Sasol Technology Proprietary Limited

Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

André Peter Steynberg

Hermanus Gerhardus Nel

Marshall Stephen Lee

Jako Louw

Evert Phillippus Kleynhans

Dennis John O'Rear

Berthold Berend Breman

Werner Siegfried Ernst

Herman Gerhardus Nel

Jacob W De Boer

Johannes J Liebenberg

Roger Van Gelder

Darrell Duane Kinzler

A method of operating a slurry phase apparatus includes feeding one or more gaseous reactants into a slurry body of solid particulate material suspended in a suspension liquid contained inside a vessel. The one or more gaseous reactants are fed into the slurry body through a gas distributor having downward facing gas outlets and are fed towards a fluid impermeable partition spanning across the vessel below the gas distributor. The partition divides the vessel into a slurry volume above the partition and a bottom volume below the partition. A differential pressure is maintained over the partition between predefined limits by manipulating or allowing changes in the pressure in the bottom volume by employing a pressure transfer passage establishing flow or pressure communication between the bottom volume and a head space above the slurry body.

Slurry phase apparatus

A method is provided of shutting down an operating three-phase slurry bubble column reactor () having downwardly directed gas distribution nozzles () submerged in a slurry body () of solid particulate material suspended in a suspension liquid contained inside a reactor vessel (), with the gas distribution nozzles () being in flow communication with a gas feed line () through which gas is fed to the gas distribution nozzles () by means of which the gas is injected downwardly into the slurry body (). The method includes abruptly stopping flow of gas from the gas feed line () to the gas distribution nozzles () to trap gas in the gas distribution nozzles () thereby to inhibit slurry ingress upwardly into the gas distribution nozzles ().

Method of shutting down an operating three-phase slurry bubble column reactor

A process for producing liquid and, optionally, gaseous products from gaseous reactants includes feeding at a low level a gaseous reactants feed comprising at least CO and Hinto an expanded slurry bed of solid non-shifting hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst particles suspended in a suspension liquid, the expanded slurry bed having an aspect ratio of less than 5. The gaseous reactants and any recycled gas are allowed to react with a per pass CO plus Hconversion of at least 60% as they pass upwardly through the slurry bed at a gas velocity of at least 35 cm/s, thereby to form liquid and, optionally, gaseous products, and with the gaseous reactants and any recycled gas and any gaseous product assisting in maintaining the solid catalyst particles in suspension in the suspension liquid, and with the liquid product forming together with the suspension liquid, a liquid phase of the slurry bed.

Production of liquid and, optionally, gaseous hydrocarbons from gaseous reactants into an expanded slurry bed

A method is provided for quenching a slurry in a slurry vessel of slurry phase apparatus which comprises a gas distributor arranged to inject a gas into the slurry at a predetermined level, and an apertured solid particles support below the level at which the gas distributor is disposed to inject the gas. The method includes introducing a quenching liquid into the slurry vessel below the apertured support and passing the quenching liquid into the slurry through the apertures of the apertured support.

Method of quenching a slurry

A method is provided for introducing or reintroducing a gas into a slurry vessel holding a slurry comprising a liquid and solid particles and having a gas distributor for injecting a gas into the slurry, where the gas distributor includes a sparger device comprising an apertured sparger portion inside the slurry vessel, an inlet portion leading into the slurry vessel and an outlet portion leading from the slurry vessel, and a valve, external of the slurry vessel, operable to allow or deny flow from the sparger portion out through the outlet portion of the sparger device. The method comprises operating the valve to allow flow through the outlet portion of the sparger device, flushing the sparger device through the outlet portion to remove settled material which may be present in the sparger device, operating the valve to deny flow through the outlet portion of the sparger device, and introducing or reintroducing the gas into the slurry vessel through the sparger device.

Method of introducing or reintroducing a gas into a slurry vessel

A process () for producing liquid and, optionally, gaseous products from gaseous reactants includes feeding at a low level gaseous reactants () and, optionally, a portion of a recycle gas stream into a vertically extending slurry bed () of solid particles suspended in a suspension liquid inside a vessel (), and feeding, as an additional gas feed (), at least a portion of the recycle gas stream into the slurry bed () above the level at which the gaseous reactants () are fed into the slurry bed () and above the lower% of the vertical height of the slurry bed ().

Process for producing liquid, and, optionally, gaseous products from gaseous reactants

A process () for synthesising hydrocarbons includes feeding a gaseous feedstock () comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, into a first Fischer-Tropsch reaction stage () which is a three-phase low temperature catalytic Fischer-Tropsch reaction stage, and allowing the hydrogen and carbon monoxide partially to react catalytically in the first reaction stage () to form hydrocarbons. At least a portion of a tail gas () which includes unreacted hydrogen and carbon monoxide obtained from the first reaction stage, is fed into a second Fischer-Tropsch reaction stage () which is a two-phase high temperature catalytic Fischer-Tropsch reaction stage. The hydrogen and carbon monoxide are allowed at least partially to react catalytically in the second reaction stage () to form gaseous hydrocarbons.

Process for synthesising hydrocarbons

A process for starting up a Fischer-Tropsch reactor includes establishing, in the reactor, an initial charge of molten wax. The initial reactor temperature is below the line-out reactor temperature but is sufficiently high for a Fischer-Tropsch reaction to take place. The reactor contains, in contact with the molten wax, at least a portion of its line-out catalyst inventory. Syngas is fed into the reactor at an initial flow rate below the line-out syngas flow rate. Initially a syngas H:CO molar ratio is maintained at a higher value than its line-out value, whereafter the syngas H:CO molar ratio is decreased to its line-out value. The syngas flow rate and the reactor temperature are then increased to their line-out values.

Process for starting up a Fischer-Tropsch reactor

Novel methods of providing fuels to a gas-to-liquids facility are disclosed. A gas-to-liquids facility typically operates in a remote location and therefore must supply its own energy needs. These facilities are often sustained by fuels having different heating values, and for smooth operation while transitioning from one fuel to another, (such as during startup, shut down, and emergencies) the Wobble Indices of the two fuels cannot greatly vary from one another. According to embodiments of the present invention, the Wobble Index of either or both of the fuels is adjusted such that their ratio is less than or equal to about 3. The fuel having the higher Wobble Index may be natural gas, and materials such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide and flue gas may be added to lower its Wobble Index. The fuel having the lower Wobble Index may be the tail gas of a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and materials such as methane, ethane, LPG, or natural gas may be added to raise its Wobble Index. Alternatively, carbon dioxide may be removed from the tail gas to raise its Wobble Index.

Methods of adjusting the Wobbe Index of a fuel and compositions thereof

A process for producing liquid and, optionally, gaseous products from gaseous reactants includes feeding, at a low level, gaseous reactants into a slurry bed, allowing the gaseous reactants to react as they pass upwardly through the slurry bed, withdrawing any gaseous product and unreacted gaseous reactants from a head space above the slurry bed and withdrawing liquid product and/or slurry bed to maintain the slurry bed at a desired level. The process further includes passing boiler water, as a first heat transfer fluid, in indirect heat exchange relationship through the slurry bed to remove heat from the slurry bed, allowing the heated boiler water to flash and separate to form pressurised steam, controlling the pressure of the steam to be substantially constant, and passing a second heat transfer fluid in indirect heat exchange relationship through the slurry bed to remove heat from the slurry bed.

Growing community of inventors

Vanderbijlpark, South Africa

André Peter Steynberg