US 20130020189A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2013/0020189 A1 Witherspoon (43) Pub. Date: Jan. 24, 2013

(54) METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR Publication Classi?cation LIQUEFACTION AND DISTILLATION OF VOLATILE MATTER WITHIN SOLID (51) Int- Cl CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL C10B 49/02 (2006-01) (52) US. Cl...... 201/29; 202/99 (76) Inventor: Joseph A. Witherspoon, Kaysville, UT (57) ABSTRACT (Us) A method for liquefaction of coal or other solid carbonaceous material includes passing the material through a reformer (21) Appl, No; 13/637,73 3 having a temperature gradient therein, the temperature gradi ent generally increasing as the material ?oWs doWn through . _ the reformer. The more valuable volatile components of the (22) PCT Flled' Apr‘ 8’ 2011 material exit the material at their respective vaporization tem peratures, and pass out of the reformer for processing in (86) PCT NO.I PCT/US2011/031849 condensers. Some of each fraction of the volatile material 371 1 How is re-heated and recycled through the reformer to supply § (C)( ), _ heat to mamtam. . the temperature grad1ent,. the recycling. in]. . ec (2), (4) Date. Sep. 27, 2012 . . . . t1on occurring at a level beloW that Where the fraction exlted the reformer so that the recycled fraction Will again pass out . . of the reformer to be condensed. At the bottom of the Related U's' Apphcatlon Data reformer, the non-volatile portion of the carbonaceous mate (60) Provisional application No. 61/324,151, ?led on Apr. rial is removed from the reformer for further processing or 14, 2010. sale.

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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR [0008] The Karrick process is a loW-temperature carbon LIQUEFACTION AND DISTILLATION OF iZation (LTC) and pyrolysis process of carbonaceous materi VOLATILE MATTER WITHIN SOLID als. Although primarily meant for coal carboniZation, it also CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL could be used for processing of oil shale, lignite or other carbonaceous materials. These are heated at 450° C. (800° F.) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED to 700° C. (1,300° F.) in the absence of air to distill out APPLICATION synthetic fuels-unconventional oil and syngas. The Karrick process may be used for coal liquefaction and for semi-coke [0001] This application claims priority based on US. Pro production. visional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/324,151 ?ledApr. 14, 2010 and titled “Coal Reformation Process,” the disclosure of [0009] In the Karrick process, one short ton of coal yields as Which is incorporated herein by this reference. much as one barrel of oils and coal tars (12% by Weight), 3,000 cubic feet (85 cubic meters) of coal gas and 1,500 BACKGROUND pounds (680 kg) of solid smokeless char or semi-coke (for one metric ton, the results Would be 0.175 m3 of oils and coal [0002] This invention relates to an improved continuous tars, 95 m3 of gas, and 750 kg of semi-coke).Yields by volume feed process for the liquefaction of coal (anthracite, bitumi of approximately 25% gasoline, 10% kerosene and 20% fuel nous, sub-bituminous), gob, bitumen, lignite, oil and tar oil are obtainable from coal. Gasoline obtained from coal by sands, oil shale, and any solid carbonaceous material, includ the Karrick process combined With cracking and re?ning is ing Waste material and plastic material and for the distillation equal in quality to tetraethyl lead gasolines. More poWer is of the volatile matter Within that solid carbonaceous material developed in internal combustion engines and an increase in into high-value products. fuel economy of approximately 20% is obtainable under [0003] Until recent decades despite voluminous amounts of identical operating conditions. The syngas can be converted CO2 emissions and other contaminants, coal providers have to oil by the Fischer-Tropsch process. Coal gas from Karrick experienced very little ecological pressure from govem LTC yields greater energy content than natural gas. ments. While coal is cheap and produces signi?cant quanti [0010] Compared to the Bergius process, the Karrick pro ties of poWer, it is also an international “necessity” because cess is cheaper, requires less Water and destroys less thermal the World could not immediately replace this energy source. value (one-half that of the Bergius process). The smokeless HoWever, as the World has focused on environmental ef?cacy, semi-coke fuel, When burned in an open grate or in boilers, better systems and methods of using the energy stored in coal delivers 20% to 25% more heat than raW coal. The coal gas become more important. should deliver more heat than natural gas per heat unit con [0004] All coal contains varying concentrations of mois tained due to the greater quantity of combined carbon and ture, sulfur, hydrocarbon compounds (referred to as volatile loWer dilution of the combustion gases With Water vapor. matter), inorganic ash-forming components, and other com [0011] The cheapest liquid fuel from coal Will come When ponents. Some of these components have value While other processed by LTC for both liquid fuels and electric poWer. As components are considered contaminants. Synthetic produc a tertiary product of the coal distilling process, electrical tion of liquid fuels (i.e., gasoline and oil substitutes) in the energy can be generated at a minimum equipment cost. A United States has a long history. In the 19th century, doZens of Karrick LTC plant With one kiloton of daily coal capacity facilities produced oil, gas, grease and paraf?n from coal, but produces suf?cient steam to generate 100,000 kiloWatt hours by 1873, cheap petroleum caused the last coal oil plant to of electrical poWer at no extra cost excepting capital invest close. In addition, commercial scale shale oil extraction ment for electrical equipment and loss of steam temperature began in 1857 at shale oil retorts retorting the Devonian oil passing through turbines. The process steam cost could be shale along the Ohio River Valley. HoWever, after crude oil loW since this steam could be derived from off-peak boiler discovery in Pennsylvania in 1859, oil shale industries found capacity or from turbines in central electric stations. Fuel for it dif?cult to compete and they Were shut doWn by 1861. steam and superheating Would subsequently be reduced in [0005] Historically, economics has been a major impedi cost. ment to coal liquefaction. Until recent years oil has been easy [0012] Although a Karrick pilot plant Was successfully to ?nd and produce. In addition, a poWerful liquid oil industry operated in 1935, there is some question as to Whether a has lobbied and maintained a unique control over domestic oil modern commercial Karrick LTC process plant Would fail production. The international landscape is noW aWare of the due to mechanical problems, a postulation based on previous imminent danger of deep Water drilling for oil as evidenced failures of other plants using different processes under differ by the British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in ent conditions. It is indeterminate as to hoW “scaleable” the April of 2010. technology is for large-scale production. When oil Was sig [0006] There are several processes used for coal liquefac ni?cantly cheaper markets for the described coal products tion. For example, in the Bergius process, developed by Were limited, Which made such a venture economically Friedrich Bergius in 1913, dry coal is mixed With heavy oil unsound. recycled from the process. A catalyst is typically added to the [0013] Other methods of coal liquefaction involve indirect mixture. The reaction occurs at betWeen 400° C. (752° F.) to conversion. Perhaps the main indirect process is the Fischer 5,000° C. (9,030° F.) and 20 to 70 MPa hydrogen pressure. Tropsch process, in Which coal is ?rst gasi?ed to make syngas [0007] Chevron Corporation developed a process that (a balanced puri?ed mixture of CO and H2 gas). Next, Fis involved close-coupling of the non-catalytic dissolver and the cher-Tropsch catalysts are used to convert the syngas into catalytic hydroprocessing unit. The oil produced Was lighter light hydrocarbons (like ethane) that are further processed and had far feWer heteroatom impurities than other coal oils. into gasoline and diesel. This method Was used on a large Apparently, the process Was scaled-up to the 6 ton per day technical scale in Germany betWeen 1934 and 1945 and is level, but has not been proven commercially. currently being used by Sasol in South Africa. In addition to US 2013/0020189 A1 Jan. 24, 2013

creating gasoline, syngas can be converted into methanol, less volatile constituents exit at vapor draWs located closer to Which can be used as a fuel or a fuel additive. Syngas may be the loWer end of the reformer container. converted to liquids through conversion of the syngas to [0020] Heat is applied to the coal to drive off moisture and methanol, Which is subsequently polymerized into alkanes vaporiZe the hydrocarbon compounds and harmful contami over a Zeolite catalyst. nants such as sulfur, mercury and arsenic, thereby removing [0014] Unfortunately, each of the prior methods of coal them from the coal. The steam helps to sWeep, or strip, the liquefaction have disadvantages. The prior processes tend to gaseous components aWay from the coal and into a series of focus on turning coal to liquid, With little regard for environ recovery devices, Where these compounds can be condensed, mental implications. For example, Fischer-Tropsch produces separated, treated and stored. Steam Will also react With toxic byproducts and consumes expensive catalysts during residual carbon monoxide to form hydrogen and carbon diox the process (cobalt, iron, ruthenium). The prior processes ide through