Project Title:Low-concentration gas medium-temperature and medium-pressure regenerative oxidation project

Participating Enterprise: Shengli Oilfield Shengli Power Machinery Group Co., Ltd

Award Received:Scientific and Technological Progress Award - Bronze Award

Achievement Level: International Advanced Level

Project Number: ECF-2025-SET-1004

Main Participant: Shao Jianbo

Expert Review Comments:
International advanced level. This project addresses key industry challenges in treating low-concentration coal mine gas, such as poor combustion stability, low energy efficiency, and high safety risks. It established a four-in-one medium-temperature and medium-pressure regenerative oxidation system integrating heat storage preheating, high-temperature oxidation, airflow switching and purging, and waste heat recovery.
The project innovatively achieved precise multi-chamber airflow control, efficient heat exchange in ceramic regenerative beds, and intelligent safety interlock operation. The device has demonstrated continuous, stable operation for over 8,000 hours, significantly improving gas treatment efficiency and energy recovery rate.
The technology has been successfully demonstrated in multiple coal mining enterprises, promoting the green and low-carbon transition of the coal industry, stimulating the development of upstream and downstream equipment manufacturing, and serving as an important demonstration for achieving carbon neutrality goals and improving intrinsic mine safety.

Main Innovations:

1. Technical complexity - It involves complex technologies and materials such as high-temperature oxidation (usually 800-950°C), efficient heat recovery (>95%), quick-changeover valves, ceramic heat regeners, etc.

2. Engineering design complexity - Accurately calculate thermal balance, pressure loss, regenerative volume/material selection, combustion chamber size, residence time, etc. Complex exhaust gas collection network design, as well as thermal expansion compensation for high-temperature flue gas pipelines. Thermal insulation, support structure, thermal expansion treatment of high-temperature equipment. Explosion-proof design, explosion venting device, emergency discharge, perfect interlock protection system.

3. Operation and maintenance complexity - Understand the process flow and control system, and be able to carry out daily monitoring, parameter adjustment, basic fault judgment and treatment.

Main Uses and Technical Principles:

This technology can safely treat such gas, and at the same time recover heat energy for heating, power generation or industrial heat, achieve "zero emissions" and resource utilization of gas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure the safety of gas emissions in coal mines and other scenarios. 

The high thermal conductivity and heat storage capacity of porous heat regeners (such as ceramics and honeycombs) are used to construct a high-temperature oxidation environment in the reactor: 

1. In the preheating stage, the heat regener absorbs heat to the methane oxidation temperature (600-800°C);

2. In the oxidation stage, low-concentration gas flows through the high-temperature heat storage body, and methane is catalyzed/directly oxidized to CO₂ and H₂O in the absence of open flame, releasing heat.

3. In the heat recovery stage, part of the heat heats the unreacted gas to achieve thermal circulation, maintain the stable operation of the system, and reduce energy consumption.

Technical Applications:

Implementation Status

Project Completion and Acceptance: Design commenced on June 1, 2023. The project passed final acceptance by Shanxi International Electric Power Technology Co., Ltd. on November 21, 2023. Currently, three 60,000m³/h methane oxidation units are operating stably, producing 18t/h of saturated steam. This fully meets the coal mine's self-consumption needs and heating demands for adjacent mining areas.

fully meeting the coal industry's self-consumption needs at the mine site and heating demands for adjacent mining areas;

Technical Certification and Awards: The project's core technology, “Ultra-Low Concentration Methane Oxidation Utilization Technology,” has been included in the “Advanced Green and Low-Carbon Coal Technologies and Typical Cases (2024 Edition),” establishing it as a benchmark technology for low-concentration methane treatment in the coal industry;

Operational Performance: As of June 2025, the unit has operated continuously for over 8,000 hours, maintaining a purification efficiency ≥99.5% and heat recovery efficiency ≥95%. Annual emissions reductions exceed 1,200 tons of low-concentration gas and 1,000 tons of CO₂, while saving over 500,000 cubic meters of natural gas annually, delivering significant economic and environmental benefits.