Claims
- 1. A method of reducing the maximum concentration of water in a multi-phase FisherTropsch reactor containing an expanded slurry bed, comprising:
selecting a water-rich region in the expanded slurry bed; changing the flow patterns of the slurry within the expanded slurry bed so as to cause mixing between the water-rich slurry region and slurry regions having lower water concentrations.
- 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising diluting the localized water concentration by adding a liquid or a gas.
- 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising diluting the localized water concentration by adding a liquid or a gas, wherein the liquid or gas is added in the water-rich region.
- 4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the water-rich slurry region is located between ½ H and H and between ½ R and R, where H is the height of the expanded slurry bed and R is the radius of the reactor.
- 5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the water-rich slurry region is located between ¾ H and H and between ¾ R and R.
- 6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the flow pattern is changed by introducing a mixing enhancing fluid into the water-rich slurry region.
- 7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is a gas or gas mixture selected from the group comprising synthesis gas, inert gas, methane-rich gas, light hydrocarbons, hydrogen containing gas, tail gas from a Fischer-Tropsch reactor, tail gas from a GTL plant, tail gas from an olefin plant, liquids vaporizing at operating conditions, and combinations thereof.
- 8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising adding a feed gas to the reactor, wherein the mixing enhancing gas comprises synthesis gas having a hydrogen-to-carbon monoxide ratio that is the same as the hydrogen-to-carbon monoxide ratio of the feed gas.
- 9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising adding a feed gas to the reactor, wherein the mixing enhancing gas comprises synthesis gas having a hydrogen-to-carbon monoxide ratio that is lower than the hydrogen-to-carbon monoxide ratio of the feed gas.
- 10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising adding a feed gas to the reactor, wherein the mixing enhancing gas comprises synthesis gas having a hydrogen-to-carbon monoxide ratio that is higher than the hydrogen-to-carbon monoxide ratio of the feed gas.
- 11. The method according to claim 6 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is a liquid that comprises liquid hydrocarbons from the product stream of the Fischer-Tropsch reactor or from other processes in a Gas-to-Liquids plant.
- 12. The method according to claim 6 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is introduced into the water-rich slurry region by at least one mixing enhancing fluid distributor.
- 13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid distributor comprises an annular ring having at least one outlet port.
- 14. The method according to claim 12 wherein a plurality of mixing enhancing fluid distributors are positioned at different heights in the water-rich slurry region.
- 15. The method according to claim 12 wherein a plurality of mixing enhancing fluid distributors are positioned at different radial positions in the water-rich slurry region.
- 16. The method according to claim 6 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is introduced into the water-rich slurry region through at least one nozzle.
- 17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the nozzles are positioned at different heights in the water-rich slurry region.
- 18. The method according to claim 16 wherein the nozzles are positioned at different radial positions in the water-rich slurry region.
- 19. The method according to claim 1 wherein the flow pattern is changed by providing at least one passive mixing device in the water-rich slurry region.
- 20. The method according to claim 1 wherein the flow pattern is changed by providing at least one power-driven mixing device in the water-rich slurry region.
- 21. A method for producing hydrocarbons comprising:
a) contacting a synthesis gas with a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst in a multi-phase reactor having an expanded slurry bed, under reaction conditions effective to form a product stream comprising hydrocarbons and water; and b) changing the flow pattern of a predetermined region in the reactor so as to cause mixing of slurry from the predetermined region with slurry from the rest of the slurry bed.
- 22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising diluting the localized water concentration by adding a liquid or a gas.
- 23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising diluting the localized water concentration by adding a liquid or a gas, wherein the liquid or gas is added in the water-rich region.
- 24. The method according to claim 21 wherein the predetermined region is located between ½ H and H and between ½ R and R, where H is the height of the expanded slurry bed and R is the radius of the reactor.
- 25. The method according to claim 21 wherein the predetermined region is located between ¾ H and H and between ¾ R and R.
- 26. The method according to claim 21 wherein the flow pattern is changed by introducing a mixing enhancing fluid into the water-rich slurry region.
- 27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is a gas or gas mixture selected from the group comprising synthesis gas, inert gas, methane-rich gas, light hydrocarbons, hydrogen containing gas, tail gas from a Fischer-Tropsch reactor, tail gas from a GTL plant, tail gas from an olefin plant, liquids vaporizing at operating conditions, and combinations thereof.
