US 2018/0002248 A1Published application

Production of hydrocarbon liquids

OwnerKaren Sue Kelly, Larry Jack Melnichukinventors

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Abstract

A process to efficiently convert organic feedstock material into liquid non-oxygenated hydrocarbons in the C5 to C12 carbon skeleton range is disclosed. The process can utilize gaseous, liquid or solid organic feedstocks containing carbon, hydrogen and, optionally, oxygen. The feedstock may require preparation of the organic feedstock for the process and is converted first into a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The synthesis gas is then cleaned and conditioned and extraneous components removed, leaving substantially only the carbon monoxide and hydrogen. It is then converted via a series of chemical reactions into the desired liquid hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons are suitable for combustion in a vehicle engine and may be regarded a replacement for petrol made from fossil fuels in the C5 to C2 carbon backbone range. The process also recycles gaseous by-products back through the various reactors of the process to maximize the liquid hydrocarbon in the C5 to C12 carbon skeleton range yield.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A process for producing a C5 to C12 hydrocarbon fuel from organic material, comprising:

a) applying a heat source to heat an organic feedstock and oxygen at substoichiometric conditions to a temperature sufficient for partial combustion of said organic feedstock to occur and then ceasing application of said heat source once partial combustion has commenced;
b) partially combusting said organic feedstock so as to produce a synthesis gas stream, said synthesis gas stream containing at least carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen;
c) substantially removing unwanted solid and liquid matter comprising oxides, ash and hydrocarbons having a carbon skeleton of greater than C10 from said synthesis gas stream to produce a first cleaned synthesis gas stream containing at least carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen;
d) compressing said first cleaned synthesis gas stream and substantially removing water;
e) conditioning and further cleaning the first cleaned synthesis gas stream by substantially removing inorganic elements and inorganic compounds from said first cleaned synthesis gas stream to provide a second cleaned synthesis gas stream containing at least carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen;
f) selectively removing carbon dioxide from said second cleaned synthesis gas stream;
g) catalytically treating said second cleaned synthesis gas stream to produce a first mixture containing at least carbon monoxide, hydrogen and dimethyl ether;
h) collecting said dimethyl ether from said first mixture;
i) catalytically reacting said dimethyl ether to produce a second mixture containing at least alkanes;
and
j) selectively obtaining said alkanes having from a C5 to C12 skeleton from said second mixture.

8 more elements

A process for producing a C5 to C12 hydrocarbon fuel from organic material comprising:

a) applying a heat source to heat an organic feedstock and oxygen at substoichiometric conditions up to a temperature of about 800° C. and then ceasing application of said heat source once partial combustion in an exothermic reaction has commenced;
b) partially combusting said organic feedstock without continuous application of an external heat source so as to produce a synthesis gas stream, said synthesis gas stream containing at least carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen;
c) substantially removing unwanted solid and liquid matter comprising oxides, ash and hydrocarbons having a carbon skeleton of greater than C10 from said synthesis gas stream to produce a first cleaned synthesis gas stream containing at least carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen;
d) compressing said first cleaned synthesis gas stream and substantially removing water;
e) removing at least a portion of any alkanes, alkenes and alkynes from said first cleaned synthesis gas stream;
f) reacting said removed alkanes, alkenes and alkynes of step e) with a catalyst to produce a supplemental gas stream containing at least carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen;
g) removing inorganic elements and inorganic compounds from said first cleaned synthesis gas stream to provide a second cleaned synthesis gas stream containing at least carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen;
h) merging said second cleaned synthesis gas stream with said supplemental gas stream;
i) selectively removing carbon dioxide from said second cleaned synthesis gas stream merged with said supplemental gas stream;
j) catalytically treating said second cleaned synthesis gas stream merged with said supplemental gas stream to produce a first mixture containing at least carbon monoxide, hydrogen and dimethyl ether;
k) collecting said dimethyl ether from said first mixture;
l) catalytically reacting said dimethyl ether to produce a second mixture containing at least alkanes;
and
m) selectively obtaining said alkanes having from a C5 to C12 skeleton from said second mixture.

11 more elements

A process for producing a C5 to C12 hydrocarbon fuel from organic material comprising:

a) forming a first synthesis gas stream by the steps of:
(i) applying a heat source to heat an organic feedstock and oxygen at substoichiometric conditions up to a temperature of about 800° C. and then ceasing application of said heat source once partial combustion in an exothermic reaction has commenced,
(ii) partially combusting said organic feedstock without continuous application of a heat source so as to produce a synthesis gas stream, said synthesis gas stream containing at least carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen,
(iii) substantially removing unwanted solid and liquid matter comprising oxides, ash and hydrocarbons having a carbon skeleton of greater than C10 from said synthesis gas stream to produce a first cleaned synthesis gas stream containing at least carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen;
(iv) recycling and enjoining said hydrocarbons having a carbon skeleton greater than C10 to step a)(ii) for partial combustion,
(v) compressing said first cleaned synthesis gas stream and substantially removing water, and
(vi) removing at least a portion of any alkanes, alkenes and alkynes from said first cleaned synthesis gas stream;
b) forming a second cleaned synthesis gas stream by the steps of:
(i) reacting said removed alkanes, alkenes and alkynes of step a)(vi) with a catalyst to produce at least carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and
(ii) selectively removing carbon dioxide from said second cleaned synthesis gas stream;
c) merging said first cleaned synthesis gas stream and said second cleaned synthesis gas stream so as to provide a merged cleaned synthesis gas stream;
d) catalytically treating said merged synthesis gas stream to produce a first mixture containing at least carbon monoxide, hydrogen and dimethyl ether;
e) collecting said dimethyl ether from said first mixture and recycling said carbon monoxide back into said second cleaned synthesis gas stream for additional catalytic treatment;
f) catalytically reacting said dimethyl ether to produce a second mixture containing at least alkanes;
and
g) selectively obtaining said alkanes having from a C5 to C12 skeleton from said second mixture.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/433,245Filed 15 Feb 2017
Priority: 21 Apr 2008
Published: 4 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification47 codes

C07C 1/22
Starting from organic compounds containing only oxygen atoms as heteroatoms: by reduction
C01B 3/32
Production of hydrogen; Production of gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen: by reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying…
C01B 3/323
By reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying agents, e.g. water, carbon dioxide or air: catalytic reaction of gaseous or…
C01B 3/382
Using catalysts: processes with two or more reaction steps, of which at least one is catalytic, e.g. steam reforming and partial oxidation

Family

Application61/124,896Us provisional application · filed 21 Apr 2008
Application12/988,765Continuation · filed 8 Mar 2011
Application14/555,765Continuation · filed 28 Nov 2014
Application15/433,245Continuation
US 10,087,121 B2Related patent
US 2011/0152593 A1Published application
US 2015/0141719 A1Published application
US 2018/0002248 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.