Hydrocarbon conversion system with enhanced combustor and method

Abstract

A Fischer-Tropsch-based hydrocarbon conversion process involves compressing air in a compressor section of a gas turbine, delivering a portion of the compressed air to a combustor of the gas turbine, delivering a portion of the compressed air to a Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon conversion unit, extracting thermal energy from the combustor and delivering it to the Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon conversion unit, converting light hydrocarbons into heavier hydrocarbons in the Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon conversion unit, and delivering combustion gases from the combustor to an expansion section of the gas turbine. A heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) may also be used to harness waste heat from the expansion section. A conversion system for converting light hydrocarbons into heavier hydrocarbons includes a turbine from which heat energy is removed and used to assist in converting hydrocarbons and whereby greater throughput of the turbine is possible. Waste heat from the expander of the turbine may be recovered with a HRSG.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.