the Water-gas shift reaction. have often not been scalable, and thus Were of limited viabil [0021] The applied heat converts, due to thermal cracking, ity. Many also had signi?cant capital costs that tended to some of the heavy coal tar components into lighter, more render the liquefaction economically suspect. valuable fuel components such as hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane, butane, gasoline boiling range components, and die SUMMARY sel boiling range components. The vaporiZed heavier hydro [0015] This invention involves a coal treatment process that carbon compounds may be condensed and separated into permits removal of moisture, sulfur, hydrocarbon compounds different fuel streams such as gasoline, kerosene, and diesel, (referred to as volatile matter), and other components in a or sold Without separation as a supplemental crude oil for continuous-feed process by applying heat and steam, With further processing at a petroleum re?nery. Alternatively, the hydrogen re-circulation, in an oxygen de?cient atmosphere. heavy hydrocarbon stream, including the coal tar, may be The result is separation of the volatile matter into valuable gas further processed through a “hydrocracking” process that and liquid fractions for use or further processing in addition to uses hydrogen and a nickel-molybdenum catalyst to further a highly upgraded coal product. break doWn heavy loW-value hydrocarbons into lighter high value hydrocarbons. The hydrocracking process also pro [0016] In the process, bulk coal or other carbonaceous vides desulphuriZation of the feed stream, as Well as de material is fed into a reformer that has been evacuated of nitrogenation through hydrogenation. oxygen. The reformer is typically a large metal container mounted generally vertically. In some embodiments, a rotat [0022] The lighter hydrocarbon components may be cap able shaft extends doWn into the container and holds agitation tured, compressed and condensed to form light gasoline, plates. A motor attached to the shaft turns the plates to assist butane, and propane. The remaining gases after compression in moving the coal through the container. typically contain hydrogen and methane. This gas can be used as a fuel-gas stream for the process or the hydrogen may be [0017] One or more vapor draWs are mounted at various separated out to form a hydrogen-rich stream to be used for vertical locations on the shell Wall of the reformer container. other hydrogen consuming processes. The vapor draWs extract fractions (based on the location of the draWs, Which in turn is based on a temperature gradient [0023] The reformed coal is removed from the container formed inside the container) of the volatile constituents from through an exit near the base of the container and cooled to a the heated coal, taking some off for sale or further processing temperature loW enough to permit contact of the reformed and, depending on the design, recycling portions back into the coal With the air. The reformed coal is typically moisture-free. container. The recycling may include steps such as condens The reformed coal has a higher energy value, perhaps as much ing the gases to extract valuable product, and then heating the as 50% more BTUs per pound over the parent coal, due to the gases so as to provide heat to the reformer container. Internal removal of moisture. housings on the vapor draWs assist in reducing the level of [0024] Because the reformed coal has a higher BTU con particulates removed from the container by the vapor draWs. tent, less reformed coal is required as fuel for the same energy [0018] One or more injectors are mounted at various verti output. This loWer fuel requirement may lead to a 30% reduc cal elevations on the shell Wall of the reformer container for tion in CO2 emissions, by mass. The sulfur content of the injecting steam or heated re-circulated e?luent into the con reformed coal may be less than 1% of that of the parent coal, tainer. The gases are typically injected into the container and thus produces signi?cantly less SOx emissions When using the injector at an elevation beloW the location of the burned. The ash produced from burning the reformed coal is vapor draW from Which the gas Was removed. As a result, the largely free of mercury, and has a much loWer concentration injected gases provide heating to the container, but generally of other contaminants relative to ash produced from burning are removed through the upper vapor draW, so as to keep the the parent coal. factions generally separated. Thus, in more complicated embodiments there are a series of removals of gases, separa BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS tion, heating of a portion of the removed gases, and recycling the heated portion back into the reformer container to main [0025] Other features and advantages of the present inven tain the temperature gradient. tion Will be apparent from reference to