P&W Rocketdyne Celebrates Commissioning of Commercial-Scale Prototype Dry Solids Pump to Provide High-Efficiency, Low-Emission Gasification

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne celebrated the commissioning of a commercial-scale dry-solids pump – a revolutionary feed system integrated with PWR’s compact gasifier to efficiently gasify coal, petcoke and other solid fuels. The dry-solids pump, located at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota, is the latest step toward global commercialization of innovative technology designed to lower energy costs, provide a clean alternative fuel source and strengthen U.S. energy security.

The 400-ton per day prototype dry-solids feed pump system, developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, will be used to test petcoke, bituminous and sub-bituminous coals over the next 12 months. The commissioning is a collaborative effort between the EERC; Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne; the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL); ExxonMobil; and the Alberta Energy Research Institute.

Click here to read Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's press release.

Coverage:

• Rocket developer, EERC begin testing solids pump for gasification (Biomass Magazine)
• NETL: Project could make coal gasification 'economically competitive' (The State Journal)
• EERC works toward goal of clean coal at less cost (Dickinson Press)
• New high-pressure dry-solids feed pump could make high-efficiency, lower-emission gasification economically competitive (Green Car Congress)
• Opening New Avenues for High-Efficiency, Low-Emission Coal Gasification (U.S. Dept. of Energy)