Evaluation of the Battelle Agglomerating Ash Burner High Btu Coal Gasification Process

The economics of the Battelle Agglomerating Ash Burner Process for the production of high Btu gas (SNG) from coal has been evaluated. A conceptual process design including process flowsheets, heat and material balances and equipment specifications has been prepared. Capital costs, operating costs and gas costs have been developed using the CFBraun ''Gas Cost Guidelines''. The estimated capital and gas costs for the Battelle process have been compared to the alternative high Btu processes described in CFBraun's ''Factored Estimates for Western Coal Commercial Concepts'' and were found to be economically unattractive. Some of the reasons for the higher capital cost and gas costs for the Battelle process are: Low Gasifier and Combustor Operating Pressure, Low Methane Make and Concentration in the Gasifier Effluent, Large Volume of Combustion Gases Produced and SO/sub 2/ Content, Use of Dual CO/sub 2/ Removal Units, and the Methanation Scheme. The Battelle process shows thermal efficiencies significantly lower than the most efficient processes, i.e., HYGAS, CO/sub 2/ Acceptor and BI-GAS.