US 2009/0324462 A1 · Four-Train Catalytic Gasification Systems

Abstract

Systems to convert a carbonaceous feedstock into a plurality of gaseous products are described. The systems include, among other units, four separate gasification reactors for the gasification of a carbonaceous feedstock in the presence of an alkali metal catalyst into the plurality of gaseous products including at least methane. Each of the gasification reactors may be supplied with the feedstock from a single or separate catalyst loading and/or feedstock preparation unit operations. Similarly, the hot gas streams from each gasification reactor may be purified via their combination at a heat exchanger, acid gas removal, or methane removal unit operations. Product purification may comprise trace contaminant removal units, ammonia removal and recovery units, and sour shift units.

A gasification system to generate a plurality of gases from a catalyzed carbonaceous feedstock, the system comprising:

(a) a first, a second, a third and a fourth gasifying reactor unit, wherein each gasifying reactor unit independently comprises:
(A1) a reaction chamber in which a catalyzed carbonaceous feedstock and steam are converted to (i) a plurality of gaseous products comprising methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and unreacted steam, (ii) unreacted carbonaceous fines and (iii) a solid char product comprising entrained catalyst;
(A2) a feed inlet to supply the catalyzed carbonaceous feedstock into the reaction chamber;
(A3) a steam inlet to supply steam into the reaction chamber;
(A4) a hot gas outlet to exhaust a hot first gas stream out of the reaction chamber, the hot first gas stream comprising the plurality of gaseous products;
(A5) a char outlet to withdraw the solid char product from the reaction chamber;
and
(A6) a fines remover unit to remove at least a substantial portion of the unreacted carbonaceous fines that may be entrained in the hot first gas stream;
(b) (1) a single catalyst loading unit to supply the catalyzed carbonaceous feedstock to the feed inlets of the first, second, third and fourth gasifying reactor units, or
(2) a first and a second catalyst loading unit to supply the catalyzed carbonaceous feedstock to the feed inlets the first, second, third and fourth gasifying reactor units;
or
(3) a first, a second and a third catalyst loading unit to supply the catalyzed carbonaceous feedstock to the feed inlets of the first, second, third and fourth gasifying reactor units;
or
(4) a first, a second, a third catalyst and a fourth catalyst loading unit to supply the catalyzed carbonaceous feedstock to the feed inlets of the first, second, third and fourth gasifying reactor units,
wherein each catalyst loading unit independently comprises:
(B1) a loading tank to receive carbonaceous particulates and to load catalyst onto the particulates to form the catalyzed carbonaceous feedstock;
and
(B2) a dryer to thermally treat the catalyzed carbonaceous feedstock to reduce moisture content;
(c) (1) when only the single catalyst loading unit is present, a single carbonaceous material processing unit to supply the carbonaceous particulates to the loading tank of the single catalyst loading unit, or
(2) when only the first and second catalyst loading units are present, (i) a single carbonaceous material processing unit to supply the carbonaceous particulates to the loading tanks of the first and second catalyst loading units, or (ii) a first and a second carbonaceous material processing unit to supply the carbonaceous particulates to the loading tanks of the first and second catalyst loading units, or
(3) when only the first, second and third catalyst loading units are present, (i) a single carbonaceous material processing unit to supply the carbonaceous particulates to the loading tanks of the first, second and third catalyst loading units, or (ii) a first and a second carbonaceous material processing unit to supply the carbonaceous particulates to the loading tanks of the first, second and third catalyst loading units, (iii) a first, a second and a third carbonaceous material processing unit to supply the carbonaceous particulates to the loading tanks of the first and second catalyst loading units, or
(4) when the first, second, third and fourth catalyst loading units are present, (i) a single carbonaceous material processing unit to supply the carbonaceous particulates to the loading tanks of the first, second, third and fourth catalyst loading units, or (ii) a first and a second carbonaceous material processing unit to supply the carbonaceous particulates to the loading tanks of the first, second, third and fourth catalyst loading units, or (iii) a first, a second and a third carbonaceous material processing unit to supply the carbonaceous particulates to the loading tanks of the first, second, third and fourth catalyst loading units, or (iv) a first, a second, a third and a fourth carbonaceous material processing unit to supply the carbonaceous particulates to the loading tanks of the first, second, third and fourth catalyst loading units,
wherein the single carbonaceous material processing unit comprises:
(C1) a receiver to receive and store a carbonaceous material;
and
(C2) a grinder to grind the carbonaceous material into the carbonaceous particulates, the grinder in communication with the receiver;
(d) (1) a single heat exchanger unit to remove heat energy from the hot first gas streams from the first, second, third and fourth gasifying reactor units to generate steam and produce a single cooled first gas stream, or
(2) a first and a second heat exchanger unit to remove heat energy from the hot first gas streams from the first, second, third and fourth gasifying reactor units to generate steam, a first cooled first gas stream and a second cooled first gas stream, or
(3) a first, a second, a third and a fourth heat exchanger unit to remove heat energy from the hot first gas streams from the first second, third and fourth gasifying reactor unit to generate steam and produce a first cooled first gas stream, a second cooled first gas stream, a third cooled first gas stream and a fourth cooled first gas stream;
(e) (1) when only the single heat exchanger unit is present, a single acid gas remover unit to remove at least a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide and at least a substantial portion of the hydrogen sulfide from the single cooled first gas stream, to produce a single acid gas-depleted gas stream comprising at least a substantial portion of the methane, at least a substantial portion of the hydrogen and, optionally, at least a portion of the carbon monoxide from the single cooled first gas stream, or
(2) when only the first and second heat exchanger units are present, a single acid gas remover unit to remove at least a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide and at least a substantial portion of the hydrogen sulfide from the first and second cooled first gas streams to produce a single acid gas-depleted gas stream comprising at least a substantial portion of the methane, at least a substantial portion of the hydrogen and, optionally, at least a portion of the carbon monoxide from the first and second cooled first gas streams, or
(3) when the first, second, third and fourth heat exchanger units are present, a single acid gas remover unit to remove at least a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide and at least a substantial portion of the hydrogen sulfide from the first, second, third and fourth cooled first gas streams to produce a single acid gas-depleted gas stream comprising at least a substantial portion of the methane, at least a substantial portion of the hydrogen and, optionally, at least a portion of the carbon monoxide from the first, second, third and fourth cooled first gas streams;
(f) a single methane removal unit to separate and recover methane from the single acid gas-depleted gas stream, to produce a single methane-depleted gas stream and a single methane product stream, the single methane product stream comprising at least a substantial portion of the methane from the single acid gas-depleted gas stream;
and
(g) (1) a single steam source to supply steam to the steam inlets of the first, second, third and fourth gasifying reactor units, or
(2) a first and a second steam source to supply stream to the steam inlets of the first, second, third and fourth gasifying reactor units.

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Four-Train Catalytic Gasification Systems

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Four-Train Catalytic Gasification Systems

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Abstract

Claims21