Coal Gasification

This technology is of interest in terms of moving to a hydrogen economy or in producing liquid fuels such as petrol or diesel. Coal is mixed with steam and a limited supply of oxygen, the mixture is heated and pressurized with the steam and oxygen supply acting to oxidize the coal and prodcue Carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2). If converting coal to liquid fuels require Fisher-Tropsch processing, if used as a source of hydrogen then it requires a the water gas shift reaction


 * CO + H2O → CO2 + H2