COAL-LIQUEFACTION MODELING .1. DEVELOPMENT OF A KINETIC-MODEL

This is the first of three papers on modelling coal liquefaction proce sses. In this paper a kinetic model for the thermal dissolver of the W ilsonville integrated two stage liquefaction (ITSL) process was develo ped using a new reaction network to describe the liquefaction of Wyoda k (Clovis Point) subbituminous coal. The coal was considered to consis t of two differently reactive fractions and the liquefaction reactions were assumed to occur in two distinct stages. The first stage is an i nstantaneous dissolution of the most reactive coal fraction to lighter products. The second stage is a rate controlled conversion of the les s reactive coal fraction and thermal resid. The kinetic model was deve loped using bench-scale data from the variable submergence temperature control (VaSTeC) autoclave programme conducted at the Wilsonville Adv anced Coal Liquefaction Research and Development Facility. The model p arameters were estimated using a non-linear multiresponse parameter es timation routine. An overall average absolute deviation of 9.57% and a n overall error of 3.73%, between the predicted and observed autoclave outlet composition indicated a good fit of the model to the VaSTeC da ta.