METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING SYNTHESIS GAS

• US 20100163804A1
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: SCHENCK, Hubert Willem
• Application Number:
  US12/649,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20100163804A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/373
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0255 containing a non-catalytic partial oxidation step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0415 Purification by absorption in liquids
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0455 Purification by non-catalytic desulfurisation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0475 the impurity being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0485 the impurity being a sulfur compound
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/049 the impurity being carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0495 the impurity being water
• 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 2203/068 Ammonia synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0877 by direct injection of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0883 by indirect heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0894 Generation of steam
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1252 Cyclic or aromatic hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/84 Energy production
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/12 by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/36 using oxygen or mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/093 Coal
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0943 Coke
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/16 Integration of gasification processes with another plant or parts within the plant
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/165 : integrated with a gas turbine or gas motor
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1659 : to liquid hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1665 : to alcohols, e.g. methanol or ethanol
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1693 : with storage facilities for intermediate, feed and/or product
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1846 : Partial oxidation, i.e. injection of air or oxygen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/00 : Production of combustible gases containing carbon monoxide from solid carbonaceous fuels destructive distillation processes C10B
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/003 : of acid contaminants, e.g. acid gas removal
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/04 : reducing the carbon monoxide content , e.g. water-gas shift [WGS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 : Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/18 : Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 : Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry

Abstract

A method for supplying synthesis gas comprising reacting a carbonaceous feed with an oxidant, to generate synthesis gas; forwarding all or part of the generated synthesis gas to an underground storage location, to generate a synthesis gas buffer; and retrieving synthesis gas from the underground storage location and supplying the retrieved synthesis gas to a downstream processing unit, which downstream processing unit is substantially continuously converting synthesis gas.

Conveniently the downstream processing unit can comprise a water-gas shift unit and the invention further provides a system for supplying synthesis gas comprising: a gasification unit, for generating synthesis gas from a carbonaceous feed and an oxidant, that is at least directly or indirectly connected to an underground storage location; an underground storage location, for generating a synthesis gas buffer, that is at least connected directly or indirectly to the gasification unit and at least connected directly or indirectly to a water-gas shift unit; and a water-gas shift unit, for generating a shifted synthesis gas, that is at least connected directly or indirectly to the underground storage location.

Claims

1. A method for supplying synthesis gas comprising

a) reacting a carbonaceous feed with an oxidant, to generate synthesis gas;

b) forwarding all or part of the synthesis gas generated in step a) to an underground storage location, to generate a synthesis gas buffer; and

c) retrieving synthesis gas from the underground storage location and supplying the retrieved synthesis gas to a downstream processing unit, which downstream processing unit is substantially continuously converting synthesis gas.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feed comprises coal or petroleum coke.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reaction of a carbonaceous feed with an oxidant in step a) comprises a partial oxidation of coal or petroleum coke with an oxygen-containing gas in a gasification reactor.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas generated in step a) is compressed and stored in the underground storage location at a higher pressure than the pressure at which it was generated.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas generated in step a) is stored in the underground storage at a pressure that is lower than, nearly equal or equal to the pressure at which the synthesis gas was generated;

and the retrieved synthesis gas in step c) is compressed and supplied to the downstream processing unit at a higher pressure than the pressure at which it was retrieved.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the underground storage location comprises one or more salt cavities.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the downstream processing unit comprises a water-gas-shift reactor.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

step a) further comprises cooling and drying of the generated synthesis gas to generate a cooled and dried synthesis gas, which cooled and dried synthesis gas is then forwarded in step b) to an underground storage location where it absorbs water, to generate a synthesis gas buffer comprising humidified synthesis gas;

and

wherein step c) further comprises retrieving the humidified synthesis gas from the underground storage location and supplying the retrieved humidified synthesis gas to a water-gas shift unit that is substantially continuously converting synthesis gas to generate shifted synthesis gas.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein step a) further comprises cooling and drying of the generated synthesis gas in an acid gas removal unit to generate a sweet, cooled and dried synthesis gas which sweet, cooled and dried synthesis gas is then forwarded in step b) to an underground storage location where it absorbs water, to generate a synthesis gas buffer comprising sweet and humidified synthesis gas;

and wherein step c) further comprises retrieving the sweet and humidified synthesis gas from the underground storage location and supplying the retrieved sweet and humidified synthesis gas to a water-gas shift unit that is substantially continuously converting synthesis gas to generate shifted synthesis gas.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein step b) is carried out during a period of off-peak demand for synthesis gas and/or during a period of high generation of synthesis gas;

and/or step c) is carried out during a period of peak demand for synthesis gas and/or during a period of discontinuity in generation or low generation of synthesis gas.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein during a period of off-peak demand for synthesis gas and/or a period of high generation of synthesis gas, a part of the synthesis gas generated in step a) is passed to an underground storage location in step b) and wherein during a period of peak demand for synthesis gas and/or a period of low generation of synthesis gas, another part of the synthesis gas generated in step a) is mixed with retrieved synthesis gas in step c) and supplied to a downstream processing unit.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the downstream processing unit is a gas turbine or combined cycle for power generation;

a plant that converts synthesis gas into methanol or ammonia;

or a Fisher-Tropsh plant that converts synthesis gas into Fisher-Tropsh liquids.

14. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step wherein synthesis gas is treated to separate hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide from the remainder of the synthesis gas.

10. A method for supplying humidified synthesis gas comprising;

a) reacting a carbonaceous feed with an oxidant, to generate synthesis gas and subsequently cooling and drying the generated synthesis gas to generate a cooled and dried synthesis gas;

b) forwarding all or part of the cooled and dried synthesis gas generated in step a) to an underground storage location where it absorbs water, to generate a synthesis gas buffer comprising humidified synthesis gas; and

c) retrieving the humidified synthesis gas from the underground storage location and supplying the retrieved humidified synthesis gas to a water-gas shift unit, which water-gas shift unit is substantially continuously converting synthesis gas to generated shifted synthesis gas.

15. A system for supplying synthesis gas comprising:

a) a gasification unit, for generating synthesis gas from a carbonaceous feed and an oxidant, that is at least directly or indirectly connected to an underground storage location;

b) an underground storage location, for generating a synthesis gas buffer, that is at least connected directly or indirectly to the gasification unit and at least connected directly or indirectly to a water-gas shift unit; and

c) a water-gas shift unit, for generating a shifted synthesis gas, that is at least connected directly or indirectly to the underground storage location.