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Production of methanol

  • US 3,920,717 A
  • Filed: 03/26/1973
  • Issued: 11/18/1975
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1973
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR PRODUCING METHANOL COMPRISING:

  • (1) REACTING A HYDROCARBONACEOUS OR OXYGENATED HYDROCARBONACEOUS FEEDSTOCK BY PARTIAL OXIDATION WITH A FREE-OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS AND OPTIONALLY IN THE PRESENCE OF A TEMPERAUTURE MODERATOR SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF H2O, CO2, N2, FLUE GAS, COOLED OFF GAS FROM AN ORE-REDUCTION ZONE, A PORTION OF COOLED AND RECYCLED EFFLUENT GAS FROM THE SYNTHESIS GAS GENERATOR, AND MIXTURES THEREOF AT AN AUTOGENOUS TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1600* TO 3500*F AND A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 20 TO 450 ATMOSPHERES IN THE REACTION ZONE OF A FREE-FLOW UNPACKED NONCATALYTIC SYNTHESIS GAS GENERATOR TO PRODUCE N EFFLUENT GAS STREAM COMPRISING H2, CO, CO2, AND H2O AND IN MOLE % H2S. 0-2;

    COS, 0-02;

    CH4, 0.2-15;

    A, 0-2.0;

    N2, 0-60;

    AND ENTRAINED SOLIDS AND ASH;

    (2) REMOVING ENTRAINED SOLIDS AND ASH FROM THE EFFLUENT GAS STREAM FROM (1) AND INTRODUCING SAID GAS STREAM IN ADMIXTURE WITH ABOUT 0.1 TO 2.5 MOLES OF SUPPLEMENTAL STEAM PER MOLE OF EFFLUENT GAS STREAM INTO A SEPARATE FREE-FLOW UNPACKED REACTION ZONE AT A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY THAT IN SAID SYNTHESIS GAS GENERATOR LESS ORDINARY LINE DROP AND AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 1500*F AND REACTING TOGETHER H2O AND CO IN SAID MIXTURE WITHOUT A CATALYST THEREBY INCREASING THE MOLE RATIO (H2/CO) OF THE GAS STREAM TO A VALUE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT GREATER THAN 2.0 TO 12;

    (3) COOLING THE EFFLUENT GAS STREAM FROM (2) BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH WATER THREBY PRODUCING STEAM, OPTIONALLY INTRODUCING A FIRST PORTION OF SAID STEAM INTO THE SYNTHESIS GAS GENERATOR IN (1) AS THE H2O TEMPERATURE MODERATOR, OPTIONALLY MIXING A SECOND PORTION OF SAID STEAM WITH THE EFFLUENT STREAM IN STEP (2) AS SAID SUPPLEMETAL STEAM, AND OPTIONALLY INTRODUCING OTHER PORTIONS OF SAID STEAM INTO AT LEAST ONE STEAM TURBINE IN THE SYSTEM AS THE WORKING FLUID;

    (4) INTRODUCING THE EFFLUENT GAS STREAM FROM (3) INTO A GAS PURIFICATION ZONE AND SEPARATING THEREFROM A PROCESS GAS STREAM COMPRISING PRINCIPALL Y H2 AND CO;

    (5) MIXING 0 TO 10 MOLES OF A COMPRESSED RECYCLE STREAM OF UNCOVERTED GASES PRODUCED SUBSEQUENTLY IN A METHANOL REACTION ZONE WITH EACH MOLE OF PROCESS GAS STREAM FROM (4) TO PRODUCE AMETHANOL FEED GAS MIXTURE;

    (6) PREHEATING THE METHANOL FEED GAS MIXTURE FROM (5) TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 400* TO 750*F BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH AN EFFLUENT STREAM LEAVING SAID METHANOL REACTION ZONE;

    (7) INTRODUCING THE PREHEATED FEED GAS STREAM FROM (6) INTO SAID METHANOL REACTION ZONE, AND REACTING TOGETHER H2 AND CO WHILE IN CONTCT WITH A METHANOL CATALYST AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PRESSURE AS THAT IN SAID SYNTHESIS GAS GENERATOR LESS ORDINARY DROP IN THE LINE AND EQUIPMENT TO PRODUCE SAID EFFLUENT STREAM FROM THE METHANOL REACTION ZONE COMPRISING METHANOL, UNCOVERTED GASES. H2O, AND LIQUID IMPURITIES SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF DIMETHYLETHER, MIXED ALCOHOLS, ALDEHYDES, KETONES, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, (8) SEPARATING A SEPARATE STREAM OF SAID UNCONVERTED GASES FROM THE EFFLUENT STREAM FOM THE METHANOL REACTION ZONE;

    (9) CCOMPRESSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE STREAM OF UNCOVERTED GASGS FROM (8) AND INTRODUCING SAID STREAM INTO (5) AS SAID COMPRESSED STREAM OF UNCOVERTED GASES;

    (10) SEPARATING SAID LIQUID IMPURITIES AND A SEPARATE STREAM OF METHANOL FROM THE EFFLUENT STREAM FROM THE METHANOL REACTION ZONE;

    AND (11) INTRODCING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID LIQUID IMPURITIES INTO SAID SYNTHESIS GAS GENERATOR IN (1) AS AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID FEED STOCK.

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