1. Liquefaction of coal
into transportation fuel
R&D Project
Bionic Laboratories BLG GmbH, Germany
in cooperation with
Smeral Brno a.s. , Czech Republic
2/2013 © 2013 Bionic Fuel Knowledge Partners Inc., Oswego, NY 1
several international patents pending

2. Introduction
• Friedrich Bergius (* 11.10.1889, † 31.3.1949)
In summer 1913 Bergius discovered the process of converting
lignite coal into organic liquids by applying hydrogen at 150 atm
pressure and 450 C in an autoclave. His resulting patent was one
of the reasons that he received, together with Carl Bosch, the
Nobel Price for high pressure hydrogen processing in 1931.
• Prof. Dr. Ernst Bayer (*24.3.1927, † 31.1.2002)
In 1961 he invented the process of catalytic low temperature
depolymerisation of organic substances to liquid fuel using
special zeolite catalysts.
• Albert Wallace Hull (* 19.4.1880, † 22.11.1966)
In 1920 his research resulted in the invention of the magnetron,
the electronic device that generates microwaves. At the time Hull
anticipated the magnetron would find greater use as an energy converter than in
communication applications and radar systems.
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3. Liquefaction in history
After World War I several plants following the Bergius process were built in
Germany. These plants were extensively used during World War II to fuel
the German Airforce.
In the process, dry coal, finely grinded, is mixed with heavy oil recycled
from the process. A catalyst is typically added to the mixture. The reaction
occurs between 400 °C (752 °F) to 500 °C (932 °F) and 120 to 150 atm
pressure in a hydrogen atmosphere. The reaction can be summarized
chemically as follows:
n C + (n + 1) H2 → CnH2 n + 2
The general mass balance turns out like this:
100 kg of lignite coal
plus 40 kg of heavy oil derived from the process
plus 5 kg of catalyst
@ 450 - 480°C & 120 - 150 atm hydrogen
30 kg light oils + 50 kg heavy oils + 20 kg gas
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4. Liquefaction in history
Between 1952 and 2000 the Bergius-Pier process has been enhanced and
optimized in various ways especially in Germany.
– Introduction of the combi-cracker technology (1952-1964)
(improved catalytic treatment of the gas phase)
– Coal Liquifaction plant in Bottrop, Germany 1981-1988
(later used for heavy oil upgrading until 2000)
Until today, the Bergius-Pier process demonstrates the highest oil
yields (> 60%) in coal liquefaction mode and the highest conversion
(>90% of 500+°C) in heavy oil upgrading mode, which consequently
also minimizes the CO2 footprint.
This is where Bionic picked up the process for a complete redesign based
on Bionic‘s specific knowledge base in microwave and catalytic
cracking technologies.
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5. Liquefaction today
• Combining the different technologies with a specially developed
nano catalyst, modulated microwave generators, and a microwave
driven hydrogen gas steam/shift generator, Bionic
engineers defined an advanced way for an even more
efficient conversion of coal to liquid (CTL):
– lowered hydrogen pressure (60-80 atm)
– controlled energy application via modulated microwaves
– improved synthetic nano catalysts
– feedstock preprocessing in Bionic‘s MWDP reactor
– continous production capability
– preprocessing and activation of nano-coal aerosol through microwaves
– Improved product quality by hydrogenation of carbon and
parallel depolymerisation of aromatics
– Unprocessed char exits as <4nm nano-carbon particles
- bionic microchar – a char to fuel process -
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6. Production Layout
Char is processed
in a microfuel unit which
separating the volatile
contents.
Intermediate product is a
nano-size carbon aerosol
which is transported into
the high pressure unit.
In these vessels the
hydrogenation occurs
on a microwave heated
catalyst-net with hydro-
carbons being syntesized.
They are forming a mix
with heavy oil present in the
vessels. This oil-fuel mixture
is then separated in a
distillation column.
The required hydrogen is
produced by a biomass
steam/shift reformer.
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7. Single Unit Layout
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Oswego, NY

8. Cluster combination Layout
A large scale 4 x 4 cluster
CTL facility.
A single bionicfuel unit
converts biomass to fuel for
the necessary power
production in internal
generators. Separated
water from the biomass
feedstock is used for
hydrogen production in
steam reformers.
Four bionicfuel units
perform the preprocessing
of the char with attached
four hydrogenation units
which are responsible for
the final liquefaction step.
In a large distillation column
the lighter products are
separated for use as
transportation fuel, while
the heavy by products are
returned to the high
pressure vessels.
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Oswego, NY

9. Capacities
Single liquefaction Unit:
1.000 kg / hr + 110 kg H2 520 kg light oil
char @ 33 MJ/kg + 370 kg heavy oil 698 kg heavy oil
+ 70 kg catalyst 270 kg gas
+ 320 kWh @430 C 80 kg residues
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Oswego, NY

10. Sideview of processing block
On the left we have the
conventional bionicfuel unit
separating the volatile
products from the char and
breaking the crystal
structure of the char into a
nano-particle aerosol.
In the middle the
condensers are situated for
water and oil separation
from the volatile particles,
backed by a quench unit.
On the right we find the
high pressure microwave
reactor for hydrogenation of
the char aerosol.
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Oswego, NY

11. Hydrogen generation
Pictures of a microwave
driven steam/shift reformer.
The process follows:
CH4+H2O<>CO+3H2,
dH=+206,2 kJ/mol
and
CO+H2O<>CO2+H2,
dH= + 41,2kJ/mol
This unit produces 68% of
hydrogen from conventional
biomass such as wood or
straw. A plasma burner at the
end of the process destroys all
unwanted volatile products and
cleans the remaining gas at
temperatures of 4.000°C.
From 200 kg of biomass
approx. 320 kWh of electric
power can be generated in a
gas-engine which runs on
hydrogen and methane.
This steam reformer is able to
produce sufficient hydrogen for
the microchar facilities. Only a
compressor is required to
increase the hydrogen pressure
to 100 bars for filling the
reaction chambers.
2/2013 © 2013 Bionic Fuel Knowledge Partners 11
Inc., Oswego, NY

12. microfuel facility
Three Dimensional view of a
complete plant comprising
of feedstock preparation,
bionicfuel preprocessing
and hydro-processing with a
centralized distillation and
tanks.
On the right a draft of the
control room.
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Oswego, NY

13. Technical Standards
All Bionic systems comply with the following technical standards:
DIN EN ISO 9001
ASME Div 01, Div 02 (AIA TÜV, Germany)
CE confirmative declaration
ATEX 94/9/EU explosive protection directive
Maschinenrichtlinie (machinery directive) 2006/42/EU
radiation protection of the microwaves by special faraday cages
double isolation of all oil containing parts
advanced fire protection system
hazard protected electronic control equipment
2nd process emergency control system
unit fully made of high quality stainless steel
production and installation certified by German TÜV or SGS
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Oswego, NY

14. Stress-approval by CVTS
All parts of the high 112 MPa
pressure microwave
152 MPa
89 MPa
reactors are recalculated by
the CVTS, the Center of
design of forming machines.
The simulation shows the
stress of material when
using high hydrogen
pressure.
344 N
188 N
Gravity 109 MPa
9.81 ms-2
13 000 N
Forbidden
rotation and
displacement
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Oswego, NY

15. Hydrogen High Pressure Reactor
Illustration of the
construction process of the
high pressure hydrogen-
microwave reactor vessel.
This type of reactor is
usable for processing of
lignite or anthracite coals
into transportation fuel.
Additionally it can be used
as a stabilization unit for
removing oxygen groups
from bio-crude coming out
of pyrolysis processes.
This increases oil quality
and moves the bio-crude
into ASTM specifications
required by law for sale of
the oil on the market.
High pressure vessels
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Oswego, NY

16. Electronic parts
Pictures showing segments
of the electric cabinets for
the power supply of the
microwave generators.
PLC Control and sensor
control of the reactor.
On the right you can see
the microwave generators,
adapted for the microwave
reactor.
High frequency circuitry is
not shown.
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Oswego, NY

17. Construction side in China
A possible location for the
microchar units.
A location outside Ordos,
Mongolia in the Peoples
Republic of China.
On the small picture there is
a gas flare of a recently
installed gasification
system.
Microchar units are
designed to work either
behind a gasification
system, or to utilize the
residue charcoal and
convert it into
transportation fuel.
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Oswego, NY

18. SMERAL manufacturing
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Oswego, NY

19. SMERAL manufacturing
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Oswego, NY

20. SMERAL manufacturing
2/2013 © 2013 Bionic Fuel Knowledge Partners 20
Inc., Oswego, NY

21. //
Smeral Brno a.s. Bionic Laboratories BLG GmbH
Krenova 65c Helwigstr. 41
CZ-65825 Brno 64521 Groß-Gerau,
Czech Republic Germany
+420-532 167 111 +49-1525 33 40 500
www.smeral.cz www.bionic-world.net
All rights reserved including republishing, patents pending
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Oswego, NY