Methods and systems for supplying hydrogen to a hydrocatalytic reaction
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsAndries Quirin Maria Boon, Joseph Broun Powell, Lamar Lane Joffrion, Kimberly Ann Johnson, Hubert Willem Schenck
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Abstract
A bottom fraction of a product of a hydrocatalytic reaction is gasified to generate hydrogen for use in further hydrocatalytic reactions. In one embodiment, an overhead fraction of the hydrocatalytic reaction is further processed to generate higher molecular weight compounds. In another embodiment, a product of the further processing is separated into a bottom fraction and an overhead fraction, where the bottom fraction is also gasified to generate hydrogen for use in further hydrocatalytic reactions.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- (a) providing a biomass feedstock comprising cellulose and water;
- (b) contacting the biomass feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst capable of activating molecular hydrogen in a hydrocatalytic treatment at a temperature in a range of about 180 to 290 degrees C. to form a hydrocatalytically treated mixture comprising a plurality of hydrocarbon and oxygenated hydrocarbon molecules;
- (c) separating the hydrocatalytically treated mixture into at least a first overhead fraction comprising at least one of the hydrocarbon and oxygenated hydrocarbon molecules and a first bottom stream comprising at least one compound having a separation point having a temperature in a range of about 100 to 600 degrees C. at a pressure of about atmospheric pressure, wherein the first bottom fraction comprises at least one of phenol, o-cresol, p-cresol, anisole, 4-methylanisole, catechol, guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, 1,3-dimethoxybenzene, syringol, vanillin, methoxyphenol, methyl phenol, dimethyl phenol, ethyl phenol, methyl ethyl phenol, methoxypropylphenol, benzene diol, and propyl phenol;
- (d) partially oxidizing the first bottom fraction to produce a gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen;
- (e) providing the gas mixture to a water gas shift reaction zone external to where the biomass feedstock is contacted with hydrogen to generate hydrogen and carbon dioxide;
- and
- (f) providing the hydrogen from step (e) for use in step (b).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.