Petroleum and petrochemical technology

UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, LAHORE

SUBMITTED TO REG # NO SUBMITTED BY

DR. Asma 2018-BET-CHEM-8 Maham Fatima

Department of chemical, polymer and composite materials engineering

Session 18
 Table of content:
1. Abstract
2. Syngas production from biomass
3. Syngas production from coal
4. Syngas production from oil and gas
5. How biomass and syngas differ?
6. Conclusion
7. References
Abstract

Syngas, a mixture of CO and H2 (CO/H2), is a key platform for the utilization of nonpetroleum
carbon resources such as natural gas or shale gas and coal. Syngas can also be produced from
renewable carbon feedstock’s such as biomass and even CO2. A variety of products including
hydrocarbons and oxygenates, which can be fuels and chemicals, may be produced from syngas.
The catalytic transformation of syngas into value-added products is the core of C1 chemistry.
This review highlights advances in the past decade in catalytic conversions of syngas into
hydrocarbons with an emphasis on selective formations of C5 + hydrocarbons, which are mainly
used as liquid fuels, and lower (C2–C4) olefins, key building-block chemicals. Since CO2 is also
contained in syngas from some resources, the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to hydrocarbons will
also be briefly described. Fischer–Tropsch synthesis is a well-established process for syngas to
hydrocarbons, but many fundamental aspects remain unclear because of the complexity of the
reaction.
Topic

Production of syngas from Biomass, Coal, Oil and Gas

Introduction
Syngas, or synthesis gas, is a fuel gas mixture consisting primarily of hydrogen, carbon monoxide,
and very often some carbon dioxide. The name comes from its use as intermediates in creating
synthetic natural gas (SNG) and for producing ammonia or methanol. Syngas is usually a product
of coal gasification and the main application is electricity generation.. Syngas is combustible and
can be used as a fuel of internal combustion engines
Production form biomass
Pretreatment of Biomass
Biomass gasification plants are designed on the basis of throughput i.e. number of tons of
biomass/day. Some pretreatment processes are harvesting, preparation, collection, transport,
handling and drying. Size reduction (chipping, grinding, chopping, etc.,) is to be done to facilitate
the flow of feedstock in the gasifier. Sometimes, the gasifier configuration may require lots of
intensive feedstock preparation for the densification of feedstock to pellets by Torre faction.
Biomass Gasification
After pretreating the biomass, gasification occurs at high temperature (600-1000°C) conditions
and in the presence of oxidizing agent (air, steam, or oxygen). The four key stages occurring during
the gasification process are: drying, pyrolysis, oxidation, and reduction. Initially, drying will be
done at 100°C – 200°C.
It is followed by pyrolysis, where the thermal decomposition of biomass is occurred in the absence
of oxygen, releasing hydrocarbon gases. The biomass is reduced to carbonized biomass. Subtle
components of biomass are reduced. Finally, CO, H2, CH4, and CO2 gases as well as water and
tars are formed. Formation of carbon dioxide also occurs when the char reacts with oxygen in the
air. And hydrogen in the biomass is also oxidized to generate water; some amount of heat is
released during this step. Here, carbon monoxide can be predominantly generated (relative to
carbon dioxide) provided oxygen is present in sub-stoichiometric quantities, as carbon is partially
oxidized.
Finally, most of the endothermic reduction reactions occur at 800°C–1000°C. in the absence of
oxygen. The feedstock composition, reactor type, and operating parameters (temperature, pressure
and oxygen-fuel ratio) are able to determine the composition of the gas and the level of undesirable
components (tars, dust, ash content) produced during gasification process Fixed or moving bed,
fluidized bed, entrained flow are the different types of gasifies. Fluidized bed gasifier is the
common type of large-scale gasification due to their scalability, mixing and temperature

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uniformity and high carbon conversion rate. Though entrained flow gasifier has advantages such
as low tar production and high carbon conversion efficiency, they are not used in large scale
gasification because it is difficult to prepare the required feedstock.
Biomass Syngas Clean up
Syngas also contains tars, particulates and contaminants which should be cleaned before
downstream process because these contaminants can act as poison or can clog the downstream
process. Depending on the characteristics, cleaning methods are differentiated into two types -
chemical (catalytic and non-catalytic such as thermal cracking) and physical (such as adsorption
and absorption) processes. The physical process is an attractive, technically and economically
feasible tar removal method. The syngas cleanup methods include reforming of particulates and
contamination removal and acid gas removal. Particulates are removed by cyclones or filters.