the folloWing Detailed Description taken in conjunction With the accompanying [0019] Injecting the heated gases into the container at the DraWings, in Which: various elevations of the injectors creates a temperature gra dient inside the container. In general, the higher temperatures [0026] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of a coal are near the bottom of the container, and the gradient cools reformer according to one embodiment of the present inven moving up the container. Because of the temperature gradi tion; and ent, more volatile constituents of the coal exit the reformer [0027] FIG. 2 depicts a process How diagram of one container through the upper vapor draWs and progressively embodiment of the process of the present invention. US 2013/0020189 A1 Jan. 24, 2013

DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0034] The liquid and residual gas exit the overhead con denser 42 and separate in an overhead liquid separator 44, [0028] As depicted in FIG. 1, according to one embodiment Which is a three-phase separator that separates the gas from the present method and apparatus involve a solid-vapor reac the liquid and separates the hydrocarbon liquid from the tive fractionator, or coal reformer 10. The reformer 10 has an aqueous solution. The residual gas from the overhead liquid outer shell Wall 12, typically made of steel, and may contain separator 44 is routed to the suction of a fuel gas compressor an internal erosion-resistant and corrosion-resistant coating 46 and cooled in the fuel gas compressor condenser 48 Where as Well as external insulation of knoWn types. The reformer is fractions such as propane and butane Will liquefy and drop out placed in a generally vertical orientation and thus has an into a compressor discharge three-phase separator 50. The upper end 14 and a loWer end 15. A rotatable vertical shaft 18 hydrocarbon liquids from the compressor discharge three passes through a seal bearing 20 in the upper end 14 of the phase separator 50 may then be collected for treating, frac reformer. One or more agitation plates 22 are connected to the tionation, storage, or sales. vertical shaft at various vertical positions.As depicted in FIG. [0035] The residual gas from the compressor discharge 1, typically the agitation plates 22 are connected at an angle three-phase separator 50 is treated to removed contaminants from the horiZontal and the vertical. A motor 24 attached to such as free oxygen and nitrogen (air), carbon dioxide, hydro the shaft 18 above the reformer rotates the shaft 18 and thus gen sul?de, and others. After treating, the resulting gas stream the agitation plates 22. (see FIG. 2, stream 52) may be sent to a hydrogen puri?cation [0029] A plurality of vapor draWs 28 are mounted to the unit (through a stream 53 shoWn in FIG. 2) to separate hydro reformer 10 at various locations along the length of the outer gen from the fuel gas, if desired. The puri?ed hydrogen shell Wall 12. The vapor draWs 28 remove vapor from the stream or a slip-stream of the hydrogen-rich fuel gas stream reformer 10. Each vapor draW has an internal vapor-draW (see FIG. 2, stream 54) may be heated to ZOO-260° C. (400 housing 30 designed to try to reduce the amount of coal and 500° F.) in a heater 58 and re-inj ected back into the reformer other particulates ?oWing into the vapor draWs and poten 10 through an injector 32b above the heavy naphtha vapor tially plugging up the vapor draW noZZle or other parts of the draW 28b as a heating and stripping medium. apparatus. An external coal separation device such as a [0036] The liquid from the overhead separator 44 is cyclonic separator or bag ?lter may also be used to capture pumped by a pump 60 and split into tWo streams. One stream and separate ?ne coal particles from entering other parts of (see FIG. 2, stream 62) combines With a heavy naphtha stream the doWnstream process equipment (such as the condensers (see FIG. 2, stream 64) from the reformer 10.A second stream and economiZers discussed beloW). (see FIG. 2, stream 68) is used as a quench stream that is [0030] Each vapor draW 28 is placed at a location selected re-injected back into the reformer 10 through injector 32a to so as to extract different fractions of volatile constituents of assist in overhead temperature control. the coal. That is, as the “stack” inside the reformer heats, a [0037] Water from the overhead separator 44 may contain temperature gradient forms Within the reformer, and the loWer ammonia, hydrogen sul?de, and other Water-soluble compo locations Will be hotter than the upper locations. Thus, the nents. This Water is contaminated, or sour. Thus, the sour vapor draWs 28 located higher on the outer shell Wall 12 Will Water stream (see FIG. 2, stream 70a) is combined With other remove lighter Weight hydrocarbons, and those at loWer loca sour Water streams 70, such as that shoWn at FIG. 2, streams tions Will remove heavier hydrocarbons. 