Progress in ZEEP Company’s new powder gasification technology

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:victory: Learned from the Gasification 2009 forum. The patent rights for ZEEP’s gasification technology belong to PWR (Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne), which is part of Pratt & Whitney. PWR is a provider of high-power propulsion systems and main engine solutions for spacecraft. PWR licenses its gasification technology to ZEEP and ExxonMobil for use in promoting this technology; ZEEP can use it on a global scale and seek partners, while ExxonMobil can only apply this technology within its own subsidiaries or companies in which it holds shares. To date, ZEEP Company has only conducted pilot tests with a coal feeding rate of 18 t/d. Pulverized coal is used as the feed material, and pressure gasification is employed; the operating pressure ranges from 6.8 to 6.9 MPa. The temperature of the gas exiting the gasification chamber is between 1200 and 1300°C, while the flame temperature is 2700°C. The gasification chamber is equipped with a membrane-type water-cooling wall, and a single nozzle is used for feeding the material from the top. The diameter of the gasification furnace is 6 inches, its height is 30 feet, the height of the gasification chamber is 15 feet, and the height of the quenching chamber is also 15 feet. Water is used to partially cool the raw gas and slag; the temperature after cooling is not known. The ash and slag are discharged from the bottom. Currently, experiments are being carried out to increase the number of nozzles to 6. ZEEP Company hopes to cooperate with domestic companies to establish a pilot demonstration plant capable of feeding 400 t/h of coal, using 12 nozzles to inject pulverized coal and gasifying agents from the top. The values stated in the promotional materials – 3,000 t/d of coal input and a gasifier height of 12 m with a diameter of 1 m – were calculated based on existing pilot experiments; the gasifier designed for 3,000 t/d is intended to use 36 burners. The above information was provided by the technical director of ZEEP’s China branch. Based on his remarks, it seems that ZEEP’s technology still faces many technical challenges before it can be used in true industrial applications, and it will be difficult for them to compete with existing mainstream gasification technologies in the short term.