Solid-liquid separation system
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsRafael L. Espinoza, Sergio R. Mohedas, Seyi Odueyungbo, James Dale Ortego
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for separating liquid products and catalyst fines from a slurry used in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor. A settling system continuously or intermittently removes catalyst fines from the slurry and is coupled with catalyst-liquid separation system that separates liquid products from the slurry. The preferred separation system produces a sub-particle rich stream and a catalyst-lean stream that are removed from the system. The systems of the present invention act to reduce the concentration of catalyst fines in the reactor, thereby increasing the effectiveness of a catalyst-liquid separation system.
Claims31
A slurry bubble column reactor system comprising:
- a reactor containing solid catalyst particles and liquid products suspended in a slurry;
- a first separation unit adapted to produce a sub-particle rich stream comprising at least a portion of the catalyst particles having a size below a predetermined limit from the slurry;
- and
- a second separation unit adapted to produce a catalyst-lean stream comprising at least a portion of the liquid products from the slurry,
- wherein the sub-particle rich stream and the catalyst-lean stream are removed from the reactor system.
A slurry bubble column reactor system comprising:
- a reactor containing solid catalyst particles, including sub-particles, and liquid products suspended in a slurry;
- a first flow loop comprising a first separation unit that removes a sub-particle rich stream from the system;
- and
- a second flow loop comprising a second separation unit that removes a catalyst-lean stream from the system.
A slurry bubble column reactor system comprising:
- a reactor containing solid catalyst particles and liquid products suspended in a slurry, wherein the solid catalyst particles include sub-particles;
- a first outlet in said reactor directing a portion of the slurry from the reactor to a first separation unit, wherein the first separation unit removes a sub-particle rich stream from the system;
- and
- a second outlet in said reactor directing a portion of the slurry from the reactor to a second separation device, wherein the second separation unit removes a catalyst-lean stream from the system.
A method for separating catalyst particles from liquid products in a slurry in a reactor, comprising:
- removing a portion of the slurry from the reactor and passing the slurry through a first separation unit such that the first separation unit removes a sub-particle rich stream;
- and
- removing a portion of the slurry from the reactor and passing the slurry through a second separation unit such that the second separation unit removes a catalyst-lean stream.
A slurry bubble column reactor comprising:
- solid catalyst particles and liquid products suspended in a slurry;
- a first separation device that divides at least a portion of the slurry into a sub-particle rich stream and a sub-particle lean stream;
- a first outlet from said first separation device that removes the sub-particle rich stream from the reactor;
- and
- a second separation device adapted to divide the sub-particle lean stream into a catalyst-rich stream and a catalyst-lean stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.