Liquid hydrocarbon fuel from methane assisted by spontaneously generated voltage
OwnerRudolf W. Gunnerman, Peter W. Gunnermaninventors
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Abstract
A methane-containing gas such as natural gas is converted to a clean-burning hydrocarbon liquid fuel in a process wherein the gas is fed to a reaction vessel to contact a metallic catalyst grid that is formed from windings of a transition metal supported on an iron frame immersed in a liquid petroleum fraction, in such a manner that a voltage is generated in the grid between the windings and the frame. Product gas in the vapor phase is drawn from the head space above the liquid level and condensed to form the product fuel.
Claims23
A process for producing a liquid fuel from a gas containing at least about 70% methane by volume, said process comprising:
- (a) passing said gas through a metallic catalyst grid immersed in a liquid petroleum fraction in a reaction vessel, with said liquid petroleum fraction at a temperature of about 80° C. or above but below the boiling temperature of said liquid petroleum fraction, said metallic catalyst comprising windings of a transition metal supported on an iron frame, to produce a fluctuating electric potential between said windings and said frame;
- (b) collecting a gaseous effluent from said reaction vessel;
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- (c) condensing said gaseous effluent to said liquid fuel.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.