ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the processes that are used to create synthetic gas (syngas) for applications described in subsequent chapters. The production of syngas has a long history, dating back to the 1800s. Before the wide availability of electricity and natural gas, “town gas” was generated by coal gasification, and distributed for street lighting, residential cooking, and industrial heating. Some interesting historical mile stones for gasification are shown in Table 1.1. While electricity and natural gas have supplanted syngas in these instances, growing demand for energy and chemicals has renewed interest in syngas technology. There are two major reasons: First, syngas can be generated from multiple solid fuel feedstocks, providing greater
1.1 Overview ...........................................................................................................1 1.2 Feedstock Properties .........................................................................................3
