What is the Fischer-Tropsch process?
The
Fischer-Tropsch process converts a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide called syngas, into liquid hydrocarbon fuels and lubricants. Coal, natural gas or biomass can be a source for symble. It is produced by gasification, where the source material is chemically treated with oxygen or water vapor at high temperature and pressure. Syngas reacts under variable heat in the presence of catalyst, usually cobalt, iron or ruthenia, for forming synthetic oil. German scientists Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch developed this process in the 1920s.
Syngas as a source of liquid fuel attracted the considerable interest of nations with small oil, but the abundance of the raw material needed to produce gas. The liquid biomass is a particularly attractive alternative that is a renewable source. The Fischer-Tropsch process converts syngas into liquid hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and water. Depending on the variable levels of synthetic toad, the temperature, pressure and catalyst used in the process. At 625 ° F (330 ° C) is produced by syntoEthical gasoline, while at 390 ° F (200 ° C), the product would be a synthetic diesel fuel.
The gasification process is a very energy -intensive business. Although the source material can be abundant and cheap, high production costs usually make syngas an uneconomical alternative. The implementation of Fischer-Tropsch process equipment also requires a large capital investment in the equipment and is subject to high operating costs. Further improvement in the effectiveness of the process or a significant increase in the price of natural oil would probably be necessary for its extensive acceptance for the future energy development.
Despite its disadvantages, the Fischer-Tropsch process was successfully used in demonstration and common production facilities. In the age of 30, the process was used in Germany to produce synthetic liquid fuel from coal abundant in the region. The continuing improvement of the process has led to several variants, with most of the implementShe used proprietary technology.
South African coal and oil (Sasol) have produced liquid fuels from coal with the Fischer-Tropsch process since the 1950s. The company closed the closure of two modern plants in China; Each of them is able to produce 80,000 barrels of synthetic oil a day. Several main oil companies experimented with synthetic production in demonstration facilities on a small scale. The largest fuel consumer in the world, the US Army, continues to sponsor the research of the Fischer-Tropsch process. In this case, the aim is more of a fuel source, rather under domestic control rather than economic or environmental concerns.