Multifunctional Energy System (MES) With Multifossil Fuels and Multiproducts

A new kind of multifunctional energy system (MES) with multifossil fuels and multiproducts is proposed in this paper. This new system consumes coal and natural gas as fuel simultaneously, and cogenerates methanol and power. Coal and natural gas are utilized synthetically based on the method of dual-fuel reforming, which integrates the methane/steam reforming and the combustion of coal. During the dual-fuel reforming process, combustion of coal provides high-temperature thermal energy to methane/steam reforming reaction to product syngas. Then, the chemical energy of syngas is used efficiently since the new system integrates the chemical process and power plant. In this manner, the energy including both chemical energy of fuels and thermal energy can be used more effectively from the viewpoint of the whole system. As a result, the total energy efficiency of this new system was about 60–66%. Compared with the conventional systems, the new system provides an energy savings of about 8–15%. The results obtained here indicate that this new system may provide a new way to utilize coal and natural gas more efficiently and economically.