Slurry hydrocarbon synthesis with liquid hydroisomerization in the synthesis reactor
First Claim
1. A process for hydroisomerizing the slurry hydrocarbon liquid produced in a slurry hydrocarbon synthesis reactor in said reactor while it is producing said liquid from a synthesis gas and wherein said slurry in said synthesis reactor is a slurry body comprising gas bubbles and catalyst particles in said liquid, said process comprising:
- (a) contacting a portion of said slurry from said slurry body with means for removing gas bubbles, to produce a gas bubble reduced slurry;
(b) passing a hydrogen treat gas and said gas bubble reduced slurry into and up through a hydroisomerization zone in one or more lift reactors in said synthesis reactor which are at least partially immersed in said slurry body therein, with each said lift reactor containing a hydroisomerization catalyst therein which defines a hydroisomerization zone;
(c) reacting said gas bubble reduced slurry and hydrogen in the presence of said hydroisomerization catalyst, at reaction conditions effective to hydroisomerize at least a portion of said liquid and produce a hydroisomerized liquid, and (d) passing all or a portion of said hydroisomerized hydrocarbon liquid back into said slurry body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A slurry Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis process for synthesizing liquid hydrocarbons from synthesis gas in a synthesis reactor also hydroisomerizes the synthesized hydrocarbon liquid, which comprises the slurry liquid, in one or more lift reactors immersed in the slurry body in the synthesis reactor. A monolithic catalyst is preferably used for the hydroisomerization, and slurry circulation up through the lift reactors from the surrounding slurry body, is achieved at least in part by the lift action of the hydroisomerization treat gas. Preferably, catalyst particles are also removed before the slurry contacts the catalyst. Hydroisomerization occurs while the synthesis reactor is producing hydrocarbons, without interfering with the synthesis reaction. A gas bubble reducing downcomer may be used to produce and feed the gas bubble reduced slurry into the lift reactor, thereby providing a hydraulic head assist in the slurry circulation up through and out of the lift reactor.
20 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A process for hydroisomerizing the slurry hydrocarbon liquid produced in a slurry hydrocarbon synthesis reactor in said reactor while it is producing said liquid from a synthesis gas and wherein said slurry in said synthesis reactor is a slurry body comprising gas bubbles and catalyst particles in said liquid, said process comprising:
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(a) contacting a portion of said slurry from said slurry body with means for removing gas bubbles, to produce a gas bubble reduced slurry;
(b) passing a hydrogen treat gas and said gas bubble reduced slurry into and up through a hydroisomerization zone in one or more lift reactors in said synthesis reactor which are at least partially immersed in said slurry body therein, with each said lift reactor containing a hydroisomerization catalyst therein which defines a hydroisomerization zone;
(c) reacting said gas bubble reduced slurry and hydrogen in the presence of said hydroisomerization catalyst, at reaction conditions effective to hydroisomerize at least a portion of said liquid and produce a hydroisomerized liquid, and (d) passing all or a portion of said hydroisomerized hydrocarbon liquid back into said slurry body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A slurry hydrocarbon synthesis process which includes hydroisomerizing hydrocarbon liquid produced in a slurry hydrocarbon synthesis reactor in one or more lift reactors at least partially immersed in the slurry body in said synthesis reactor while it is producing said liquid from a synthesis gas and wherein said slurry body in said synthesis reactor comprises gas bubbles and hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst particles in said liquid, said process comprising:
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(a) passing said synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H2 and CO into said slurry body;
(b) reacting said H2 and CO in the presence of said hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst at reaction conditions effective to form hydrocarbons, a portion of which are liquid at said reaction conditions and comprise said slurry liquid;
(c) contacting a portion of said slurry from said slurry body with means for removing gas bubbles, to form a gas bubble reduced slurry;
(d) passing a hydrogen treat gas and said gas bubble reduced slurry into and up through a hydroisomerization zone in said one or more lift reactors in which they react in the presence of a monolithic hydroisomerization catalyst to form a hydroisomerized hydrocarbon liquid of reduced pour point and wherein said gas reduced slurry passes up through said one or more lift reactors at least in part by the lift action of said treat gas, and (e) passing at least a portion of said hydroisomerized hydrocarbon liquid back into said slurry body with which it mixes. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification