Experience of Central Mining

Institute
in underground coal gasification
research and pilot test
Krzysztof Staczyk
Gwny Instytut Grnictwa
(Central Mining Institute)

Johannesburg, 28th of August 2014

Plan of presentation

Clean Coal Technology Centre

Laboratory ex-situ tests on large blocks of coal
In-situ trials in Experimental Mine Barbara,
Mikow, Poland
Pilot test in KWK Wieczorek mine in operation,
Katowice, Poland
Clean Coal Technology Centre

The aim of the investment was to built the

experimental area for research and development in
the laboratory as well as semi-pilot and pilot
(PDU) scale for efficient and Clean Coal
Technologies

Research Technological
Laboratories installations

Engineering group Process

for process modelling Development Units
CCTC- Katowice
 Katowice research laboratories

Leading interdisciplinary works i.e. in the line of:

Identifying the resources of coal and accompanying
fossil fuels
Analysing the basics of coal processing and of the
properties of the products
Preparing coal for various application technologies,
and especially researching coal properties
Process engineering and nanotechnology
Identifying the CO2 storage potential
Minimising the environmental impact
Environmental research and monitoring
Research on kinetics and
thermodynamics of reaction
Examples of devices:

Pressurized thermo-gravimetrics analyser

connected with mass spectrometer
Analyser TPR/TPO/TPD
Analyser Autosorb iQ Quantachrome
FTIR Spectrometer Nicolet iS50
Micro-autoclaves
Analyser for chlorine
AXIO Microscope
X-ray diffractometer D8 Discover Bruker
Automatic analyser for chlorine content
determining
The AXIO Microscope for determination of
the reflectance of vitrinite and macerals
group composition
X-ray diffractometer D8 Discover Bruker
Static model of CO2 tank located in
Dbowiec layers in the area of Upper
Silesia Coal Basin
Mikow Experimental mine Barbara
technological units

Leading R&D works in laboratory, large laboratory

and PDU scale i.e. on the following stands:
Stand for research on ambient pressure and high
pressure coal gasification applying reactors
simulating the coal bed
Stand for researching coal gasification in fixed and
moving bed systems
Stand for researching direct coal hydrogenation
Stand for research on gas separation methods
applying PSA and membranes
Stand for testing gas combustion in turbines and gas
engines
Stand for analysing various aspects of UCG in real
conditions in generators constructed in the coal bed
CCTC Mikow
Technological
workshop
CCTC Mikow - Technological workshop
Installation for pressured simulation of ucg
Installation for pressured simulation of ucg
Installation for pressure swing adsorption
gas separation
An installation for ucg gas cleaning
An installation for
ucg gas cleaning
Recent UCG projects in Poland

HUGE
2007 - 2010

Elaboration of coal gasification technology

for a high efficiency production of fuels and electricity
2010 - 2015

HUGE2
2011 - 2014

Funding sources:
COGAR
EU Research Fund for Coal and Steel 2013 - 2016
National Centre for Research
and Development (NCBiR)
EU 7th Framework Programme
TOPS
2013 - 2016
UCG aspects under study

Technical
infrastructure for
UCG HUGE2 COGAR Elaboration
(RFCS) (RFCS) of coal
Technological HUGE gasification.
aspects (RFCS) (NCBiR)

Environment
and safety

TOPS
Gas utilization (7th FP)

Coupled UCG-
CCS
Projects HUGE & HUGE2

Hydrogen Oriented Underground

Coal Gasification for Europe
Aims:
Theoretical and experimental exploration of the
possibilities of in-situ production of hydrogen-rich
gas through the underground coal gasification
(UCG) technique

HUGE 2 Safety and Environmental Aspects

 Ex-situ experimental installation
Zoe wgla
Wylot
Gas quality control
Warstwa nadkadu Odbir i oczyszczanie gazu

System zasilania 60
Wentylator CO2
Krciec do
poboru prb gazu H2
Pokad wgla
50 O2

1.5 m
Powietrze Tlen
N2
p CH4
p

Skad gazu, %obj.

I-3
I-5 Chodnica 40 CO
Kana ogniowy

Warstwa spgowa
Azot I-4
I-6 30
T
T
Para wodna
3.0 m GC
Filtr 20

Separator 1 Separator 2
10

Zbiornik Zbiornik
na kondensat 0
na kondensat
0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66

20
Czas, h

18
0.40 m 0.45 m 0.45 m 0.45 m 0.45 m 0.40 m
Warstwa stropowa 21 22 23 24 25
0.80 m
16

Produkcja gazu, Nm /h
3
7 14
16 17
17 18 19 20

Pokad wgla
12
11 12 13 14 15

1.5 m
1,5 m

10
0.80m

Kana ogniowy
6 7 8 9 10 8
Wylot
1 2 3 4 5 6

Wlot 2.2 m 4
Warstwa spgowa
2

1.4 m 3.0 m 0
0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72 78 84 90 96
Czas, h

Temperature control
Installation parameters
1 1200

Coal seam dimensions 2,5 x 0,8 x 0,8 m Strop pokadu

1100
1000

Wysokopokadu, m
0.8
900
800

Gasification agent Oxygen, air, steam 0.6 700

600
500
0.4

16000C
400

Gasification temperature up to 0.2

300
200
Kana ogniowy 100

Gasification pressure atmospheric 0

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Dugopokadu, m
1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2
0
Examples of large coal samples

0.5 m
Post-gasification studies

1 1300
1200
Roof 1100
0.8
1000
Seam height, m

900
0.6 800
700
600
0.4 500
400
300
0.2
200
Gasification channel
100
0 0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2
Seam length, m
Field-scale UCG experiments at Experimental
Za.1

Mine Barbara in Mikow

Map of mine workings and land surgace of the HUGE test site

303,0
Szyb

Wenty lacyjny

304,0
+24 7,2

+26 5,3

305,0

+2 88,2

0
306,
+245,5
+297 ,5

drif t
307,0

ry
lle
ga
i on
lat
n ti
ve
+27 5,75

+273,5

309,0
+273 ,1
Scheme of the in-situ installation

Supplying system Monitoring Gas collecting system

Flare

Suction fan

Ground

Georeactor

Pit shaft Air shaft

15 m

1. Oxygen
2. Air Dewatering system
3. Water
4. Nitrogen
Georeactors input wall and inlet

March 2013
Coal seam ignition
March 2013
 Operating conditions and general gasification
results
90
80
70 Parameter Value
60
CO2
50
Gasification agent oxygen
Concentration [%vol.]

40 C2H6
30 H2
20
O2 Air/Oxygen supply rate, 120-150 /
Nm3/h 10 40
10 N2
5 CH4
CO
Experiment duration, hours 355
2
1 H2S
0,5

Average gas production, 202

0,1

0,01
Nm3/h
1E-3
0 24 48 72 96 120 144 168 192 216 240 264 288 312 336 360
Average gas composition, %:
Time [h]
450
CO2 16.4
Gas production rate
400 H2 14.7
Gas production rate, [Nm] /h

CH4 1.5
3

350

300 CO 13.4
250 N2 52.9
200
Average gas heating value, 3.75
150
MJ/Nm3
100
Total coal consumption, kg 22 100
50

0
Process energy efficiency, % 56
0 24 48 72 96 120 144 168 192 216 240 264 288 312 336 360
Time, [h]
Investigation of the post-gasification cavity

Char, semi-char

Bottom ash

Roof rock
Numerical modelling of UCG hydrogeology E Mine

Groundwater flow model (2D)

Darcy law:
u = KH
H
S + [ KH ] = Qs
t

Contaminant transport model

rdo 0, 2

0m
zanieczyszcze = 0, > 2 Advective dispersive transport:
=0
-0,3 m
dno kawerny -10 m

char
=0
coal
=0

spg, upek ilasty

-50 m
20 m 80 m 100 m =0 250 m
 Contaminant transport in coal seam and selected
rocks
1 year 3 years 10 years 20 years

Shale 1

dx1
Shale 2

Coal dx2

dx3
Char

Normalized isolines of naphtalene (c/c0)

Project TOPS
Workpackages and experimental stands
WP2
Experimental investigations
in thermo-chemical processes
involved in UCG reagent and
produced gas quality
assessment/optimisation

WP4
Assessment of environmental
impacts and risk

WP5
Storage options and coupling the
UCG-CCS processes
Polish UCG project supported by
The National Centre for Research and
Development

Developing a technology of coal gasification for high

efficient production of fuels and electric power
Pilot scale UCG experiment in one of the Upper-
Silesian coal mines KWK Wieczorek

Industrial UCG installation design

Partners: Central Mining Institute, Katowice Coal

Holding, Academy of Mining and Metallurgy, Krakw
Cost: 20 mln euro March 2013
 The aim of the project

Accessibility of coal seam of proper localisation and

thickness
Gasification of coal in pilot scale
Demonstration an ability of save ignition,
gasification and cooling of the process
Demonstration an ability of using the product of
gasification (designing burner, using engine)
Collection of data for technological project scaled up
to demonstration size

March 2013
 Technical assumptions

Coal consumption: 10 ton/day

Duration of trial: 2-3 months, a summer of
2014
Gasification agent: air, CO2, steam (oxygen for
starting)
Coal seam thickness: 5,5 m
Depths of coal layer: 430 m
Accessibility from galleries

March 2013
Infrastructure requirements Potential to
integrate with existing coal mining
infrastructure
Instalacje odbioru produktw
powietrze podsadzka
azot cieki
tlen produkt gazowy
woda spaliny

16 15 14 11 9
Instalacje zasilania

Instalacje
wytwarzajce
energi
13 10 6 5 4 3 2
12

1 geogenerator
2 sprarka powietrza

Sz y b "W s c hodni"
3 zbiornik i parownica tlenu
4 zbiornik i parownica azotu
5 pompy wody
6 ukad podsadzki
7 cz chodnika badawczego wypeniona wod
8 ukad trzech skruberw separatorw smoy
9 separator cyklonowy
8
10 zbiornik czci staych
11 skruber
12 osadnik ciekw
13 pompa wody obiegowej
14 chodnica 7
15 jednostka podcinieniowa
16 komora spalania
Podziemna cz instalacji
georeaktor oraz wstpna kondensacja smoy i wody procesowej
1

March 2013
Main technical and formal problems

Choosing the proper place for gasification

(Silesia mining area)
Preparation the trial in working mine
Getting special permission for the UCG trial
Fulfilling the regulations of Mining
Authorities

March 2013
 Main results

1.Mathematical model of georeactor

2.Procedures for accessibility of coal seams for UCG
3.Technological project of UCG demonstration
installation
4.Feasibility study of UCG demonstration installation
5.Development of optimal system of UCG gas
utilisation

March 2013
 Operating conditions and general gasification
results

Parameter Value
Gasification agent Air, oxygen,
carbon dioxide
Agent supply rate, Nm3/h 600-650
Experiment duration, days 60
Average gas production, Nm3/h 800
Average gas composition, %:
CO2 7,5
H2 14
CH4 1,5
CO 16
N2 61
Average gas heating value, MJ/Nm3 3.50
Total coal consumption, tons 280
Technological project of UCG
demonstration installation

Assumptions:
Amount of gasified coal, Q = 25 MJ/kg - 6,5 Mg/h
Amount of obtained gas, Q = 4,6 MJ/m3 - 18 450 m3/h
Air - 12 980 m3/h
Capacity - 20 MWth
Efficiency of seem conversion 0,65
Efficiency of energy production in cogeneration 0,78
Feasibility study of UCG
demonstration installation

A location for the Feasibility study for the prepared

technological project will be chosen
Development of optimal system of
UCG gas utilisation

Analysis of possible methods of gas conversion

to energy for electricity and heat production:

1. Boilers with burners designed to ucg gas

2. Co-combustion of gas with coal in fluidised
bed boilers
heat production
electricity production in
steam turbine
3. Gas turbines
4. Gas engines
Thank you very much for your
attention