The overall objective of the Westinghouse coal gasification program is to demonstrate the viability of the Westinghouse pressurized, fluidized bed, gasification system for the production of medium-Btu fuel gas for syngas, electrical power generation, chemical feedstocks, or industrial fuels and to obtain performance and scaleup data for the process and hardware. Technical progress summaries and reports are presented for the following tasks: (1) process development unit (PDU) test operations and results (gasifier test TP-033-1 and maintenance and modifications); (2) process analysis (environmental characterization results, coal gas combustion results, and fines elutriation and consumption results); (3) cold flow scaleup (modifications and maintenance, operations, and data analysis); (4) process and component engineering and design (hot fines recycle modifications, and hot recycled fines); (5) laboratory support studies (gas-solids flow modeling and coal/ash behavior). 23 figures, 23 tables.

This paper discusses and analyzes the major issues evolving from the changes in funding.

An evaluation was made of the design and hydromechanical performance characteristics for three basic turbine types: axial flow (Jonval), inward radial flow (Francis) and crossflow (Banki). A single commercially available turbine representative of each type and within the appropriate power range (<5hp) was obtained for evaluation. Specific turbine selections were based on price, availability and suitability for operation at heads of 50 feet or less and flows under 2 cubic feet per second. In general, the peak operating efficiencies of each unit tended to be lower than anticipated, falling in the range of 40 to 50%. With sufficient flow, however, significant useful power outputs up to 3 hp were obtained. While the radial flow turbine (a centrifugal pump operated as a turbine) had the lowest initial unit cost, the axial and cross flow designs exhibited more stable operation, particularly under transient loadings. The crossflow turbine had the added advantage that it was essentially self-cleaning. With further developmental effort and appropriate design modifications it should be possible to bring each of these microhydro designs to their full performance potential.