Posted by Ben Proudlove on Tue, Feb 16, 2010 @ 05:29 AM
According to the BBC website British Airways is to build the first plant in Europe making jet fuel from waste material using a process of waste gasification (to produce syngas) and the Fischer Tropsch process to convert that syngas to synthetic fuel.
It's planned to be up and running by 2014 and based in east London.
It looks like a natural step for BA to go down this route following the fact that various competitor airlines have already signed up with Rentech for supply of their synthetic fuel from their facility in Mississippi - again produced by gasification and FT conversion.
Posted by Ben Proudlove on Thu, Jan 21, 2010 @ 10:13 AM
Amazing stat: "According to the World Bank, 5.25 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of associated gas - the equivalent of 27 per cent of US gas consumption - was flared in 2004.". This is from an interesting article on the Engineerlive.com website full article can be seen here
The article goes on to mention the reason for the waste is the lack of cost effective technology for capturing this wasted resource offshore, but potentially a solution for this wasteful problem could be small modular systems for conversion of gas to liquids.
So typically what that would involve is first the conversion of the methane (in the associated gas) to syngas in a steam reforming reaction; and then the conversion of the syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide) via the Fischer Tropsch reaction to a synthetic fuel that could be shipped and distributed using the normal channels.
The article also mentioned two UK companies that are both developing microchannel reaction systems for this offshore purpose: Oxford Catalysts and CompactGTL.
Some of the challenges associated with this process involve the catalysts to be used - they need to of course work for as long as possible (for example steam reforming catalysts can get a build up of carbon pretty quickly limiting their life) and also they need to maximise their activity - both for the steam reforming reaction and the FT reaction stages. For these type of researchers we supply a range of systems for catalyst characterisation (click to view section)
One of the systems included in that section is the High Pressure TGA system from Rubotherm that allows carbon build up on steam reforming catalysts to be accurately measured at high temperatures (up to 1200degC) and raised pressures (50bar) essential information for any cost effective GTL system....
Posted by Ben Proudlove on Thu, Dec 03, 2009 @ 09:18 AM
A very hot topic at the moment is the coversion of biomass (and I'll include in that coal) to synthetic fuel i.e. by gasification followed by conversion of the syngas to liquid hydrocarbons.
So these researching this area include the guys at Columbia I recently mentioned who are looking at incorporating CO2 into the gasification process to both utilise a waste gas and also improve process efficiency.
Also in the news currently is a big investment going on in Alberta Canada into developing a UCG (underground coal gasification) production site to utilise coal too deep to mine and turn it into liquid hydrocarbons for fuel usage. And you can bet there will be lots more going down this route, particularly when you consider the amount of coal reserves in the USA and their desire to limit their dependency on oil producing countries and also that the technology can be made relatively cleanly, using sunlight for the gasification process (potentially) and the synthetic fuel can be distributed and used using current set ups. 
So there are two main research areas that need looking at:
Biomass or coal to Syngas
and
Syngas to Liquid Hydrocarbons
We supply a range of systems that can be designed to suit a researchers exact requirements to meet all aspects of this research. As such I've set up a dedicated application page and a downloadable presentation detailing the systems and benefits they offer your research. Please visit our Biomass to Liquids application page.
Let me know if you have any questions or need further info - easiest is via our contact us page
Posted by Ben Proudlove on Thu, Dec 03, 2009 @ 05:47 AM
If you're involved in Fischer Tropsch or other related research please join the Fischer Tropsch Research Group recently set up on Linkedin
Its intended to be a place for researchers to discuss their latest techniques, research and also to highlight any upcoming meetings, conferences etc.
Posted by Ben Proudlove on Wed, Nov 25, 2009 @ 05:34 AM
This post on worldchanging.com details the new development at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico where they are using sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water to syngas.
Using an iron oxide that loses an oxygen molecule at high temperature (1500degC) and retrieves one when cooled down the system can be used to convert CO2 to CO and also H2O to H2. So you can either use it for making Syngas or Hydrogen generation for use in fuel cells.
This is quite an interesting development as it means a relatively low energy demand (the system uses heat from the Sun to generate the 1500degC needed) unlike some other alternative fuel sources. The syngas can then be converted to synthetic fuel via Fischer Tropsch reactions or the hydrogen could be used for electricity generation through fuel cells.
Synthetic fuels can be used though the existing infrastructure so relatively easily employed as an alternative to current car fuels. The hydrogen usage in fuel cells can also be either utilised in mobile fuel cells (e.g. those located in a car) or perhaps easier can be utilised through larger static fuel cells to feed back electricity into the grid (and then distributed where needed).
So does that mean in the future all you'll need is a Sandia type system, a fuel cell, some water and a bit of sunshine. So looks like the UK will be oil dependent for a while longer then......
Posted by Ben Proudlove on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 @ 11:20 AM
Researchers at Columbia University in New York have found that adding CO2 in place of 30% of the steam used for biomass gasification improves the efficiency of the process and also potentially means a a beneficial use for waste CO2 in the environment. Full details on the research can be seen on this Global Impact page.
So broadly speaking that means more efficient production of a new fuel source while at the same time make use of an unwanted material in the environment. A win/win situation????
For details of how our systems can be used for research into biomass gasification, and conversion of syngas to synthetic fuels please have a look at our biomass gasification page.
Posted by Ben Proudlove on Fri, Aug 14, 2009 @ 02:29 PM
British project aims to use energy from coal to produce clean electricity
Very interesting article looking at a recent development in commercial coal gasification in the UK and using the syngas produced to generate energy either using the hydrogen in fuel cells or a process like the Fischer Tropsch (FT) process to turn the syngas into a synthetic petroleum substitute.
Coal and biomass gasification are things we and our suppliers at Rubotherm are actively involved in on a research scale. Using the Rubotherm MSB or HP TGA these gasification processes can be carried out at high temperatures and raised pressures to get an understanding of the process and product produced.
FT research is something Merrow Scientific are also actively involved in in the UK market with our fixed bed and slurry reactors from Autoclave Engineers. Mainly carried out in oven based environments this custom configured systems allow users to carry out exact research on a small scale to develop alternative fuel sources.