Ash-agglomerating gasification of coal in a spouted bed reactor

Abstract Australian bituminous coal (Hoskisson) was gasified with oxygen and steam in a 0.4m diameter spouted bed reactor at atmospheric pressure and temperatures of 1050–1170 °C to produce medium calorific value gas. High-ash agglomerates fell through the throat of the spouted bed under restricted gasification conditions, with no simultaneous loss of coal. The effects of temperature, steam-oxygen ratio, coal feed rate and coal size on carbon conversion, production of ash agglomerates, gas composition and decompsition of steam were established.