70b, 70c, 70d and 70e, and sent to treatment. [0031] A plurality of injectors 32 are placed at various [0038] The coal continues to heat up as it travels doWn the vertical elevations along the length of the outer shell Wall 12. reformer 10. The heating is caused by heated re-inj ection The injectors inject heated ?uids into the reformer 10. Often streams being introduced into the reformer by the various the heated ?uids are recycled from the vapor draWs 28. That injectors 32 located further doWn the reformer 10. As the coal is, as discussed in more detail beloW, a portion of the hot gases heats from 90-205° C. (ZOO-400° E), any remaining moisture removed by the vapor draWs 28 are recycled back into the is removed and any hydrocarbon components that boil in the reformer 10 using the injectors 32. heavy naphtha range also vaporiZe out of the coal. These [0032] RaW coal or other carbonaceous material is con components exit the reformer 10 through the heavy naphtha veyed from a feed hopper 34 and introduced into the reformer vapor draW 28b at about 205° C. (4000 E). 10. A rotary valve 36 controls the feed rate to the reformer 10 [0039] The heavy naphtha vapor is condensed in a naphtha and prevents back How from the reformer 10 to the hopper 34. condenser 72. The naphtha liquid and residual gas disengage Typically, the process starts by ?lling the reformer 10 With in a naphtha three-phase separator 74. The gas from the naph coal, and then purging air from the interior of the reformer tha three-phase separator 74 is combined With other residual using steam. As the coal is processed and the various fractions gas streams and is routed to a vapor recovery unit. From there, extracted from the reformer, additional coal passes through the gas may be recovered for treating, fractionation, storage, the rotary valve 36 and into the reformer 10. consumption as fuel, or sales. [0033] As the coal enters the reformer 10, it starts to heat up [0040] The naphtha from the naphtha three-phase separator and continues heating up as it travels doWn the reformer 10 to 74 is pumped by a pump 76 and split into tWo streams. As the point (typically fairly high in the reformer) that moisture depicted in FIG. 2, one stream 78 may be used as a cooling and some light volatile organic compounds are stripped from medium in an economiZer 80, Where that stream is pre-heated the coal. The moisture, light volatile organic compounds, and and then routed to the radiant section coils of a ?red heater 58, other gases (from the re-injection streams, as discussed heated to 3l5-370° C. (600-700° F.) and re-injected into the beloW) exit the reformer 10 through an upper-most vapor reformer 10 through the injector 320 above the distillate vapor draW 2811. As can be seen by referring to FIG. 2, in one draW 280. The other stream 82 is sent to storage and can be embodiment these vapors are routed to an overhead con further treated, upgraded, and blended into ?nished gasoline. denser 42 Where the vapors are condensed to liquids such as [0041] As the coal continues doWn the “stack” in the Water, butane, pentanes, and light gasoline components. reformer 10 and heats up from 205° C. (400° F.) to 370° C. US 2013/0020189 A1 Jan. 24, 2013

(700° F.), hydrocarbon components that boil in this tempera 96. The Warm reformed coal can be further cooled by ?oWing ture range (distillates) vaporize out of the coal. These distil cooling Water or other cooling medium through an additional late vapors exit the reformer 10 through the distillate vapor section ofjacketed transfer pipe 114 to cool the reformed coal draW 280 at about 340-370° C. (650-700° F.). The distillate doWn to a safe temperature (typically beloW 50° C. or 120° vapors are condensed in the economiZer 80 and disengage F.). A series of jacketed auger-type solids pumps may be used from the residual gas in a distillate three-phase separator 84. in lieu of the rotary valve 38 and jacketed pipes 108 and 114 [0042] The distillate is pumped out of the distillate three to transfer and cool the reformed coal product. phase separator 84 by a pump 88 and split into tWo streams. [0048] Once the reformed coal is suf?ciently cooled, it is The ?rst stream (see FIG. 2, stream 86) goes to storage and safe to contact the reformed coal With dry air. Dry air may be can be further processed through an ultra-loW sulfur diesel used at this point to convey the reformed coal to the reformed hydrotreater or sold as un?nished diesel. The second stream coal storage silos. The reformed coal may then be used as a (FIG. 2, stream 92) is pre-heated in an economiZer 94 and fuel or other desired uses. heated up to about 480° C. (900° F.) through the radiant coils [0049] The coal reformer 10 and the agitationplates 22 may of a ?red heater 96. This second stream is then re-injected into be made of different materials, but typically Would be steel or the reformer 10 by the injector 32d above the heavy coal tar stainless steel With an internal erosion-resistant and corro vapor draW 28d. sion-resistant coating or liner, appropriate insulation, and [0043] The heavy coal tar vapors exit the reformer 10 siZed according to the desired continuous throughput, Which through a vapor draW 28d and are condensed through the is also based on the speci?c material being processed. The economiZer 94. The heavy coal tar disengages from the other various components of the process equipment are those residual gas in a coal-tar separator 98. The liquid coal tar 100 knoWn in the art. For example, the condensers may be a is pumped out of the coal-tar separator 98 via a pump 102 and standard shell-and-tube type heat exchanger and the heaters receives an injection of the hot hydrogen-rich fuel gas stream may be standard ?re heaters or furnaces as knoWn in the art. (see FIG. 2, stream 54), heated up to 425-480° C. (800-900° Similarly, standard piping and valves may be used. Again, F.) from the convection coils of a ?red heater 58. each of these items is siZed to handle the throughput of the [0044] The hydrogen enriched coal tar stream is heated up reformer 10. to 650-705° C. (l200-l300° F.) by a ?redheater 104. The coal [0050] Although the embodiments discussed in this disclo tar Will decompose at these temperatures (thermally crack) sure involve the processing and treatment of coal, the method into smaller molecules, typically diesel and gasoline compo and apparatus described is suitable for the extraction and nents as Well as butanes, propane, ethane, methane and more fractionation of other solid carbonaceous materials, such as hydrogen. Also, the high temperature and presence of hydro coal (anthracite, bituminous, sub-bituminous), gob, bitumen, gen, and the metals that are present in the coal, induce both lignite, oil and tar sands, oil shale, and solid carbonaceous hydrocracking and hydrotreating reactions that further break material including Waste material and plastic material. Thus, doWn the large and heavy hydrocarbon molecules into these solid carbonaceous materials may be processed to distill smaller and more valuable hydrocarbon components such as the volatile matter Within that solid carbonaceous material diesel, gasoline, butanes, propane, ethane, and methane by into high-value products. Thus, the present invention has the reaction of the large hydrocarbon molecules With hydro several advantages over the prior art. Although embodiments gen (hydrocracking). These same reactions often remove the of the present invention have been described, various modi sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen components of the coal by the ?cations and changes may be made by those skilled in the art reaction of these components With hydrogen (hydrotreating). Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. [0045] The output stream 106 of the ?red heater 104 is 1. A method for treating solid carbonaceous material com re-injected into the reformer 10 through the injector 32e near prising the steps of: the bottom 15 of the reformer 10. This heats the coal to its feeding bulk solid carbonaceous material from a feed hop ?nal temperature of about 1000° F., drives out the remaining per through an input valve and into a reformer from volatile matter from the coal, and recovers the cracked stock Which air has been evacuated With steam to ?ll a prede created from thermal cracking the coal tar in the ?red heater termined proportion of the reformer, the reformer hav 104. The hydrocracking and hydrotreating reactions that ing a predetermined length, an upper end and a loWer occur in the reformer 10 utiliZe the coal and its associated end, and a generally upright orientation and having: metals as catalysts to further break doWn the large carbon an outer shell Wall; chains of the coal as Well as further remove sulfur, nitrogen, a shaft connected to a drive motor, the shaft passing into and oxygen from the molecules of the coal. The coal tar the reformer through a seal bearing; stream may be recycled to extinction. a plurality of agitation plates connected at predeter [0046] The hot reformed coal product exits the bottom of mined position along the shaft and con?gured so that the reformer 10 through a rotary valve 38. A section of the rotation of the shaft rotates the agitation plates; transfer pipe 40 containing the hot reformed coal may be a plurality of injectors placed at predetermined vertical jacketed. Boiler feed Water (hot Water at about 100° C., ready elevations along the length of the reformer for inject to boil) ?oWing through the jacketed pipe 108 may be used to ing heated ?uids into the reformer; cool the reformed coal to about l20-l05° C. (250-225° F.). a plurality of vapor draWs located at predetermined loca Typically, as depicted in FIG. 2, stream 110, the boiler feed tions along the length of the reformer for removing Water is heated up to medium pressure steam 110 and com ?uids from the reformer, each of the vapor draWs bined With other medium pressure steam 112 to use as a having an internal vapor-draW housing to reduce the stripping steam to the system as Well as other uses throughout amount of particulates ?oWing into the vapor draWs as the process. other vapors ?oW into the vapor draWs, each vapor [0047] Steam may also be super-heated up to 425-480° C. draW being situated at a location for extracting prede (800-900° F.) through the convection coils of the ?red heater termined fractions of volatile constituents of the car US 2013/0020189 A1 Jan. 24, 2013

