Das Projekt "Demonstrationsanlage fuer die Braunkohlevergasung nach dem Hochtemperatur-Winkler-Verfahren (HTW) (Phase 1A)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von RWE Rheinbraun durchgeführt. Objective: Construction of a demonstration plant with a capacity of 1,500 T/D of raw brown coal using the Winkler process at high temperature (1,000 deg. C) and under pressure (10 Bar) and subsequent gas treatment units. L per cent General Information: The HTW process is a gasification process based on the fluidized bed technology developed by Fritz Winkler in 1922. Gasification in the advanced HTW process takes place under pressure at a temperature of up to 1000 deg. C, with oxygen and steam as gasifying agents. The High Temperature Winkler process features: - high mass and energy transfers with a smooth temperature distribution; - low consumption of gasifying agents; - high degree of carbon conversion since gasification takes place in the fluidized bed and in the entrained gasification zone; - suitability for a large variety of feedstocks (lignite, slightly caking hard coal, wood, peat, biomass); - large product range (synthesis gases, reducing gas, hydrogen, low -BTU gas); HTW demonstration plant data: Gasification pressure 10 Bar Gasification temperature approx. 950 deg. C Dry lignite input capacity 30. 5 t/h Synthesis gas output capacity 37000 m3/h Methanol equivalent14 t/h Dry lignite is transported by a belt conveyor from the Berrenrath refining plant to the storage bunker. From the weighing vessels the lignite passes through pressurized lock hoppers and reaches the feeding vessels from where it is supplied by dosing and feeding screws to the fluidized bed. In the gasifier, lignite reacts with oxygen and steam as gasifying agents at a pressure of 10 bar and temperatures of up to 1000 deg. C. Oxygen is fed into the gasifier at different levels. Temperatures in the fluidized bed range from 700 to 800 deg. C. In the entrained gasification zone above, carbon conversion and gas quality are further improved at temperatures reaching 1000 deg. C. The product gas leaves the gasifier at the top. Ash and carbon containing dust particles carried along by the raw gas are removed in a cyclone and recirculated to the fluidized bed. A second cyclone removes the remaining finer dust particles. The hot raw gas is cooled to some 350 deg. C in a waste heat boiler. The heat energy is used to generate medium pressure steam which serves as process steam in the gasifier. The remaining heat is used for saturating the raw gas with steam in a quench cooler. CO-shift conversion is used to obtain the required ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide. Subsequently, sulphur compounds and carbon dioxide are almost completely removed in a Rectisol scrubber with methanol acting as a solvent. The sulphur compounds are processed into saleable elementary sulphur. The processed and cleaned synthesis gas is piped to the Union Kraftstoff AG where tests are made on the conversion of lignite derived synthesis gas into methanol. One important future field of application for the HTW process is constituted by low-BTU gas production from lignite for use in combined-cycle power stations.