Production from coal

During gasification, the coal is blown through with oxygen and steam (water vapor) while also
being heated (and in some cases pressurized). If the coal is heated by external heat sources the
process is called "all thermal", while "auto thermal" process assumes heating of the coal via
exothermal chemical reactions occurring inside the gasifier itself. It is essential that the oxidizer
supplied is insufficient for complete oxidizing (combustion) of the fuel. During the reactions
mentioned, oxygen and water molecules oxidize the coal and produce a gaseous mixture of carbon
dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), water vapors (H2O), and molecular hydrogen (H2). (Some
by-products like tar, phenols, etc. are also possible end products, depending on the specific
gasification technology utilized.)
This process has been conducted in-situ within natural coal seams (referred to as underground coal
gasification) and in coal refineries. The desired end product is usually syngas (i.e., a combination

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of H2 + CO), but the produced coal gas may also be further refined to produce additional quantities
of H2:
3C + O2 + H2O → H2 + 3CO

If the refiner wants to produce alkanes (i.e., hydrocarbons present in natural gas, gasoline, and
diesel fuel), the coal gas is collected at this state and routed to a Fischer-Tropsch reactor. If,
however, hydrogen is the desired end-product, the coal gas (primarily the CO product) undergoes
the water gas shift reaction where more hydrogen is produced by additional reaction with water
vapor:
CO + H2O → CO2 + H2

Although other technologies for coal gasification currently exist, all employ, in general, the same
chemical processes. For low-grade coals (i.e., "brown coals") which contain significant amounts
of water, there are technologies in which no steam is required during the reaction, with coal
(carbon) and oxygen being the only reactants. As well, some coal gasification technologies do not
require high pressures. Some utilize pulverized coal as fuel while others work with relatively large
fractions
of coal.

Production from Natural gas

Syngas is an intermediate feedstock for the production of hydrocarbons and hydrogen for fuel
cells. Synthesis gas is produced from natural gas via catalytic processes based on
• dry reforming of methane (DRM),
• steam reforming of methane (SRM)
• partial oxidation of methane (POM)

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 Analysis of sign gas production via different routes
• The main challenge of syngas analysis is ensuring sample integrity at the point of
sampling, as the gas is produced under vacuum and can easily be contaminated with air. It
is therefore essential that leak testing sample lines are undertaken prior to the testing
taking place. Failing that, the samples should be taken from a line with positive pressure.
Another issue to consider is that sample lines can be tricky to maintain, as it has been
found at a number of waste to energy plants that they can get clogged with a tar-like
substance.
• With regards to syngas analysis, we have found the biggest challenge to be the improper
use of sample media, as well as delays in sending samples into the labs. While reusing
sample media such as Tedlar or Flex Foil bags – which are the preferred sampling methods
for syngas – is thought to be economical, it has in fact caused several issues. For one,
sample integrity can be affected, as the bags are designed for single-use only – re-use can
weaken the valves and allow the sample to leak. Overfilling samples is another issue that
we have experienced with sample media; this causes the seams on the bags to weaken and
potentially tear or burst, creating a health and safety issue and causing the sample to be
lost.
• Another huge challenge we face is sample effusion. While these bags are specifically
designed as gas-containing media, they are not completely infallible as time passes.
Hydrogen in particular tends to effuse through the lining of the sample media, which can
cause a reduction in quality and may produce a non-representative sample.

How do biogas and syngas differ?

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Biogas is produced via anaerobic digestion, whereby the feedstock is placed into an oxygen-free
container (exactly the same as in the case of syngas production). However, instead of heating biogas,
bacteria are used to break down any organic materials.

How does syngas relate to biomass?

Syngas and biomass relate in that they are both organic waste feedstock’s that undergo anaerobic
(oxygen deficient) processes to release gas for the production of energy. They are both renewable
and release less particulates into the atmosphere by avoiding direct burning.

Conclusion
There are various processes used for the production of syngas. Syngas can be produced from any hydrocarbon or
organic material. Some examples of feedstocks used to produce syngas include natural gas, liquid petroleum gas
(LPG), naphtha, coal, biomass, wood, and refuse. The selected production process is typically based on a number of
the following factors: types of available, cost of feedstocks, and the desired syngas product composition. The syngas
composition is commonly referred to in terms of H2/CO ratio, which is simply the moles of hydrogen divided by the
moles of carbon monoxide.

Reference
1. Syngas Cogeneration / Combined Heat & Power". Clarke Energy. Retrieved 22
February 2016.
2. ^ Mick, Jason (3 March 2010). "Why Let it go to Waste? Enerkem Leaps Ahead With
Trash-to-Gas Plans". DailyTech. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved
22 February 2016.
3. ^ Boehman, André L.; Le Corre, Olivier (2008). "Combustion of Syngas in Internal
Combustion Engines". Combustion Science and Technology. 180 (6): 1193–1206.