# US 8,771,386 B2 · In-situ gasification of soot contained in exothermically generated syngas stream

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- Number: US 8,771,386 B2
- Document ID: US8771386B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/468,815
- Filed: 2009-05-19
- Published: 2009-09-03
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2003-11-18
- Assignees: National Institute for Strategic Technology Acquisition and Commercialization
- Applicants: William Robert Licht; Shankar Nataraj; Xiang-Dong Peng; John Michael Repasky
- Inventors: William Robert Licht; Shankar Nataraj; Xiang-Dong Peng; John Michael Repasky
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771386B2

## CPC

- C10K 1/02: Dust removal
- C01B 3/36: using oxygen; using mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
- C10J 3/466: {Entrained flow processes}
- C10J 3/721: {Multistage gasification, e.g. plural parallel or serial gasification stages}
- C10J 3/84: with means for removing dust or tar from the gas
- C10K 3/003: {Reducing the tar content}
- C01B 2203/0233: the reforming step being a steam reforming step
- C01B 2203/0255: containing a non-catalytic partial oxidation step
- C01B 2203/04: containing a purification step for the hydrogen or the synthesis gas
- C01B 2203/049: the impurity being carbon
- C01B 2203/0838: by heat exchange with exothermic reactions, other than by combustion of fuel
- C01B 2203/141: At least two reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in parallel
- C10J 2200/06: Catalysts as integral part of gasifiers
- C10J 2300/094: Char
- C10J 2300/0983: Additives
- C10J 2300/1846: Partial oxidation, i.e. injection of air or oxygen only
- C10K: PURIFYING OR MODIFYING THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- C10J: PRODUCTION OF PRODUCER GAS, WATER-GAS, SYNTHESIS GAS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, OR MIXTURES CONTAINING THESE GASES (synthesis gas from liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons C01B; underground gasification of minerals E21B43/295); CARBURETTING AIR OR OTHER GASES

## Abstract

A system is set forth for the exothermic generation of soot depleted syngas comprising (i) reacting a hydrocarbon-containing fuel with an oxygen containing gas in a first reactor to produce the syngas and byproducts comprising CO2, H2O and soot; and (ii) introducing the syngas and byproducts into a second reactor containing a non-carbonaceous material that traps the soot for a sufficient time such that the majority of the byproduct soot is gasified via reaction with the byproduct CO2 and/or H2O to produce a syngas stream that is depleted in the soot. The system is particularly suitable for the practice of heat exchange reforming wherein a portion of the heat is recovered from the soot depleted syngas stream and used as at least a portion of the heat to facilitate the additional production of syngas via the (endothermic) catalytic reforming of natural gas and steam.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for exothermic generation of syngas comprising:
a partial oxidation (PDX) reactor to exothermically generate syngas, wherein the POX reactor comprises:
a first reactor for reacting the hydrocarbon-containing fuel with an oxygen containing gas to produce the syngas and byproducts comprising CO2, H2O, and soot;
a second reactor within the POX for receiving the syngas and byproducts and containing a non-carbonaceous material that traps the soot for a sufficient time such that a majority of the byproduct soot is gasified via reaction with the byproduct CO2 or both CO2 and H2O to produce a syngas stream that is depleted in the soot;
an element configured to add a fluid to the syngas and byproducts produced by the partial oxidation reactor prior to the second reactor receiving the syngas and byproducts; and
wherein the non-carbonaceous material comprises substantially spherical particles of alumina and is configured to operate at a steady state to maintain a substantially constant amount of soot trapped therein as a rate at which soot is gasified equals a rate at which soot is trapped.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 which further comprises:
a heat exchange reformer for recovering a portion of the heat from the soot depleted syngas stream and using at least a portion of the recovered heat to facilitate the additional production of syngas via catalytic reforming of natural gas and steam.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to gasify substantially all of the byproduct soot in the second reactor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising additional non-carbonaceous material contained in the second reactor that is substantially rings.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-carbonaceous material contained in the second reactor has a catalytic functionality to facilitate the gasification of the soot.