Leigh Creek Energy (LCK) has applied to the Australian Patent Office to protect its intellectual property rights pertaining to predicting and controlling syngas operations.
LCK has developed proprietary information from pre-commercial demonstration of syngas technology that may prove to be of significant value to the Leigh Creek urea project.
The company has collated a comprehensive data base of real-life insitu gasification (ISG) operating data from which it has developed algorithms to permit the control of syngas composition by controlling the key system inputs.
The syngas quality forecasting algorithm provides a means for maintaining the desired syngas composition.
The algorithm has been developed to be adaptable to site operating inputs such as depth, coal quality and operating pressure. It could also be used to optimise the production of key syngas components such as hydrogen or methane.
LCK managing director Phil Staveley said the reliable and consistent production of a specified quantity of gas is the foundation of any business.
“We have that knowledge in ISG,” Staveley said.
“It is likely to be the first of many patents protecting our proprietary information and adding to the value of LCK.”
According to the company, the algorithm will permit the ISG techniques to be used for coal deposits around the world.
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