- 28. The method according to claim 26 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is a liquid that comprises liquid hydrocarbons from the product stream of the Fischer-Tropsch reactor or from other processes in a Gas-to-Liquids plant.
- 29. The method according to claim 26 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is introduced into the water-rich slurry region by at least one mixing enhancing fluid distributor.
- 30. The method according to claim 29 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid distributor comprises an annular ring having at least one outlet port.
- 31. The method according to claim 29 wherein a plurality of mixing enhancing fluid distributors are positioned at different heights in the water-rich slurry region.
- 32. The method according to claim 29 wherein a plurality of mixing enhancing fluid distributors are positioned at different radial positions in the water-rich slurry region.
- 33. The method according to claim 26 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is introduced into the water-rich slurry region through at least one nozzle.
- 34. The method according to claim 33 wherein the nozzles are positioned at different heights in the water-rich slurry region..
- 35. The method according to claim 33 wherein the nozzles are positioned at different radial positions in the water-rich slurry region..
- 36. The method according to claim 21 wherein the flow pattern is changed by providing at least one passive mixing device in the water-rich slurry region.
- 37. The method according to claim 21 wherein the flow pattern is changed by providing at least one power-driven mixing device in the water-rich slurry region.
- 38. A Fischer-Tropsch reactor system, comprising:
a slurry bed reactor receiving a synthesis gas feed and containing a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst, said catalyst forming an expanded slurry bed under reaction conditions effective to form a product stream comprising hydrocarbons and water; and a device changing the flow pattern within a predetermined region in the reactor so as to cause mixing of slurry from said predetermined region with fluids from the rest of the slurry bed.
- 39. The reactor system according to claim 38 wherein said predetermined region is located between ½ H and H and between ½ R and R, where H is the height of the expanded slurry bed and R is the radius of the reactor.
- 40. The reactor system according to claim 38 wherein said predetermined region is located between ¾ H and H and between ¾ R and R.
- 41. The reactor system according to claim 38, further comprising a fluid inlet in said predetermined region.
- 42. The reactor system according to claim 38 wherein said flow changing device comprises an inlet for introducing a mixing enhancing fluid into said predetermined region.
- 43. The reactor system according to claim 42 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is a gas or gas mixture selected from the group comprising synthesis gas, inert gas, methane-rich gas, light hydrocarbons, hydrogen containing gas, tail gas from a Fischer-Tropsch reactor, tail gas from a GTL plant, tail gas from an olefin plant, liquids vaporizing at operating conditions, and combinations thereof.
- 44. The reactor system according to claim 42 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is a liquid that comprises liquid hydrocarbons from the product stream of the Fischer-Tropsch reactor or from other processes in a Gas-to-Liquids plant.
- 45. The reactor system according to claim 42 wherein said flow changing device comprises at least one mixing enhancing fluid distributor.
- 46. The reactor system according to claim 45 wherein the said mixing enhancing fluid distributor comprises an annular ring having at least one outlet port.
- 47. The reactor system according to claim 45 wherein a plurality of mixing enhancing fluid distributors are positioned at different heights in said predetermined region.
- 48. The reactor system according to claim 45 wherein a plurality of mixing enhancing fluid distributors are positioned at different radial positions in said water-rich slurry region.
- 49. The reactor system according to claim 42 wherein the mixing enhancing fluid is introduced into said predetermined region through at least one nozzle.
- 50. The reactor system according to claim 49 wherein said nozzles are positioned at different heights in the water-rich slurry region.
- 51. The reactor system according to claim 49 wherein said nozzles are positioned at different radial positions in the water-rich slurry region.
- 52. The reactor system according to claim 38 wherein said flow changing device comprises at least one static mixing device in said predetermined region.
- 53. The reactor system according to claim 38 wherein said flow changing device comprises at least one passive movable device in said predetermined region.
- 54. The reactor system according to claim 38 wherein said flow changing device comprises at least one power-driven device in said predetermined region.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. Provisional Applications Serial No. 60/344,228, filed Dec. 28, 2001 and entitled “Method for Reducing Water Concentration in a Multi-phase Column Reactor,” Serial No. 60/344,229, filed Dec. 28, 2001 and entitled Water Removal In Fischer-Tropsch Processes, and Serial No. 10/034,452, filed Dec. 28, 2001 and entitled Water Stripping and Catalyst/Liquid Product Separation System, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60344228 |
Dec 2001 |
US |
|
60344229 |
Dec 2001 |
US |