Process and apparatus for the production of synthesis gas

• US 10,450,195 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2015
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NiQuan Energy LLC
• Original Assignee: NiQuan Energy LLC
• Inventors: Wang, Shoou-I, Repasky, John Michael, Nataraj, Shankar, Peng, Xiang-Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): Chandler, Kaity V
• Application Number:
  US14/691,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20160016793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00256 in a heat exchanger for the heat exchange medium separate from the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00504 by means of a burner
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/0053 Controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00006 Large-scale industrial plants
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0285 Heating or cooling the reactor for tubular reactors in furnaces B01J8/062
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0488 the beds being placed in separate reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/067 Heating or cooling the reactor B01J8/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0244 the reforming step being an autothermal reforming step, e.g. secondary reforming processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0255 containing a non-catalytic partial oxidation step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0261 containing a catalytic partial oxidation step [CPO]
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0283 containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/06 Integration with other chemical processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/061 Methanol production
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/062 Hydrocarbon production, e.g. Fischer-Tropsch process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0838 by heat exchange with exothermic reactions, other than by combustion of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0844 the non-combustive exothermic reaction being another reforming reaction as defined in groups C01B2203/02 - C01B2203/0294
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0877 by direct injection of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1241 Natural gas or methane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/127 Catalytic desulfurisation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/141 : At least two reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/143 : Three or more reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in series
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/26 : using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/36 : using oxygen or mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/382 : Multi-step processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/384 : the catalyst being continuously externally heated
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/386 : Catalytic partial combustion
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/094 : Char
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0976 : as steam
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0986 : Catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/02 : Fixed-bed gasification of lump fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/20 : Apparatus; Plants
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/026 : Increasing the carbon monoxide content, e.g. reverse water-gas shift [RWGS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 : Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/52 : using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts

Abstract

Reactive diluent fluid (22) is introduced into a stream of synthesis gas (or “syngas”) produced in a heat-generating unit such as a partial oxidation (“PDX”) reactor (12) to cool the syngas and form a mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid. Carbon dioxide and/or carbon components and/or hydrogen in the mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid is reacted (26) with at least a portion of the reactive diluent fluid in the mixture to produce carbon monoxide-enriched and/or solid carbon depleted syngas which is fed into a secondary reformer unit (30) such as an enhanced heat transfer reformer in a heat exchange reformer process. An advantage of the invention is that problems with the mechanical integrity of the secondary unit arising from the high temperature of the syngas from the heat-generating unit are avoided.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the production of syngas, comprising:

a first reactor configured to exothermically react hydrocarbon-containing fuel with an oxidant gas to produce an exothermically-generated syngas product, the oxidant gas including molecular oxygen;

a second reactor;

a conduit configured to feed an effluent stream of the exothermically generated syngas product from the first reactor to the second reactor;

an element connected to the conduit is configured to cool the exothermically-generated syngas product by combining a reactive diluent gas with the effluent stream, producing a mixture, the mixture including carbon dioxide and solid carbon particles;

a reverse water gas shift reaction zone in the second reactor configured to react the carbon dioxide and the molecular hydrogen in the mixture over a catalyst, and, thereby increase a carbon monoxide concentration of the mixture; and

a gasification reaction zone in the second reactor configured to react the carbon particles with at least one other component in the mixture, and, thereby decrease a concentration of the solid carbon.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a heat exchange reformer configured to endothermically reform hydrocarbon-containing fuel gas with steam over a catalyst to produce a heat exchange reformed syngas product; and

conduit configured to feed reacted syngas product from the second reactor to the heat exchange reformer, wherein the endothermic reforming uses at least a portion of the heat generated in the exothermic reaction.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the reformer comprises an enhanced heat transfer reformer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the first reactor comprises a partial oxidation reactor.