bonaceous material based on a predetermined tem 3. The method of claim 1 Wherein at least one of the perature gradient formed Within the reformer; injectors is con?gured to add heat to the reformer at the a nozzle for injecting a re?ux ?uid stream that has been predetermined vertical elevation of that injector. condensed from a predetermined portion of ?uid from 4. A method of distilling the volatile components from a an upper-most vapor draW back into the reformer to solid carbonaceous material and fractionating those compo thereby at least partially control temperature Within nents into separate high-value streams comprising the steps the reformer; and of: an exit connected to an output valve through Which feeding solid carbonaceous material into a reformer to ?ll treated carbonaceous material exits the reformer; a predetermined proportion of the reformer, the reformer maintaining the predetermined temperature gradient in the having a predetermined length, an upper end and a loWer reformer, the temperature gradient resulting in a higher end, and a generally upright orientation and having: temperature near the loWer end of the reformer and a an injector at a predetermined vertical elevation along loWer temperature near the upper end of the reformer, the length of the reformer for injecting heated ?uids the temperature gradient thereby causing most volatile into the reformer; constituents of the carbonaceous material to exit the a plurality of vapor draWs located at predetermined loca reformer through the vapor draW located closest to the tions along the length of the reformer for removing upper end of the reformer and progressively less volatile ?uids from the reformer, each vapor draW being situ constituents to exit at vapor draWs located progressively ated at a location for extracting predetermined frac closer to the loWer end of the reformer; tions of volatile constituents of the carbonaceous condensing a ?rst predetermined part of the most volatile material based on a predetermined temperature gra constituents and using the condensate as the re?ux ?uid dient formed Within the reformer; stream; a noZZle for injecting a re?ux ?uid stream from the vapor compressing a second predetermined part of the most vola draW back into the reformer; and tile constituents, heating the compressed second prede maintaining the predetermined temperature gradient in the termined part, and recycling the compressed and heated reformer, the temperature gradient resulting in a higher second predetermined part through a ?rst injector that is temperature near the loWer end of the reformer and a located at a ?rst predetermined vertical elevation; loWer temperature near the upper end of the reformer, the temperature gradient thereby causing more volatile recycling a predetermined allotment of a ?rst extract from constituents of the carbonaceous material to exit the a ?rst vapor draW that is at a ?rst predetermined vertical location by: reformer through vapor draWs closer to the upper end of the reformer and less volatile constituents to exit at condensing the predetermined allotment of the ?rst vapor draWs located closer to the loWer end of the extract; reformer. pumping the condensed ?rst extract into a ?rst heat 5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of exchanger that is attached to a second vapor draW that recycling a predetermined allotment of a ?rst extract from a is at a second predetermined vertical position; ?rst vapor draW by: using the ?rst extract to condense a second extract from condensing the ?rst extract; the second vapor draW and thereby re-vaporiZe the pumping the ?rst extract into an economiZer that is ?rst extract; and attached to a second vapor draW; heating the re-vaporiZed ?rst extract to a predetermined using the ?rst extract to condense a second extract from the temperature and recycling the heated ?rst extract back second vapor draW and thereby re-vaporiZe the ?rst into the reformer through a second injector that is at a extract; and second predetermined vertical elevation; and heating the re-vaporiZed ?rst extract to a predetermined collecting any remaining extracts for use or further pro temperature and recycling the heated ?rst extract back cessing; and into the reformer. cooling the treated carbonaceous material after it has 6. The method of claim 4 in Which the reformer further exited through