The Oil Drum

31 comments on Two thoughts for a quiet Sunday

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Khebab on October 17, 2005 - 11:23am

but for an economy so dependent on the internal combustion engine and so blessed with coal, it is the most viable medium-term post-peak strategy I can think of.

Up to now, crude oil is used for transportation and coal for electricity generation. A widespread use of fuel from coal-to-liquids for transportation could put even more pressure on our coal consumption already soaring to satisfy our growing need for electricity.

Other question: What quantity of coal is required to produce one gallon of fuel?

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wkwillis on October 17, 2005 - 2:33pm

Coal is essentially CH, oil is CH2. Coal is variable in composition, much more than oil, in terms of C, H, S, and solids. Oil also has large amounts of water in it's makeup, if it's not anthacite. I don't think any oil in the world has more than 1% solids. Indonesian coal (from Borneo?) is probably the lowest sulfur and solids around.
A good rule of thumb is that you burn two CH to get CH2 and CO2 and power, that is, one ton of dry coal will make one half ton of oil and two tons of CO2. Very roughly.
In real life the plant will produce power and oil at whatever ratio is profitable, at roughly two cents a kilowatt hour baseload, ten cents a kilowatt hour for peaking (using a turbine to burn stored CO from the burner side of the plant) and two dollars a gallon for methanol, which will sell retail for three because of taxes, transport, etc.
Unless the Saudis really so have all the oil they say they have, in which case oil will go back to ten dollars a barrel and bankrupt all the synfuel plants.
There is another problem. Technological advances could abolish liquid fuels completely. In the case of carbon nanotubes we could have energy densities that would give us not merely flywheels that will drive our car across the country before requiring a "fillup", but enough power density to run an aircraft, probably a flying saucer ducted fan design.
How lucky do you feel?
I'd go with some syfuel plants, just in case.

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Fire Temple on October 18, 2005 - 7:46pm

Depending on the quality of the coal, the F-T liquid fuel recovery is 1.5 to 2.5 barrel per ton of coal (1 Bbl=42 gal). The higher the moiture and ash content of the coal, the lower the liquids yield. High volatile bituminous coals are considered best for F-T synthesis.