Liquid phase methanol process with co-rich recycle
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsDavid W. Studer, Elizabeth S. Schaub
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Abstract
Methanol is produced by reacting a CO-rich synthesis gas in the presence of a powdered methanol synthesis catalyst suspended in an inert liquid in a liquid phase reactor system. Unreacted CO-rich synthesis gas is recycled to the reactor, thus increasing methanol production and reducing specific power compared with once-through operation without recycle or compared with recycle of hydrogen-rich gas recovered from unreacted synthesis gas. The process preferably is integrated with a coal gasification electric power generation system in which a portion of the unreacted synthesis gas is used as power generation fuel and a portion of the methanol product is used as additional power generation fuel during periods of peak power demand.
Claims9
A method for the production of methanol and fuel gas comprising:
- (a) reacting hydrogen and carbon oxides at an elevated pressure in a liquid phase reactor system in the presence of a methanol synthesis catalyst suspended in an inert liquid to yield methanol and unreacted synthesis gas, wherein said hydrogen and carbon oxides are supplied in a reactor feed synthesis gas comprising fresh feed synthesis gas and recycled synthesis gas;
- and
- (b) separating said methanol from said unreacted synthesis gas, and dividing said unreacted synthesis gas into a fuel gas product and said recycled synthesis gas;
- wherein each of said reactor feed synthesis gas, fresh feed synthesis gas, and recycled synthesis gas has a molar ratio R which is greater than 0.1 and less than 2.0, where R is defined as (H.sub.2 -CO.sub.2)/(CO+CO.sub.2) based on molar concentrations of hydrogen and carbon oxides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.