SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SYNTHETIC LIQUID HYDROCARBON

• US 20080115415A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (Purdue University)
• Original Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (Purdue University)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Rakesh, Singh, Navneet R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,444,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 48/101
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/50 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2/32 with the use of catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0916 Biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0956 Air or oxygen enriched air
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0959 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0966 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0973 Water
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1284 by renewable energy, e.g. solar energy, photovoltaic cells, wind
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1618 Modification of synthesis gas composition, e.g. to meet some criteria
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1659 to liquid hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1681 with biological plants, e.g. involving bacteria, algae, fungi
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1815 for carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/02 Fixed-bed gasification of lump fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/06 Continuous processes
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/463 in stationary fluidised beds
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/466 Entrained flow processes
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/026 Increasing the carbon monoxide content, e.g. reverse water-gas shift [RWGS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/00 Technologies relating to chemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin

Abstract

Production of synthetic liquid hydrocarbon fuel from carbon containing moieties such as biomass, coal, methane, naphtha as a carbon source and hydrogen from a carbon-free energy source is disclosed. The biomass can be fed to a gasifier along with hydrogen, oxygen, steam and recycled carbon dioxide. The synthesis gas from the gasifier exhaust is sent to a liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor to form liquid hydrocarbon molecules. Unreacted CO & H₂ can be recycled to the gasifier along with CO₂ from the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor system. Hydrogen can be obtained from electrolysis of water, thermo-chemical cycles or directly by using energy from carbon-free energy sources.

Claims

1. A process for the conversion of a carbon containing moiety to liquid hydrocarbon fuel, comprising:

gasifying with a predetermined energy source at least a portion of the carbon containing moiety to produce a syngas stream containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, at least a portion of the predetermined energy source being from a carbon-free energy source; and

reacting the syngas stream to form liquid hydrocarbon fuel.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein liquid hydrocarbon fuel is a material comprising carbon and hydrogen that can exist in a closed container at normal temperature and pressure of 20°

C. and 1 atmospheric pressure in a liquid state.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is one of methanol, ethanol, long chain alcohols, alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, and substituted aromatics compounds thereof.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein the carbon-free energy source is one of solar, wind, hydro and nuclear energy.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein the carbon containing moiety is at least one of biomass, coal, pet coke, methane, and naphtha.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the biomass comprises a plant or tree.

7. The process of claim 5 wherein the biomass is one of switch grass, sugar cane, corn, wood, and any cellulosic mass.

8. The process of claim 5 wherein the coal is any suitable coal or coal derived material.

9. The process of claim 5 wherein the coal is one of peat, lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous, and/or anthracite.

10. The process of claim 5 wherein the syngas stream is reacted in a hydrocarbon conversion reactor system to form liquid hydrocarbon fuel and CO₂ and wherein the energy from the carbon-free energy source is supplied as at least one of hydrogen and heat to the gasifying step.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein the CO₂ from the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor system is recycled to the gasifying step.

12. The process of claim 10 wherein any CO₂ separated prior to the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor contained within hydrocarbon conversion reactor system is recycled to the gasifying step.

13. The process of claim 11 wherein a low molecular weight hydrocarbon from the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor system is recycled to the gasifier.

14. The process of claim 5 wherein reacting the syngas stream in a hydrocarbon conversion reactor system to form liquid hydrocarbon fuel and CO₂, and wherein hydrogen derived from a carbon-free energy source is supplied to the gasifying step such that the processing temperature at the hydrogen supplied point in the gasifying step is higher than about 350°

C.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein CO₂ from the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor system is recycled to the gasifying step.

16. The process of claim 14 wherein any CO₂ separated prior to the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor contained within the hydrocarbon conversion reactor system is recycled to the gasifying step.

17. The process of claim 14 wherein a low molecular weight hydrocarbon from the liquid hydrocarbon conversion system is recycled to the gasifier.

18. The process of claim 5 wherein reacting the syngas stream in a hydrocarbon conversion reactor system to form liquid hydrocarbon fuel and CO₂, and wherein hydrogen derived from a carbon-free energy source is fed to a predetermined location in the gasifier of the gasifying step.

19. The process of claim 18 wherein CO₂ from the exhaust of the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor system is recycled to the predetermined location in the gasifier of the gasifying step.

20. The process of claim 18 wherein CO₂ separated prior to the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor contained within hydrocarbon conversion reactor system is recycled to the predetermined location in the gasifier of the gasifying step.

21. The process of claim 5 wherein CO₂ collected prior to the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor contained within hydrocarbon conversion reactor system or from the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor is fed to a predetermined location in the gasifier of the gasifying step.

22. The process of claim 5 wherein reacting the syngas stream is in a hydrocarbon conversion reactor system to form liquid hydrocarbon fuel and CO₂, and wherein a combined gaseous stream containing CO₂ and unreacted CO and H₂ from the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor system is recycled to a predetermined location in the gasifying step.

23. The process of claim 5 wherein energy from a carbon-free energy source is used to dry the biomass prior to feeding it to the gasifier.

24. The process of claim 5 wherein reacting the syngas stream in a hydrocarbon conversion reactor system to form liquid hydrocarbon fuel and CO₂ and wherein reaction heat from the liquid hydrocarbon conversion reactor contained within hydrocarbon conversion reactor system is used to dry the biomass prior to feeding it to the gasifier.

25. The process of claim 5 further comprising:

dividing a given biomass into a first fraction that can be directly converted by micro organisms to a liquid hydrocarbon and a second fraction that is not readily converted by micro organisms to liquid hydrocarbons; and

feeding the first fraction to a direct conversion unit containing micro-organisms and recovering a liquid hydrocarbon product stream, a CO₂ containing stream, and any unreacted biomass stream; and

feeding the second fraction of the biomass for the gasifying step.

26. The process of claim 25 wherein unreacted biomass stream from feeding the first fraction is fed for the gasifying step.

27. The process of claim 25 wherein CO₂ containing stream from feeding the first fraction is fed to the gasifying step.

28. The process of claim 27 wherein the specific feed point in the gasifying step is positioned in a suitable location in the gasifier.

29. The process of claim 25 wherein reacting the syngas stream in a hydrocarbon conversion reactor system to form liquid hydrocarbon fuel and CO₂, and wherein heat available from one of the gasification or hydrocarbon conversion reactor system is used to supply process heat for the micro-organism based system.

30. The process of claim 29 where heat in the micro-organism based system is used in the fermentation step.

31. The process of claim 29 where heat in the micro-organism based system is used in the separation of the hydrocarbon liquid product.

32. A system for the conversion of a carbon containing moiety to liquid hydrocarbon fuel, comprising:

a gasification unit receiving energy to gasify at least a portion of the carbon containing moiety to produce a syngas stream containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, at least a portion of the energy for gasifying being from a carbon-free energy source; and

a hydrocarbon conversion reactor system for reacting the syngas stream to form liquid hydrocarbon fuel, the hydrocarbon conversion reactor system being in fluid communication with the gasification unit.