Claims
- 1. A process for producing hydrocarbons comprising:
contacting a gas stream in a multiphase reactor having a reaction zone and comprising internal structures arranged within the reaction zone under conditions effective to produce synthesis products, wherein at least a portion of the synthesis products are liquid under the operating conditions of the multiphase reactor and wherein the multiphase reactor comprises at least one dense region and one lean region of internal structures.
- 2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the dense region is located in the center region of the reaction zone.
- 3. The process according to claim 1 wherein the dense region is located in the wall region of the reaction zone.
- 4. The process according to claim 1 wherein the multiphase reactor comprises separate dense regions at both a center and wall region within the reaction zone.
- 5. The process according to claim 1 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the dense region is from about 1.2d to about 4d.
- 6. The process according to claim 1 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the dense region is from about 1.4d to about 2d.
- 7. The process according to claim 1 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 1.4d to about 8d.
- 8. The process according to claim 1 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 2d to about 4d.
- 9. The process according to claim 1 wherein the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 1.15 to about 7 times greater than the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the lean region.
- 10. The process according to claim 1 wherein the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 1.4 to about 3 times greater than the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the dense region.
- 11. The process according to claim 1 wherein the multiphase reactor comprises a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
- 12. A multiphase reactor having a reaction zone comprising at least one dense and one lean region of internal structures within the reaction zone.
- 13. The reactor according to claim 12 wherein the dense region is the center region of the reaction zone.
- 14. The reactor according to claim 12 wherein the dense region is the wall region of the reaction zone.
- 15. The reactor according to claim 12 wherein the multiphase reactor comprises separate dense regions at both a center and wall region within the reaction zone.
- 16. The reactor according to claim 12 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the dense region is from about 1.4d to about 2d.
- 17. The reactor according to claim 12 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the dense region is from about 1.2d to about 4d.
- 18. The reactor according to claim 12 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 1.4d to about 8d.
- 19. The reactor according to claim 12 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 2d to about 4d.
- 20. The reactor according to claim 12 wherein the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 1.15 to about 7 times greater than the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the lean region.
- 21. The reactor according to claim 12 wherein the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 1.4 to about 3 times greater than the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the dense region.
- 22. The reactor of 12 wherein the multiphase reactor is a Fischer-Tropsch reactor.
- 23. A method for reducing backmixing in a multiphase reactor having a reaction zone containing internal structures in contact with flowing reactors comprising providing additional resistance to the flowing reactants in at least one of (a) the area with the highest positive flow and (b) the area with the largest negative flow.
- 24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the reaction zone comprises at least one dense and one lean region of internal structures within the reaction zone.
- 25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the dense region is the center region of the reaction zone.
- 26. The method according to claim 24 wherein the dense region is the wall region of the reaction zone.
- 27. The method according to claim 24 wherein the multiphase reactor comprises separate dense regions at both a center and wall region within the reaction zone.
- 28. The method according to claim 23 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the dense region is from about 1.2d to about 4d.
- 29. The method according to claim 23 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the dense region is from about 1.2d and about 2d.
- 30. The method according to claim 23 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 1.4d to about 8d.
- 31. The method according to claim 23 wherein the average distance between the center of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 2d and about 4d.
- 32. The method according to claim 23 wherein the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 1.15 to about 7 times greater than the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the lean region.
- 33. The method according to claim 23 wherein the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the lean region is from about 1.4 to about 3 times greater than the average distance between centers of two internal structures in the dense region.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. Utility Application Ser. No. ______ entitled Process and Apparatus for Controlling Flow in a Multiphase Reactor, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.