Advances in clean hydrocarbon fuel processing: Science and technology

Coal, oil and gas continue to provide the main fuel source for worldwide power production and transportation, but all three are dwindling resources. Alongside the development of improved energy production and utilization, and the development of substitute fuels from biomass, research and development continues to be a part of the conversion of mainstream and alternative hydrocarbon fuels (fossil fuels), with the goals of improving conversion efficiency for maximum fuel output with minimum environmental impact, as well as of producing hydrogen, syngas, and in turn clean liquid fuels for both power generation and transportation utilization. Catalysts and catalysis are critical to the development of these processes, allowing for application of technology to a wider range of hydrocarbon fuels, including alternative fossil fuel sources such as lower-grade coals, oil shales, tar sands, and methane clathrates. This book provides a comprehensive and systematic reference on the range of alternative hydrocarbon conversion processes and technology. It reviews solid fuels such as coal, pet coke, lignite, oil shale, tar sands and bitumen; gaseous fuels like hydrogen and syngas; and liquid fuels such as crude oil, heavy oil, and paraffin.