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Synthetic Fuels Summary - 1981

Engineering Societies Commission on Energy Inc.

Table of Contents

Section 1
625kb
Acknowledgment ii
Preface iii
Summary v
1.0 Introduction 1
2.0 Energy Future 2
  2.1 Historical Perspective 2
2.2 Petroleum and Natural Gas Resources 4
2.3 Projections of Energy Use 7
Section 2
596kb

3.0

Federal Activities 13
  3.1 Resource Assessments 13
3.2 Synfuels R & D 14
3.3 Synfuels Demonstrations 16
3.4 Commercialization Assistance 18
3.5 Industry Support 20
  3.5.1 DOE Industry Support Program 20
3.5.2 U.S. Synthetic Fuels Corporation 21

4.0

Markets 24
  4.1 Market Characteristics 24
4.2 Liquid and Gaseous Fuels to Consumers 27
  4.2.1 Market for Liquid Fuels 27
4.2.2 Market for Gaseous Fuels 28
4.3 Future Energy Needs 28
4.4 Variations and Flexibility in the System 31
4.5 Synfuel Properties and Applications 32
Section 3
569kb

5.0

Domestic Energy Resources 34
  5.1 Introduction 34
5.2 Crude Oil and Natural Gas 35
  5.2.1 Crude Oil 35
5.2.2 Natural Gas 38
5.2.3 Unconventional Natural Gas 40

5.3

Heavy Oils 42
  5.3.1 Heavy Oils 42
5.3.2 Tar Sands 46
5.4 Oil Shale 50
Section 4
616kb
5.5 Coal 55
5.6 Other 67
  5.6.1 Nuclear 67
5.6.2 Hydroelectricity 67
5.6.3 Geothermal 68
5.6.4 Solar 68

6.0

Conversion Technologies 70
 

6.1

Fundamentals for all Synfuel Plants 70
  6.1.1 Physical Size of Synfuel Plants 70
6.1.2 Complexity of Synfuel Plants 73
6.1.3 Cost Estimates for Synfuel Plants 74
6.1.4 Efficiency of Synfuel Technologies 76
Section 5
678kb

6.2

Petroleum Production Including Heavy Oil 77

6.3

Pyrolysis 79
  6.3.1 Retorting of Oil Shale 80
6.3.2 Pyrolysis of Coal 90

6.4

Gasification 94
  6.4.1 Moving Bed Gasifiers 96
Section 6
694kb
6.4.2 Fluidized Bed Gasifiers 99
6.4.3 Entrained Flow Gasifiers 100
6.4.4 Rotary Kiln Gasifiers 102
6.4.5 Molten Fluid Gasifiers 102
6.4.6 In Situ Gasification 102
6.4.7 Catalytic Gasification 103
6.4.8 Hydrogen Production Without Gasification 103
6.5 Direct Liquefaction 104
6.6 Indirect Liquefaction 109
6.7 Coal-Oil Mixtures 111
6.8 Magnetohydrodynamics 113

7.0

Synfuel Comparisons 116
  7.1 Synfuel Products 116
7.2 Technology Comparisons 117
7.3 Economic Comparison 118
Section 7
769kb
7.4 Environmental Impacts 122
  7.4.1 Laws and Regulation 123
7.4.2 Air Emissions 127
7.4.3 Water Supply and Wastewater 129
7.4.4 Solid Wastes 132
7.4.5 Health and Safety 134
7.4.6 Socioeconomic Impacts 135
7.4.7 Environmental Conclusion 136

7.5

General Comparisons 137
Abbreviations Table 139
References 141