Slurry hydrocarbon synthesis with isomerization zone in external lift reactor loop
AssigneeExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
InventorsCharles John Mart, Robert Jay Wittenbrink, Janet Renee Clark, Jennifer Schaefer Feeley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A slurry Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis process for synthesizing liquid hydrocarbons from synthesis gas in a synthesis reactor also hydroisomerizes the synthesized hydrocarbons in one or more external lift reactor hydroisomerizing loops outside of the reactor, but which are a part of the reactor. A monolithic catalyst is used for the hydroisomerization and slurry circulation between the synthesis reactor and one or more loops is achieved, at least in part, by the lift action of a hydrogen treat gas injected into each loop.
Claims25
A process for hydroisomerizing the slurry hydrocarbon liquid produced in a slurry Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis reactor, while said reactor is producing said liquid from a synthesis gas and wherein said slurry comprises gas bubbles and catalyst particles in said liquid, said process comprising:
- (a) contacting a portion of said slurry with means for removing gas bubbles, to produce a gas bubble reduced slurry;
- (b) passing a hydrogen treat gas and said gas bubble reduced slurry into, up and through one or more gas lift reactors external of said synthesis reactor and in fluid communication with said slurry therein, each said gas lift reactor containing a hydroisomerization reaction zone;
- (c) reacting said gas bubble reduced slurry and hydrogen in the presence of said catalyst, at reaction conditions effective to hydroisomerize at least a portion of said liquid and produce a hydroisomerized liquid, and
- (d) passing all or a portion of said hydroisomerized liquid back into said synthesis reactor in which it mixes with said slurry therein and forms part of said slurry liquid.
Slurry hydrocarbon synthesis process which includes hydroisomerizing hydrocarbon liquid produced by the synthesis reaction while said hydrocarbon liquid is being produced from a synthesis gas comprises the steps of:
- (a) passing said synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H2 and CO into a slurry body comprising a three-phase slurry in a slurry Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis reactor, in which said slurry comprises gas bubbles and a particulate hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst in a slurry hydrocarbon liquid;
- (b) reacting said H2 and CO in said synthesis reactor in the presence of said catalyst at reaction conditions effective to and form hydrocarbons, a portion of which are liquid at the reaction conditions and comprise said slurry hydrocarbon liquid;
- (c) contacting a portion of said slurry from said slurry body with means for removing gas bubbles, to form a slurry hydrocarbon liquid reduced in gas bubbles;
- (d) passing a hydrogen treat gas and said gas bubble reduced hydrocarbon liquid formed in (c) up into a hydroisomerizing zone in one or more lift reactors external of, in fluid communication with and depending from, said synthesis reactor, in which they react in the presence of a monolithic hydroisomerization catalyst to form a hydroisomerized hydrocarbon liquid of reduced pour point, and wherein said treat gas also acts as a lift gas to produce circulation of said slurry from said synthesis reactor through said one or more lift reactors, and
- (e) passing all or a portion of said pour point reduced liquid back into said synthesis reactor wherein it mixes with said slurry body therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.