmosphere” does not refer solely to oxygen; what I mean is an oxidizing atmosphere. You have a rather narrow understanding of it, haha. For those working in chemistry, it’s necessary to think more broadly and not be too limited in one’s approach. I believe your current conditions are not suitable; it will not be possible to maximize methane production, and thus you won’t be able to achieve your goals.

It is essentially impossible to produce methane directly through coal gasification; this is related to factors such as the quality of the coal, operating temperature and pressure, as well as the residence time inside the furnace. The best gasification process is the Ruhr pressure gasification method, which yields a methane content of 15% at the outlet. Adding a methanation catalyst inside the furnace, as mentioned earlier, is not feasible – first, the temperature is too high, and second, the concentrations of CO and CO2 cannot be controlled.

I guess your boss’s goal is for you to use gasification to obtain fuel with a high calorific value. Personally, I think the direction is great. Without a catalyst, it’s almost impossible; consider using catalytic gasification.

I need to use a catalyst, but I’m not sure what the best way to load it is!

Thank you for the reminder from above; many people say it’s very difficult, or even impossible to accomplish. Why did my boss assign me such a task? I’m so worried – what if I can’t complete it?

It’s precisely because of the difficulty that we set challenges. If our tasks were all simple, we could just find a few papers to study* and that would be enough; there would be no need to do a lot of unnecessary work. Wasn’t that technology recognized and developed only after countless repeated experiments?

Reactions in a hydrogen atmosphere are not practical. 1. Where does hydrogen come from? 2. Where does the required heat come from? It’s better to refer to Luchi pressurized gasification. 1. Increase the gasification pressure, 2. Maintain a not-too-high temperature, 3. Appropriate amount of steam, 4. Coal with a high volatile content

In fact, it is the concept of coal-to-natural gas in a single step. You can look up information about Great Point in the United States. There should be 3 main controls for increasing methane production. 1. Carry out the reaction at low temperatures; it’s best not to exceed 850 degrees. 2. Use partial oxidation, and control the amount of oxygen supplied. Neither anaerobic nor oxygen-enriched conditions are advisable. Your idea of using water vapor is good; it can provide hydrogen and oxygen, as well as help to cool down or regulate the temperature. 3. Catalysts. To increase the reaction rate at low temperatures, catalysts must be used, and the cost-effectiveness and recyclability of these catalysts are likely to be key factors in determining their commercial viability. Overall, it seems that this topic is quite large. If it is to be used as a master’s thesis, a comprehensive comparison of existing or currently under-development technologies can be conducted. On this basis, put forward your own ideas and then conduct some theoretical calculations. But it’s impossible and there’s no time to be thorough. If it is to be used as a doctoral thesis, I suggest that you choose one of these areas and conduct more in-depth research on it. When you go all out, it’s hard to bring out your own unique qualities. I don’t know what field your major is in; try to choose a related main focus area.

One could refer to what the Germans did during World War II, hehe

My major is chemical engineering; I’m currently a master’s student. Thank you for your analysis! It has great reference value.