System and method for converting gaseous hydrocarbon mixtures into highly-branched hydrocarbons using electron beam combined with electron beam-sustained non-thermal plasma discharge

• US 9,908,094 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jacob G. Appelbaum
• Original Assignee: Jacob G. Appelbaum
• Inventors: Appelbaum, Jacob G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Walter D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen, Cameron J
• Application Number:
  US15/062,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20160184791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/008 Processes for carrying out reactions under cavitation conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/085 Electron beams only
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0869 Feeding or evacuating the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0871 Heating or cooling of the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0875 Gas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/305 with electrons
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/34 with mechanical oscillations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/74 with air aeration of stretches of water C02F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 11/08 Wet air oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/32 Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/023 Reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen, OH radical
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 50/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from lower carbon number hydrocarbons, e.g. by oligomerisation

Abstract

A system and method converts first carbon chain condensable fractions of wet natural gas, the first carbon chain fractions having first carbon chains, into liquefiable highly-branched hydrocarbons by cavitating first carbon chain condensable fractions of wet natural gas with natural gas; irradiating the natural gas cavitated condensable fractions of wet natural gas with an electron beam to create second carbon chain fractions; mixing the second carbon chain fractions with natural gas enriched with alkynes and alkenes to a create enriched natural gas and second carbon chain fractions mixture; irradiating the enriched natural gas and second carbon chain fractions mixture with an electron beam to create an irradiated gas mixture; cooling the irradiated gas mixture; and removing liquefied highly-branched hydrocarbons.

Claims

1. A method for converting first carbon chain condensable fractions of wet natural gas, the first carbon chain fractions having first carbon chains, into liquefiable highly-branched hydrocarbons, comprising:

(a) cavitating first carbon chain condensable fractions of wet natural gas with natural gas to create a natural gas cavitated condensable fractions of wet natural gas;

(b) irradiating the natural gas cavitated condensable fractions of wet natural gas with high-energy electrons to create second carbon chain fractions, the second carbon chain fractions including carbon chains shorter than the first carbon chains of the first carbon chain fractions;

(c) mixing the second carbon chain fractions with natural gas enriched with alkynes and alkenes to a create enriched natural gas and second carbon chain fractions mixture;

(d) irradiating the enriched natural gas and second carbon chain fractions mixture with high-energy electrons to create an irradiated gas mixture;

(e) cooling the irradiated gas mixture to create a cooled irradiated gas mixture; and

(f) removing liquefied highly-branched hydrocarbons from the cooled irradiated gas mixture.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wet natural gas is blended with crude oil.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wet natural gas is a natural gas condensate.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said high-energy electrons is an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said high-energy electrons is an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said natural gas cavitated condensable fractions of wet natural gas is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator and said enriched natural gas and second carbon chain fractions mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said natural gas cavitated condensable fractions of wet natural gas is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge and said enriched natural gas and second carbon chain fractions mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said high-energy electrons is an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said high-energy electrons is an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge.

10. A method for converting first molecular weight fractions of natural polymers derived from ground dry biomass into a diversified mixture of liquefied organic compounds with added branching to both linear and cyclic monomers, the first molecular weight fractions of natural polymers derived from ground dry biomass being a higher molecular weight than the diversified mixture of liquefied organic compounds with added branching to both linear and cyclic monomers, comprising:

(a) mixing solid particulates of ground dry biomass with natural gas enriched with alkynes and alkenes to create enriched natural gas and particulate mixture;

(b) irradiating the enriched natural gas and particulate mixture with high-energy electrons to create an irradiated natural gas and first molecular weight fractions vapors mixture;

(c) mixing the irradiated gas and first molecular weight fractions vapors mixture with natural gas enriched with alkynes and alkenes to create an enriched natural gas and second molecular weight fractions vapors mixture, the second molecular weight fractions including fractions with molecular weight smaller than the molecular weight of the first molecular weight fractions;

(d) irradiating the enriched natural gas and second molecular weight fractions vapors mixture with high-energy electrons to create an irradiated natural gas and vapors mixture;

(e) cooling the irradiated natural gas and vapors mixture, to create a cooled irradiated gas and vapors mixture; and

(f) removing liquefied fractions from the cooled irradiated gas and vapors mixture.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said biomass is lignocellulosic biomass.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said biomass is a solid waste.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said high-energy electrons is an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said high-energy electrons is an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the enriched natural gas and particulate mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator and the enriched natural gas and second molecular weight fractions vapors mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the enriched natural gas and particulate mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge and the enriched natural gas and second molecular weight fractions vapors mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said high-energy electrons is an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said high-energy electrons is an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge.

19. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the enriched natural gas and particulate mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator and the enriched natural gas and second molecular weight fractions vapors mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the enriched natural gas and particulate mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge and the enriched natural gas and second molecular weight fractions vapors mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator.

21. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said high-energy electrons is an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator.

22. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said high-energy electrons is an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge.

23. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the enriched natural gas and particulate mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator and the enriched natural gas and second molecular weight fractions vapors mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge.

24. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the enriched natural gas and particulate mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator combined with an electron beam sustained non-thermal plasma discharge and the enriched natural gas and second molecular weight fractions vapors mixture is irradiated with high-energy electrons from an electron beam created by an electron beam accelerator.