Engineering study hard coal gasification with pressurized water reactor

Work has been concentrated on the design of the power plant and the interface between reactor and gasification unit. First of all, the combination of a PWR with a Lurgi pressure gasification was investigated. This first phase of the study has been completed. To meet the Lurgi pressure gasification characteristics, the saturated PWR-steam is brought to the required higher stage of pressure by steam compressors and superheated by fossil fired steam boilers. To obtain the higher availability of process steam for the hard coal gasification coal fired quick start stand-by boilers are provided. To judge the economic prospectives, the costs for supply of process steam and electric energy have been determined. The results are showing that hard coal gasification with a PWR is more economic than autothermal processes and that it is expedient and promising to continue the work on combined gasification processes in order to improve the efficiency of the overall plant. By request of the public authorities the RAG/Ruhrgas work on advanced gasification processes to be coupled with a PWR has been stopped temporary. (orig.)