Oxygen storage and production of C5+ hydrocarbons
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorsJuan D. Henao, Paul F. Keusenkothen
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Abstract
Disclosed are reactors and reaction processes for contacting hydrocarbon reactant in the presence of oxygen stored and released within a thermal mass region of the reactor, and catalytically converting at least a portion of alkane, e.g., methane, in the hydrocarbon reactant to produce a reaction mixture comprising a C5+ composition. Oxygen storage and release for carrying out the catalytic conversion is achieved by including an oxygen storage material in a thermal mass region of the reactor. Flow-through reactors can be used to carry out oxygen storage and the hydrocarbon conversion reactions. Reverse-flow reactors are examples of flow-through reactors, which can be used to carry out oxygen storage and the hydrocarbon conversion reactions.
Claims14
A process for producing a C5+ composition, comprising:
- (a) providing a reverse-flow reactor comprising:
- (i) first and second hydrocarbon conversion catalysts, the first hydrocarbon conversion catalyst having oxidative coupling functionality and the second hydrocarbon conversion catalyst having dehydrocyclization functionality and (ii) at least one thermal mass, wherein (A) the first hydrocarbon conversion catalyst, (B) the second hydrocarbon conversion catalyst, and (C) the oxygen storage material are deposited on or in the thermal mass, and within a catalytic conversion zone of the reverse-flow reactor;
- (b) during a first time interval,
- i. passing a heating fluid comprising an oxidant and a hydrocarbon fuel through the reverse-flow reactor system and a first portion of the oxidant with the hydrocarbon fuel under combustion conditions to (A) produce a heated combustion gas and (B) transfer heat from the heated combustion gas to the thermal mass, wherein the oxidant is present in the heating fluid in a stoichiometric excess of that needed for substantially complete combustion with the hydrocarbon fuel,
- ii. transferring at least a second portion of the oxidant's oxygen to an oxygen storage material for storage with the oxygen storage material, and
- iii. lessening or discontinuing the passing of the oxidant through the reverse-flow reactor;
- (c) during a second time interval,
- i. passing a hydrocarbon reactant comprising methane through the reverse-flow reactor,
- ii. releasing stored oxygen and catalytically converting at least a portion of the hydrocarbon reactant's methane with at least a portion of the released oxygen in the presence of the first hydrocarbon conversion catalyst to produce a first reaction mixture comprising a C2+ composition, and
- iii. catalytically converting at least a portion of the first reaction mixture in the presence of the second hydrocarbon conversion catalyst to produce a second reaction mixture comprising the C5+ composition;
- and
- (d) conducting at least a portion of the second reaction mixture away from the reverse-flow reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.