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US 2004/0106689 A1Published application
Fischer-tropsch process
AssigneeBP Exploration Operation Company Limited
InventorDavid Newton
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AssigneeBP Exploration Operation Company Limited
InventorDavid Newton
Estimating the term…
A process for the production of liquid hydrocarbon products from synthesis gas in a system comprising a reaction zone and a gas separation zone wherein the process comprises: a) in the reaction zone, contacting synthesis gas at elevated temperature and pressure with a suspension of a particulate Fischer-Tropsch catalyst in a liquid medium so as to convert at least a portion of the synthesis gas into liquid hydrocarbon products; b) discharging a product suspension comprising catalyst suspended in the liquid medium and the liquid hydrocarbon products from the reaction zone into the gas separation zone, the product suspension having unconverted synthesis gas dissolved and/or entrained therein; c) in the gas separation zone, separating a gaseous stream comprising unconverted synthesis gas from the product suspension; d) recycling at least a portion of the separated gaseous stream to the reaction zone; and e) recycling at least a portion of the degassed product suspension from the gas separation zone to the reaction zone.
A process for the production of liquid hydrocarbon products from synthesis gas in a system comprising a reaction zone and a gas separation zone wherein the process comprises:
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the degassed product suspension is cooled, by being passed through an external heat exchanger, before being recycled to the reaction zone.
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the gaseous recycle stream is cooled, by being passed through an external heat exchanger, before being recycled to the reaction zone.
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a purge stream is taken from the gaseous recycle stream.
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a stream comprising a low boiling solvent having a boiling point, at standard pressure, in the range of from 30 to 280° C. is introduced into the reaction zone.
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the catalyst comprises iron or cobalt supported on an inorganic refractory oxide selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, silica-alumina, the Group IVB oxides, titania and zinc oxide.
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the particulate Fischer Trospch catalyst has a mean particle size of less than 40 microns.
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the suspension of catalyst discharged into the gas separation zone comprises less than 40% wt of catalyst particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.