Comprehensive optimization of coal chemical looping gasification process for low CO2 emission based on multi-scale simulation coupled experiment

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) 2022-09, Vol.324, p.124464, Article 124464
• Main Authors: Cui, Zhe, Sun, Suli, Zhang, Haoran, Liu, Bin, Tian, Wende, Guo, Qingjie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: CO2 reduction; High purity synthesis gas; Innovative experiment; Muti-scale simulation
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2022.124464

•A new fusion research method is proposed to comprehensively optimize CCLG process.•Main reaction conditions are investigated to achieve low CO2 emission.•Valuable reaction kinetic parameters are explored from microscopic perspective.•The performance of CuO is better than Fe2O3 through eight cycle experiments. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction has become an urgent topic to be studied and solved with the in-depth understanding of global warming and frequent occurrence of extreme climate. At present, the application of chemical looping technology in coal gasification to produce high purity synthesis gas is an important way to achieve CO2 emission reduction, ensure energy security, and promote ecological civilization. In this paper, a new fusion research method combining multi-scale modeling and experimental testing is adopted to comprehensively optimize the coal chemical looping gasification (CCLG) process, aiming at ruducing CO2 emissions in the synthesis gas production of CCLG. In order to investigate the effect of main reaction conditions on CCLG process, the pyrolysis and gasification experiments of Meihuajing coal are carried out in a tubular furnace reactor with Fe2O3 and CuO as oxygen carriers respectively. Subsequently, the multi-scale simulation of CCLG process including molecular dynamics (MD) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations is performed to validate the experimental results and supplement important reaction kinetics data. Both of multi-scale modeling and experimental testing suggest that the optimum pyrolysis temperature range, gasification temperature range, char/oxygen carrier mass ratio (C/O), and steam flow are below 900 ℃, 900–950 ℃, 1:1.5, and 0.15 g/min respectively, providing an effective guidance for the optimal design of practical CCLG pilot plant.