Process and apparatus for the production of synthesis gas

• US 8,383,078 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NiQuan Energy LLC
• Original Assignee: GTLpetrol LLC
• Inventors: Wang, Shoou-I, Repasky, John Michael, Nataraj, Shankar, Peng, Xiang-Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayes, Melvin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREGORIO, GUINEVER S
• Application Number:
  US12/704,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20100140553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 423/650
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00256 in a heat exchanger for the heat exchange medium separate from the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00504 by means of a burner
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/0053 Controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00006 Large-scale industrial plants
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0285 Heating or cooling the reactor for tubular reactors in furnaces B01J8/062
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0488 the beds being placed in separate reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/067 Heating or cooling the reactor B01J8/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0244 the reforming step being an autothermal reforming step, e.g. secondary reforming processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0255 containing a non-catalytic partial oxidation step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0261 containing a catalytic partial oxidation step [CPO]
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0283 containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/06 Integration with other chemical processes
• 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 2203/0838 by heat exchange with exothermic reactions, other than by combustion of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0844 the non-combustive exothermic reaction being another reforming reaction as defined in groups C01B2203/02 - C01B2203/0294
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0877 by direct injection of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1241 Natural gas or methane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/127 Catalytic desulfurisation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/141 : At least two reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/143 : Three or more reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in series
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/26 : using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/36 : using oxygen or mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/382 : Multi-step processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/384 : the catalyst being continuously externally heated
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/386 : Catalytic partial combustion
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/094 : Char
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0976 : as steam
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0986 : Catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/02 : Fixed-bed gasification of lump fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/20 : Apparatus; Plants
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/026 : Increasing the carbon monoxide content, e.g. reverse water-gas shift [RWGS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 : Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/52 : using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts

Abstract

Reactive diluent fluid (22) is introduced into a stream of synthesis gas (or “syngas”) produced in a heat-generating unit such as a partial oxidation (“POX”) reactor (12) to cool the syngas and form a mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid. Carbon dioxide and/or carbon components and/or hydrogen in the mixture of cooled syngas and reactive diluent fluid is reacted (26) with at least a portion of the reactive diluent fluid in the mixture to produce carbon monoxide-enriched and/or solid carbon depleted syngas which is fed into a secondary reformer unit (30) such as an enhanced heat transfer reformer in a heat exchange reformer process. An advantage of the invention is that problems with the mechanical integrity of the secondary unit arising from the high temperature of the syngas from the heat-generating unit are avoided.

Claims

1. A process for the production of syngas comprising carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen, said process comprising:

exothermically reacting hydrocarbon-containing fuel with an oxidant gas comprising molecular oxygen in a first reactor to produce an exothermically-generated syngas product, the exothermically-generated syngas product having a first concentration of carbon monoxide;

combining an effluent stream of the exothermically-generated syngas product with reactive diluent fluid to produce a mixture comprising cooled exothermically-generated syngas product and reactive diluent fluid, the mixture including carbon dioxide, molecular hydrogen and solid carbon particles;

reacting the carbon dioxide and the molecular hydrogen in the mixture over a catalyst in a second reactor to produce reacted syngas product having a second concentration of carbon monoxide greater than the first concentration; and

gasifying, in the second reactor, solid carbon particles in the mixture with at least one other component in the mixture to produce reacted syngas product.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising endothermically reforming hydrocarbon-containing fuel gas with steam over a catalyst in a heat exchange reformer to produce heat exchange-reformed syngas product wherein at least a portion of the heat generated in the exothermic reaction drives at least a portion of the endothermic reforming reaction.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the first reactor comprises a partial oxidation reactor.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the reactive diluent fluid comprises carbon dioxide.