Application of modern coal technologies to military facilities. Volume I. Summary of findings. Interim report

Current and emerging coal technologies are described and evaluated for possible current, near-term (1982), and long-term (1987) application to military facilities. Technologies considered are: conventional and advanced direct combustion of coal, coal gasification, and coal liquefaction. The impacts of applying the principal candidate processes of each of three categories are discussed. It was concluded that there are no new advances in conventional direct combustion of coal and that current technology can be applied now and in the near-term. Fluidized-bed combustion may be a prospect for direct combustion by 1982. Current- to near-term coal gasification prospects are the Lurgi and Koppers-Totzek low-Btu processes and the Lurgi high-Btu process. A long-term coal gasification prospect is the CO/sub 2/-Acceptor high-Btu process. No coal liquefaction processes currently appear to be economically feasible for military-scale applications. Existing natural gas- and oil-fired boilers can be changed to fire low-Btu coal-derived gas by means of suitable burner modification; also, high-Btu gas can be directly substituted for natural gas.