Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.24, No.1, 60-66, January, 2007
Experimental and theoretical study on the characteristics of vacuum residue gasification in an entrained-flow gasifier
E-mail:
About 200,000 bpd (barrel/day) vacuum residue oil is produced from oil refineries in Korea. These are supplied to use asphalt, high sulfur fuel oil, and upgrading residue hydro-desulfurization units. High sulfur fuel oil can be prepared by blending oil residue with light distillate to bring fuel oil characteristics in the range of commercial specifications, which will become more stringently restrictive in the near future in Korea. Vacuum residue oil has high energy content; however, due to its high viscosity, high sulfur content and high concentration of heavy metals are representative of improper low grade fuel, which is considered difficult to gasify. At present, over 20 commercial scale IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) plants using feedstocks with vacuum residue oil for gasification are under construction or operating stage worldwide. Recently, KIER (Korea Institute of Energy Research) has been studying the vacuum residue gasification process using an oxygen-blown entrained-flow gasifier. The experiment runs were evaluated under a reaction temperature of 1,200-1,250 ℃, reaction pressure of 1.0 kg/cm2, oxygen/V.R ratio of 0.8-1.2 and steam/V.R ratio of 0.4-0.7. Experimental results show a syngas composition (CO+H2), 77-88%; heating value, 2,300-2,600 kcal/Nm3; carbon conversion, 95-99, and cold gas efficiency, 68-72%. Also, equilibrium modeling was used to predict the vacuum residue gasification process and the predicted values reasonably well agreed with experimental data.
- Choi YC, Park TJ, Kim JH, Lee JG, Hong JC, Kim YG, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 18(4), 493 (2001)
- Choi YC, Li XY, Park TJ, Kim JH, Lee JG, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 18(3), 376 (2001)
- Choi YC, Li XY, Park TJ, Kim JH, Lee JG, Fuel, 80, 2193 (2001)
- Himmelblau DM, “Basic principles and calculations in chemical engineering,” Univ. of Texas (1996)
- Kidoguchi K, “Study on gasification characteristics for extra heavy oil,” 6th ASME-JSME Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, Japan (2003)
- Kim JH, Choi YC, Lee JG, Kim KS, Yoon OS, Journal of Korea Solid Wastes Engineering Society, 18, 84 (2001)
- Kim JH, “A study on the gasification characteristics of vacuum residue using equilibrium model theory,” Renewable Energy W/S (2002)
- Park TJ, Choi YC, Lee JG, “A study on the gasification characteristics of vacuum residue,” Technical report, Korea Institute of Energy Research (2002)
- Park TJ, Choi YC, Lee JG, Hong JC, Kim YG, “Experimental studies in an entrained-flow gasification reactor with vacuum residue from oil refinery,” 4th Korea-China Joint W/S on Clean Energy Technology, pp. 102-113 (2002)
- Park TJ, Retired Scientists and Engineers Advancing Technology Report, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (2005)
- Quintana ME, “Pilot plant evaluation of orimulsion as a feedstock for the Texaco gasification process,” Technical report, U.S.A. (1990)
- Zainal ZA, Ali R, Lean CH, Seetharamu KN, Energy Conv. Manag., 42(12), 1499 (2001)