China’s first 1,000-ton circulating bed gasification unit put into operation

Over the past 30 years, the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been dedicated to the clean and efficient utilization of coal. To address the issues associated with traditional coal gasification technologies, such as limited suitable coal types, high pollution levels, or high costs, it has developed the Circulating Bed Gasification (CGAS) technology, which is clean, efficient, low-cost, and adaptable to a wide range of coal types. Since 2004, through pilot tests, scale-up trials, industrial tests, and engineering demonstrations, a series of test platforms have been designed and built. In-depth research at the operational level has been carried out to explore the underlying mechanisms, develop manufacturing processes, achieve breakthroughs in key technologies, and create complete sets of technical products. This approach has led to the implementation of technology demonstrations for the first circular-bed gasifiers of various types in China. These systems are widely used by leading enterprises in the non-ferrous metallurgy and ceramics industries, and they have also entered the international market, being exported to countries along the \"Belt and Road\" initiative. To date, the institute’s technologies for the clean and efficient use of coal have been applied in 70 industrial installations, generating an economic value of 3.3 billion yuan; these technologies enable the reduction of 2.6 million tons of wastewater containing tar and phenols each year.

The thousand-ton-class circulating bed gasification unit delivered this time is used in Gansu Jinhua Group’s 200,000 tons per year ammonia synthesis production line to supply raw material gas in place of the existing fixed-bed gasifiers. It enables zero emissions of waste gas and wastewater, completely eliminating the pollution problems associated with fixed-bed gasifiers. Moreover, by utilizing locally available coal of poor quality that is difficult to gasify using traditional methods, the coal usage cost is reduced by 30%-50%, saving the enterprise nearly 50 million yuan in costs. This facility is China’s first demonstration project for low-rank coal circulating bed pressurized gasification; it supplies raw gas to ammonia synthesis manufacturers under a contract energy management arrangement, and it is also a model project for key initiatives aimed at the transfer and application of scientific and technological achievements from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

It is understood that currently, nitrogen fertilizer manufacturers that use fixed-bed gasifiers to supply raw gas to ammonia synthesis plants account for 40% of China’s ammonia synthesis capacity. Due to severe pollution, according to the environmental warning levels, 50% of the fixed-bed gasifiers used in the nitrogen fertilizer industry have been ordered by environmental authorities to cease operations, or even to shut down completely. Every winter is also a period with a high incidence of environmental warnings in this sector; the shutdown of many nitrogen fertilizer manufacturers creates a significant contradiction with the supply of fertilizers needed for agricultural planting in spring. (End)

A thousand-ton-class circulating fluidized bed gasification unit was successfully delivered (photo provided by the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

The 1,000-ton capacity circulating fluidized bed pressurized gasification project developed by Lansi Jinhua has completed its hot-test operation and is now producing gas successfully. Machinery Expo, October 1, 2018: After days and nights of continuous effort, the 1,000-ton capacity circulating fluidized bed pressurized gasification demonstration project carried out by Lansi Jinhua has finished the hot-test phase of its second stage, with all main processes now operating successfully. Over an 11-day period, stable operation was achieved successively under normal-pressure and pressurized combustion conditions, normal-pressure gasification conditions (air, oxygen-enriched), and pressurized oxygen-enriched gasification conditions, allowing for the successful production of gas. This marked a initial victory for the Lanshi Jinhua project, which has now entered the stage of preparing for gas supply to downstream users as well as carrying out technical optimization and dissemination. The hot-state commissioning of this gasification unit involved testing the combustion conditions of the gasifier, the coal feeding operation when the gasifier is started up, as well as the normal coal feeding operation in the return feeder. It also entailed the sequential and stable operation under conditions of atmospheric-pressure air gasification, atmospheric-pressure oxygen-enriched gasification, pressurized-air gasification, and pressurized-oxygen-enriched gasification. Additionally, the steam-water system of the waste heat boiler, the bag filter system, and the pneumatic ash conveying system were put into operation under load during both combustion and gasification conditions. The entire commissioning process proceeded smoothly, with excellent operational results achieved. Through gradual testing, all debugging objectives have been basically achieved. Under the oxygen-enriched pressurized gasification conditions, the pressure in the gasifier reached 0.3 MPa, enabling a smooth transition from normal-pressure gasification to pressurized gasification conditions, with stable operation achieved.

I heard it’s particularly suitable for the retrofitting of old small nitrogen fertilizer fixed-bed gasification units; I’ve talked to them about it

Research and development in the large-scale chemical industry truly holds great value! Talents developed through the same R&D process have greater value! Are there talents in this area? Let’s introduce it to our friends; we can develop other products as well.