# US 9,751,767 B2 · Catalytic reactor for converting contaminants in a displacement fluid and generating energy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,767 B2 - Document ID: US9751767B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/505,251 - Filed: 2014-10-02 - Published: 2015-04-02 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-02 - Assignees: Pilot Energy Solutions, LLC - Applicants: Pilot Energy Solutions, LLC - Inventors: Eric Prim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751767B2 ## CPC - C01B 32/50: Carbon dioxide - B01J 8/025: {in a cylindrical shaped bed} - B01J 8/0285: {Heating or cooling the reactor (for tubular reactors in furnaces B01J8/062)} - B01J 8/0457: {the beds being placed in separate reactors} - B01J 8/065: {Feeding reactive fluids} - B01J 8/067: {Heating or cooling the reactor (B01J8/062 takes precedence)} - E21B 43/16: Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons - E21B 43/164: {Injecting CO2 or carbonated water (in combination with organic material C09K8/594)} - E21B 43/24: using heat, e.g. steam injection - E21B 43/2406: {Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD]} - E21B 43/40: Separation associated with re-injection of separated materials {(E21B43/385 takes precedence)} - B01J 8/0278: {Feeding reactive fluids (for solid material B01J8/0015)} - B01J 8/0496: {Heating or cooling the reactor} - B01J 2208/00176: outside the reactor - B01J 2208/00849: outside the bed, e.g. baffles - B01J 2208/00902: Nozzle-type feeding elements - B01J 2208/00929: Provided with baffles - B01J 2208/00938: Flow distribution elements - B01J 2208/025: Two or more types of catalyst - B01J 2208/065: Heating or cooling the reactor - F25J 2240/70: Steam turbine, e.g. used in a Rankine cycle - F25J 2240/82: with waste heat recovery, e.g. in a combined cycle, i.e. for generating steam used in a Rankine cycle - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - Y02P 90/70: Combining sequestration of CO2 and exploitation of hydrocarbons by injecting CO2 or carbonated water in oil wells - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - F25J: LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS {OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS} MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT {OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE (cryogenic pumps F04B37/08; gas storage vessels, gas holders F17; filing vessels with, or discharging from vessels, compressed, liquefied or solidified gases F17C; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B)} - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A method comprises receiving a carbon dioxide recycle stream having carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons. The carbon dioxide recycle stream is fed to a catalytic reactor. The hydrocarbons are converted to carbon dioxide in the catalytic reactor by a catalytic reaction without combustion to form a purified carbon dioxide recycle stream. Electrical energy is generated by using heat produced by the catalytic reactor in the conversion. Another method comprises receiving a recycle stream having carbon dioxide, C1-C2 hydrocarbons, and C3+ hydrocarbons. The C3+ hydrocarbons are separated from the carbon dioxide and the C1-C2 hydrocarbons. The carbon dioxide and the C1-C2 hydrocarbons are fed to a catalytic reactor at a pressure greater than about 300 pounds per square inch (psi), and the C1-C2 hydrocarbons are converted to carbon dioxide, water, and heat. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving a carbon dioxide recycle stream that comprises hydrocarbons and 50 molar percent or more carbon dioxide; feeding the carbon dioxide recycle stream to a catalytic reactor at a pressure greater than about 300 pounds per square inch (psi); converting the hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide in the catalytic reactor by a catalytic reaction to form a purified carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the catalytic reactor comprises a shell and tube heat exchanger, wherein the shell and tube heat exchanger comprises an outer shell with a plurality of tubes within, wherein a volume of the shell and tube heat exchanger between the outer shell and the plurality of tubes is configured to boil a fluid, wherein a volume within the plurality of tubes comprises a catalytic material, wherein the catalytic material comprises a metal supported by an inorganic support, wherein the catalytic reaction occurs by passing the hydrocarbons through the catalytic material within the plurality of tubes, and wherein the catalytic reaction converts the hydrocarbons and oxygen to the carbon dioxide, water, and heat; and generating electrical energy by using the heat produced by the catalytic reactor in the conversion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising removing C3+ hydrocarbons from the carbon dioxide recycle stream before the carbon dioxide recycle stream is fed to the catalytic reactor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide recycle stream has an energy content greater than about 50 British thermal units per standard cubic foot (BTU/SCF). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising feeding the purified carbon dioxide recycle stream to a hydrocarbon injection well. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the electrical energy comprises producing steam from the heat generated by the catalytic reactor and operating an electrical generator using the steam. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the metal comprises one or more of nickel, iron, and a noble metal, and wherein the inorganic support comprises one or more of silica and alumina. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein the noble metal comprises one of palladium, platinum, silver, gold, iridium, osmium, rhodium, and ruthenium. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: receiving a recycle stream that comprises carbon dioxide, C1-C2 hydrocarbons, and C3+ hydrocarbons; separating the C3+ hydrocarbons from the carbon dioxide and the C1-C2 hydrocarbons; feeding the carbon dioxide and the C1-C2 hydrocarbons to a catalytic reactor at a pressure greater than about 300 pounds per square inch (psi); and converting the C1-C2 hydrocarbons and oxygen to carbon dioxide, water, and heat in a catalytic reaction, wherein the catalytic reactor comprises a shell and tube heat exchanger, wherein the shell and tube heat exchanger comprises an outer shell with a plurality of tubes within, wherein a volume of the shell and tube heat exchanger between the outer shell and the plurality of tubes is configured to boil a fluid, wherein a volume within the plurality of tubes comprises a catalytic material, wherein the catalytic material comprises a metal supported by an inorganic support, wherein the catalytic reaction occurs by passing the hydrocarbons through the catalytic material within the plurality of tubes, and wherein the catalytic reaction converts the C1-C2 hydrocarbons and the oxygen to the carbon dioxide, the water, and the heat using the catalytic material in the catalytic reactor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the recycle stream is received from a hydrocarbon recovery well, and wherein the method further comprises feeding a purified carbon dioxide recycle stream to a hydrocarbon injection well. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising: separating air into oxygen and nitrogen; and feeding the oxygen to the catalytic reactor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising generating energy using the heat. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the metal comprises one or more of nickel, iron, and a noble metal, and wherein the inorganic support comprises one or more of silica and alumina. ### Claim 13 A set of process equipment comprising: a natural gas liquids (NGL) recovery unit configured to receive a recycle stream comprising carbon dioxide, C1-C2 hydrocarbons and C3+ hydrocarbons, and to separate the recycle stream into an NGL stream and a carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the NGL stream comprises C3+ hydrocarbons, and wherein the carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises carbon dioxide and C1-C2 hydrocarbons; a catalytic reactor configured to receive the carbon dioxide recycle stream and convert the C1-C2 hydrocarbons in the carbon dioxide recycle stream to carbon dioxide by a catalytic reaction to produce a purified carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the catalytic reaction converts the C1-C2 hydrocarbons to the carbon dioxide using a catalyst in the catalytic reactor, wherein the catalytic reactor comprises a shell and tube heat exchanger, wherein the shell and tube heat exchanger comprises an outer shell with a plurality of tubes within, wherein a volume of the shell and tube heat exchanger between the outer shell and the plurality of tubes is configured to boil a fluid, wherein a volume within the plurality of tubes comprises a catalytic material, wherein the catalytic material comprises a metal supported by an inorganic support, wherein the catalytic reaction occurs by passing the hydrocarbons through the catalytic material within the plurality of tubes, and wherein the catalytic reaction converts the C1-C2 hydrocarbons and oxygen to the carbon dioxide, water, and heat; and a dehydrator configured to remove the water from the purified carbon dioxide recycle stream and feed the dehydrated purified carbon dioxide recycle stream to a hydrocarbon injection well for use in an enhanced oil recovery operation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The set of process equipment according to claim 13, wherein the shell and tube heat exchanger is configured to generate steam. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The set of process equipment according to claim 14, further comprising a steam turbine power generator that is configured to use the steam from the shell and tube heat exchanger to generate electricity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The set of process equipment according to claim 13, further comprising an oxygen generator that is configured to feed the catalytic reactor with oxygen that is generated by separating air into oxygen and nitrogen. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The set of process equipment according to claim 13, further comprising an acid gas removal unit positioned between the NGL recovery unit and the catalytic reactor, wherein the acid gas removal unit is configured to remove acid gases from the carbon dioxide recycle stream. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The set of process equipment according to claim 13, wherein the metal comprises one or more of nickel, iron, and a noble metal, and wherein the inorganic support comprises one or more of silica and alumina.