【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Equipment】1695–2016: World’s first syngas and steam co-generation gasifier put into operation
Thread Content
Happy May Day 2024! Safety first. Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】A continuously updated summary post is available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum) ***************** At 20:40 on April 1, 2016, the syngas steam co-generation gasification furnace, developed jointly by the Shanxi Clean Energy Research Institute of Tsinghua University, Shanxi Yangmei Fengxi Fertilizer (Group) Co., Ltd., and Shanxi Yangmei Chemical Machinery (Group) Co., Ltd., was successfully ignited, fed with materials, and put into operation at the Linyi branch of Yangmei Fengxi. This is the world’s first gasifier to use water-coal slurry + water wall + radial steam generator, with fully independent intellectual property rights. As of the time of writing, the gasifier has been operating continuously and stably for over 100 hours, with all design specifications met from the outset. Yue Guangxi, the project’s lead expert, professor at Tsinghua University, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and head of the expert committee at Tsinghua University’s Shanxi branch, pointed out that the core component of this technology is a radial steam generator installed within the gasification furnace. This generator is capable of absorbing the heat from the high-temperature syngas and producing steam as a by-product, thereby enabling traditional gasification furnaces to generate steam alongside syngas production. In addition, this steam generator draws on the design concepts of liquid slag-discharge cyclone boilers, enabling it to effectively avoid the problems of slag blockage and ash accumulation associated with similar foreign technologies. Professor Zhang Jiansheng, the project leader and executive deputy dean of Tsinghua University’s Shanxi Branch, explained that the successful deployment of this technology achieved two world firsts: firstly, it was for the first time that a combination of \"water-coal slurry + water-cooled walls + radiant steam generators\" was used, and this combination was successfully put into industrial use; secondly, it was for the first time that an existing gasification furnace (comprising water-coal slurry + refractory bricks + quenching process) was upgraded directly through modifications to a more efficient and reliable co-generation furnace (comprising water-coal slurry + water-cooled walls + radiant steam generators + quenching process), thus setting a precedent for the transformation of new types of gasification technologies. According to Li Guangmin, executive director of Yangmei Fengxi and chairman of Yangmei Chemical Machinery, the entity responsible for the construction of this pilot project, it holds great significance for transforming traditional coal chemical industries as well as for developing new types of coal-based chemical industries such as coal-to-natural gas, coal-to-oil, coal-to-olefins, and coal-to-ethylene glycol. The coal feeding rate of the upgraded gasifier has increased by 50%, rising from 500 tons per day to 750 tons per day; the operating temperature in the combustion chamber can be raised from 1400°C to over 1600°C, addressing the challenges associated with coal with high ash content, high sulfur content, and high ash melting point in Shanxi, thereby improving the coal variety compatibility. By converting one unit into two, not only syngas can be produced, but also approximately 40 tons of high-temperature, high-pressure steam at 5.4 MPa can be generated per hour for use in combined heat and power generation, resulting in high energy utilization and annual economic benefits of over 32 million yuan.
