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Thermal Oxidation of Coal Mine Ventilation Air Methane VAM

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Ventilation air methane (VAM) is largest source of coal mine methane (CMM) emissions ... 1994: Oxidation only - Thoresby Mine, UK ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Thermal Oxidation of Coal Mine Ventilation Air Methane VAM


1
Thermal Oxidation of Coal Mine Ventilation Air
Methane (VAM)
12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation
Symposium Reno, Nevada, USA, June 9 -11, 2008
  • J. M. Somers
  • USEPA, Coalbed Methane Outreach Program
  • H. L. Schultz
  • BCS Incorporated

2
Presentation Overview
  • Background on VAM
  • Flow-reversal Oxidizer Technology
  • VAM Oxidation Demonstration History
  • WestVAMP
  • CONSOL Windsor Mine Demonstration
  • JWR Mine Demonstration
  • Technology Deployment Challenges
  • Technology Deployment Benefits
  • Conclusions

3
Background on VAM
  • Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas
  • More than 20 times as potent as CO2
  • Mine safety regulations require gassy underground
    coal mines to assure that methane concentrations
    in the mine workings are maintained at safe
    levels
  • Well below the lower explosive limit (5 in air)
  • Mines employ large scale ventilation systems to
    vent methane to the atmosphere
  • Methane drainage can supplement ventilation

4
Background on VAM
  • Ventilation air methane (VAM) is largest source
    of coal mine methane (CMM) emissions
  • 54 of all U.S. CMM emissions in 2005
  • Capturing and using VAM is challenging
  • Large airflows 100,000 to 1 million cfm (47 to
    470 m3/s)
  • Low concentrations 0.1 to 1.0, typically 0.3
    to 0.5
  • Variable, both flow and concentration
  • Thermal flow-reversal oxidizers in use worldwide
    for industrial air pollution control offer a
    solution

5
Global VAM emissions (2002)
  • Emission world
  • Country (Bm3) Total
  • China 6.7 38.7
  • United States 2.6 15.0
  • Ukraine 2.2 12.7
  • Russia 0.7 4.0
  • Australia 0.7 4.0
  • Total World 17.3

6
Background on VAM
  • Technology options
  • Thermal (Biothermica, MEGTEC)
  • Catalytic (CANMET)
  • Operational modes
  • Oxidation only
  • Oxidation with energy recovery (e.g., electricity
    generation)
  • Available systems
  • Commercial project - MEGTEC Systems (DePere
    Wisconsin, USA)
  • http//www.megtec.com
  • Demonstration planned - Biothermica (Montreal,
    Canada)
  • http//www.biothermica.com
  • Prototype - CANMET Energy Technology Centre
    (Varennes, Canada)
  • http//www.nrcan.gc.ca/se/etb/cetc/cetc01/htmldocs
    /home_e.htm

7
Flow-reversal Oxidation Technology
  • Schematic of an Oxidizer

Heat Exchange Medium
Valve 2
Valve 1
Heat Exchanger
Air C02, H20 Heat
Air CH4
Heat Exchange Medium
Valve 1
Valve 2
Valve 1 open Valve 2 open Heat recovery
piping not shown
8
VAM Thermal Oxidation History
  • MEGTEC VOCSIDIZER?
  • 1994 Oxidation only - Thoresby Mine, UK
  • 2001-2002 Oxidation and steam generation
    Appin Colliery, Australia
  • 2007 Oxidation and electricity generation
    West Cliff Colliery, Australia
  • 2007 Oxidation only Abandoned Windsor Mine
    (CONSOL Energy), West Liberty, West Virginia
  • Biothermica VAMOX?
  • 2008 Jim Walter Resources Mine, Brookwood,
    Alabama, USA
  • In planning stages
  • Active mine
  • MSHA approval received!

9
JWR Mine Demonstration
  • Employs a single Biothermica VAMOX? unit
  • Capacity 30,000 cfm VAM concentration 0.9
    percent
  • Greenhouse gas emission mitigation gt40,000
    tonnes of CO2e per year
  • Revenues Carbon emission reductions
  • Projected lifetime gt 4 years

10
WestVAMP
  • West Cliff Ventilation Air Methane Project
  • Startup April 2007
  • Capacity 250,000 m3/hour (150,000 scfm) of mine
    exhaust air
  • VAM concentration 0.9 percent
  • Generation unit steam turbine
  • Electricity output 6 MW
  • Four VOCSIDIZER? units
  • Ongoing project with two revenue sources
  • Electricity
  • Carbon credits traded in New South Wales trading
    scheme

11
WestVAMP
  • West VAMP project site

12
CONSOL Windsor Mine Demonstration
  • Using diluted, drained CMM to simulate VAM
  • Employs a single MEGTEC VOCSIDIZER? unit
  • Operates unattended
  • Goals are to verify
  • Ability to maintain VAM oxidation
  • System safety
  • Operability and maintenance requirements under
    field conditions
  • Capacity 30,000 scfm of simulated VAM
  • VAM concentration 0.6 percent

13
CONSOL Windsor Mine Demonstration
14
CONSOL Windsor Mine Demonstration
  • Results
  • Ability to operate on VAM concentration below 1
    percent verified
  • System safety features verified
  • Responded appropriately to upsets (e.g., power
    outage)
  • Field operation and maintenance experience gained

15
Technology Deployment Challenges
  • Lack of technology knowledge and field experience
  • Availability of supplemental methane to raise VAM
    inlet concentrations to near 1 percent
  • To maximize energy output, and therefore energy
    production revenues
  • Most VAM concentrations exiting the mine are
    significantly below 1 percent)
  • To maximize carbon emission reduction revenues
  • One study estimates that attractive payback times
    (3 to 6 years) can be achieved at VAM
    concentrations above 0.6 percent with carbon
    emission reduction sale prices at or above 10.00
    per tonne CO2e

16
Technology Deployment Benefits
  • Ability to mitigate the largest source of coal
    mine emissions worldwide
  • Capability to capture and beneficially use VAMs
    dilute energy content
  • Adds to energy security by beneficially using a
    currently wasted energy source
  • Multiple vendors should lead to cost competition
    that will drive down project capital costs
  • Higher return on investment
  • Shorter payback time

17
Conclusions
  • Flow-reversal oxidation of VAM with power
    generation is a proven technology
  • Field demonstrations are multiplying
  • Potential global market for VAM-to-power
    applications is large
  • Emerging cost competitiveness should enhance
    project economics

18
Thank You
  • Jayne Somers
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Manager, Coalbed Methane Outreach Program
  • Washington, DC, USA
  • Somers.jayne_at_epa.gov
  • www.epa.gov/coalbed
  • H. Lee Schultz
  • Manager, Environmental Programs
  • BCS Incorporated, Laurel, MD, USA
  • lschultz_at_bcs-hq.com
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