the output valve, and collecting the comprises: cooled treated carbonaceous material. a shaft connected to a drive motor and passing into the 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reformer through a seal bearing; and recycling a predetermined allotment of a third extract from a a plurality of agitation plates connected at predetermined third vapor draW that is at a third predetermined vertical position along the shaft and con?gured so that rotation location by: of the shaft rotates the agitation plates. condensing the predetermined allotment of the third 7. The method of claim 4 in Which each of the vapor draWs extract; has an internal vapor-draW housing to reduce the amount of pumping the condensed third extract into a second heat particulates ?oWing into the vapor draW. exchanger that is attached to a fourth vapor draW that is 8. The method of claim 4 in Which the reformer further at a fourth predetermined vertical position; comprises an exit connected to an output valve through Which using the third extract to condense a fourth extract from the treated carbonaceous material exits the reformer. fourth vapor draW and thereby re-vaporiZe the third 9. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of extract; and condensing a ?rst predetermined part of the volatile constitu heating the re-vaporiZed third extract to a predetermined ents and using the condensate as the re?ux ?uid stream. temperature and recycling the heated third extract back 10. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of into the reformer through a third injector that is at a third compressing a second predetermined part of the volatile con predetermined vertical elevation. stituents, heating the compressed second predetermined part, US 2013/0020189 A1 Jan. 24, 2013

and recycling the compressed and heated second predeter into the reformer to thereby at least partially control the mined part back into the reformer. temperature gradient Within the reformer. 11. An apparatus for treating solid carbonaceous material 15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: comprising: a condenser connected to a ?rst vapor draW for condensing a ?rst predetermined part of the volatile constituents; a reformer having a predetermined length, an upper end and and a loWer end, and a generally upright orientation; a heater for re-heating the condensed ?rst predetermined a plurality of vapor draWs located at predetermined loca part prior to recycling the condensed ?rst predetermined tions along the length of the reformer for removing ?uids part back into the reformer to assist in controlling the from the reformer, each vapor draW being situated at a temperature gradient Within the reformer. location for extracting predetermined fractions of vola 16. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a con tile constituents of the carbonaceous material based on a denser connected to a ?rst vapor draW for condensing a ?rst predetermined temperature gradient formed Within the predetermined part of the volatile constituents. reformer; 17. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a heater at least one injector placed at a predetermined vertical for re-heating a ?rst predetermined part of the volatile con elevation along the length of the reformer for injecting stituents prior to recycling the ?rst predetermined part back ?uids collected from at least one vapor draW back into into the reformer to assist in controlling the temperature gra dient Within the reformer. the reformer; and 18. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: an exit through Which treated carbonaceous material exits a compressor connected to a vapor stream ?oWing from a the reformer. vapor draW, the compressor con?gured to compress the 12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: vapor stream; a shaft connected to a drive motor, the shaft passing into the means for recycling a ?rst portion of the compressed vapor reformer through a seal bearing; and stream back into the reformer; a plurality of agitation plates connected at predetermined means for passing a second portion of the compressed position along the shaft and con?gured so that rotation vapor stream into a fuel gas; and of the shaft rotates the agitation plates. means for recycling a third portion of the compressed 13. The apparatus of claim 11 in Which each of the vapor vapor stream to storage, puri?cation or further process draWs has an internal vapor-draW housing to reduce the ing. amount of particulates ?owing into the vapor draWs as other 19. The apparatus of claim 11 in Which treating the solid vapors ?oW into the vapor draWs. carbonaceous material includes distillation of at least one volatile compound recovered from the solid carbonaceous 14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a noZZle material. for injecting a re?ux ?uid stream that has been condensed from a predetermined portion of ?uid from a vapor draW back