Water removal in Fischer-Tropsch processes
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsJianping Zhang, Harold A. Wright, Yi Jiang, Joe D. Allison, Kenneth M. York, Sergio R. Mohedas, Vincent H. Melquist
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Abstract
A method for water removal in hydrocarbon product reactors operating at Fischer-Tropsch conditions. The water removal decreases the concentration of water in the reactor. In one embodiment, a method of reducing the concentration of water in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor containing a water-rich hydrocarbon product includes removing water from the water-rich hydrocarbon product of the reactor by a water removal means so as to form a water-reduced hydrocarbon product and returning that product to the reactor.
Claims39
A method of reducing the overall water concentration in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor comprising:
- a) removing from the reactor a portion of the reactor content to produce a water-rich hydrocarbon stream;
- b) reducing the water concentration of the water-rich hydrocarbon stream to create a water-reduced hydrocarbon stream;
- and
- c) returning at least a portion of the water-reduced hydrocarbon stream to the reactor.
A method for producing hydrocarbons comprising:
- a) contacting a synthesis gas with a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor, under reaction conditions effective to form a product stream comprising hydrocarbons and secondary products, including water, from the synthesis gas;
- b) passing a portion of the product stream from the reactor into a water removal zone and removing water from the product stream to form water-reduced hydrocarbon product;
- and
- c) passing at least a portion of the water-reduced hydrocarbon product back into the reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.