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Oxy-blown bubbling fluidized bed gasification of high-ash Indian coal: A pilot – Scale demonstration

Author

Listed:
  • Singh, Rupesh Kumar
  • Dhaigude, Nilesh D.
  • Sahu, Arti
  • Sahu, Gajanan
  • Chauhan, Vishal
  • Saha, Sujan
  • Saw, Shiva Kumar
  • Chavan, Prakash D.

Abstract

India's vast coal reserves offer a strategic pathway for clean energy via gasification; however, the high-ash content of indigenous coal renders most global gasifier designs techno-economically unviable. To address this gap, the CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CSIR-CIMFR) developed an indigenous Oxy-blown Bubbling Fluidized Bed Gasification (BFBG) pilot plant (TRL-6). The present findings evaluate the gasification performance of high-ash Indian coal at a thermal capacity of 107–150 kWth, utilizing a steam-oxygen mixture at atmospheric pressure and temperatures between ∼936 and 987 °C. The research systematically investigates the effects of the equivalence ratio (ER) and steam-to-coal (S/C) ratio on key gasification performance indicators, including Syngas composition and yield, H2/CO ratio, Carbon Conversion Efficiency (CCE), Cold Gas Efficiency (CGE), and Lower Heating Value (LHV) of the syngas. Under optimized conditions (ER: 0.40; S/C: 0.82), the process achieved a syngas composition of H2:CO:CH4:CO2 in the ratio of 38.45%:23.99%:7.34%:30.22%, yielding an H2/CO ratio of 1.60. Performance indicators achieved a CCE of 97.23%, CGE of 87.57%, and LHV of 9.03 MJ/Nm3 syngas. These results demonstrate the feasibility of producing hydrogen-rich syngas suitable for methanol synthesis, Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) production, and chemical feedstock. The findings provide the foundational data necessary for scaling up to pithead demonstration facilities in India.

Suggested Citation

  • Singh, Rupesh Kumar & Dhaigude, Nilesh D. & Sahu, Arti & Sahu, Gajanan & Chauhan, Vishal & Saha, Sujan & Saw, Shiva Kumar & Chavan, Prakash D., 2026. "Oxy-blown bubbling fluidized bed gasification of high-ash Indian coal: A pilot – Scale demonstration," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 347(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:347:y:2026:i:c:s0360544226005402
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2026.140437
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    References listed on IDEAS

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