Achieving two world firsts: At the Linyi branch, the reporter learned that since its operation began 2 months ago, the Jinhua furnace has demonstrated reliable and stable performance, with no slag clogging issues occurring； It generates little dust during operation and has high thermal efficiency. A comparison was made for the original Mid-Autumn model: the original furnace would develop slag buildup after half a month of operation, requiring it to be shut down for cleaning; moreover, dust accumulation would affect the heat exchange efficiency. Zhang Jiansheng explained that the technological innovation of the Jinhua furnace lies in the fact that its core component, the radial steam generator, draws on the design concepts of the inlet and structure of liquid slag-discharge cyclone boilers, which enables it to effectively avoid the problems of slag blockage and ash accumulation that exist in similar foreign technologies ； The unique structural design reduces the proportion of double-sided heating surfaces, resulting in a smaller equipment size and lower investment costs ； The energy conversion efficiency was improved by recovering the heat from high-temperature syngas and generating high-temperature, high-pressure steam as a by-product ； Operating costs are reduced, as there is less need to purchase expensive refractory bricks and incur costs associated with furnace construction ； Compared to refractory bricks, which require at least 72 hours for heating up before each operation, the Jinhua furnace needs only 1 hour to heat up, thus saving fuel gas consumption ； It saves water, and the wastewater contains no pollutants that are difficult to treat; moreover, the pulping process can also handle sewage. The operating Jinhua furnace can produce 1.8 tons of high-temperature, high-pressure steam per ton of synthetic ammonia generated, which is used for combined heat and power generation. This results in high energy utilization, generating annual economic benefits of over 30 million yuan; thus, the investment made for its renovation can be recovered within a year. Its emergence marked a milestone-like breakthrough in coal gasification technology and equipment in Shanxi, achieving two world firsts: firstly, it was for the first time that the combination of \"water-coal slurry + water wall + radial steam generator\" was used, leading to successful industrialization ； Secondly, for the first time, the original gasification furnace (slurry coal + refractory bricks + quenching process) was directly upgraded through modifications into a more efficient and reliable co-generation furnace (slurry coal + water-cooled walls + radiant steam generator + quenching process), setting a precedent for the transformation of new coal gasification technologies. Yue Guangxi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and an expert in thermal engineering, stated that this technology has reached an internationally leading level; the operating temperature inside the combustion chamber can be increased from 1400°C to over 1600°C. This solves the gasification problem associated with the \"high calorific value, high ash content, and high sulfur content\" coal found in Shanxi Province, and it also provides new methods and approaches for the comprehensive utilization and gasification of such coal across the country.
To become the world’s leading supplier of gasification furnaces, the \"Jinhua Furnace Project\" plays a significant role in transforming traditional coal chemical industries and developing new types of coal-based chemical industries such as coal-to-natural gas, coal-to-oil, coal-to-olefins, and coal-to-ethylene glycol. ”Ma Jianfeng said. The coal feeding rate of the upgraded gasifier increased by 50%, rising from 500 tons per day to 750 tons per day ； By converting one furnace into two, not only can syngas be produced, but approximately 40 tons of high-temperature and high-pressure steam at 5.4 MPa can also be generated per hour for use in combined heat and power generation, resulting in high energy utilization. “Modifying the gasification furnace in one’s own enterprise is just a good start, not the ultimate goal. ”On May 14, Li Guangmin, executive director of Fengxi and chairman of Yangmei Chemical Machinery, said at a special meeting on production, operation, and R&D at Yangmei Chemical Machinery that it is imperative to upgrade traditional coal chemical industries. The company will pursue professional management and high-end manufacturing in line with the goal of becoming the world’s strongest supplier of gasifiers, and it will actively promote these efforts to create new sources of economic growth. To date, the Tsinghua Shanxi Research Institute and Yangmei Chemical Machinery have reached cooperation agreements and signed contracts with 2 chemical enterprises. On April 19, the signing ceremony for the equipment manufacturing of Shanxi Nanyao’s 6.5MPa syngas/steam co-generation gasification furnace (Jinhua Furnace) was held in Taiyuan. The project uses local \"high-calcium, high-sulfur, and high-ash\" coal from Changzhi; the gasification pressure is 6.5MPa, the gas production rate is 71,000 Nm3/h (CO+H2), and the gasification temperature is 1580°C. The steam generated as a by-product is used for power generation. On May 10, the signing ceremony with Henan Jindadi Chemical Co., Ltd. was held in Zhengzhou. Zhang Jiansheng said that the Tsinghua Shanxi Research Institute will collaborate with Yangmei Group to develop and demonstrate the Jinhua furnace, which utilizes full heat recovery (radiant steam generator + convective steam generator) in order to recover more heat; as a result, steam production will increase by another 30%–40%. Each gasification unit will generate an additional profit of over 10 million yuan per year. The institute is also committed to conducting in-depth research and exploring market opportunities in the field of integrated gasification combined cycle power generation systems (IGCC).
The application of new technologies improves energy efficiency and protects the environment.
Thank you for sharing; kudos to Chinese chemical technology
Thank you for sharing; the forum is even better with you here.
Thank you for organizing and sharing the materials! Give a thumbs up and offer encouragement for the achievements of China’s chemical technology and equipment industry!