The book tells the story of the coal gasification technology from its early days 230 years ago to the present. Before the end of WWII, gasification had been extensively used to produce both fuel gas and gaseous feedstock from coal. But things have changed when natural gas became readily available, and coal gasification received little attention, especially in recent years when the trend is to move away from fossil energy.
Compared to conventional coal combustion, gasification-based processes for power production typically result in much lower emissions of pollutants. So, coal gasification technology became relevant again during the transition of energy production to cleaner sources, in an effort to fight climate change. Taking another look at gasification technology to better understand its potential benefits including carbon capture and management and use the process, seems to make sense during the challenging time of the transition of energy production. Professionalsand policy makers in the energy field will benefit from this writing.
Introduction.- Early Energy and Industrial Development.- Coal and Steam
Engine.- The Search for an Alternative Lighting.- Early Chemistry and Coal
Gas Making.- Coal Gas - the Inflammable Air.- Gases and their Chemistry.-
The Era of Gas Lighting.- Coal Gas - the Illuminating Gas.- Coal Gas Making
Business Chemistry, Skills and Coal Gas Making.- Coal Gas Making Process.-
Lessons Learned.- Spreading of Coal Gas Lighting.- The Changing Chemistry in
Coal Gas Making.- Unlocking the Power of Gas Producer.- Heat, Motion,
Caloric, Electricity and their Connection.- Regenerative Furnace and
Metallurgy.- Unleash the Heating Power.- The Enabling Gas Producer and its
Chemistry.- Producer Gas and Regenerative Retort.- The Alternative
Illuminating Gas.- Coal Gas, Ballooning and Lowe.- Lowe Process for Coal Gas
Making.- Deployment of the Lowe Coal Gas Process.- Vertical Retort, Producer
Gas and Water Gas.- Gas Engine and Gas Producer.- External Combustion vs
Internal Combustion.- Coal Gas and GasEngine.- Dowson Gas Producer.-
Fertilizer and Coal Gas Making.- Ludwig Mond.- An Unintended Gas Producer.-
Mond Gas, Fuel cell and Nickel.- Mond Gas, Industrial Gas and Electricity.-
Chemistry and Industrial Synthesis.-Molecular Theory.- Fundamentals of Coal
Gasification.- Water Gas and Industrial Synthesis.- Hydrogen Manufacturing
and Ammonia Synthesis.- Liquefaction and Fractioning.- Syngas Conditioning
and Purification.- Hydrogen Making at Oppau.- Reinventing the Making of Coal
Gas.- Slagging Gasification.- The Winkler Gasifier.- Creative Making of
Syngas.- Special and Integrated Gasification.- Solution to Gasifying Coal
Fines.- Modern Gasification Technology.- The Lurgi Gasifier.- The Search for
a Complete Gasification.- Entrained Gasification.- The Long Journey of Energy
Transition.- End Notes.- Bibliography
Dr. Qianlin Zhuang, has over 30 years of experience ranging from R&D, technology business development and commercial operation including team building, execution of technology licensing, gasification technology of natural gas, heavy oil, coal, biomass feedstock, comprehensive utilization of low rank coal through pyrolysis, etc.
