SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURE OF METHANOL FROM NATURAL GAS AND FLARE GAS FEEDSTOCK
First Claim
1. A mobile system for converting raw natural gas into methanol, comprising:
- a syngas generator for generating syngas from the raw natural gas and air;
a syngas compressor for compressing the syngas;
a reactor for converting carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the syngas to methanol; and
a power generator for using unreacted carbon monoxide and hydrogen to generate power, wherein some of the power is used to power the syngas compressor.
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Abstract
A mobile system and method that reform flare gas, methane, or natural gas, using air without steam, to directly produce methanol, a clean burning gasoline blend, component, and/or substitute are disclosed. The system first reforms the air-methane mixture at ambient atmospheric pressure, then compresses the resulting CO-hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture to 600 psi, and feeds it through a methanol reactor which reacts the gas mixture directly into methanol. The nitrogen is returned by the system back to the atmosphere. Methanol is a clean burning gasoline substitute, and can be used to displace significantly costlier and dirtier petroleum-based fuel, while solving a critical problem with flaring. For example, the over 120 billion cubic feet per year that was flared in North Dakota in 2014 could be converted into over 6 million tons of methanol.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A mobile system for converting raw natural gas into methanol, comprising:
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a syngas generator for generating syngas from the raw natural gas and air; a syngas compressor for compressing the syngas; a reactor for converting carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the syngas to methanol; and a power generator for using unreacted carbon monoxide and hydrogen to generate power, wherein some of the power is used to power the syngas compressor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for converting raw natural gas into methanol, comprising:
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a syngas generation step for generating syngas from the raw natural gas and air; a syngas compression step for compressing the syngas; a methanol synthesis step for synthesizing methanol from the syngas; and a power generation step for using unreacted carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the syngas to generate power, wherein some of the power is used to power the syngas compression step. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification