Texaco Inc.

Texaco Development Corporation

Ge Energy, LLC

Frederick C Jahnke

Robert M Suggitt

Charles P Marion

Edward T Child

William B Crouch

Dale Williams

William L Lafferty, Jr

George Morris Gulko

James R Muenger

James H Colvert

Paul Steven Wallace

Pradeep Stanley Thacker

John P MacLean

James S Falsetti

Geoffrey R Rigby

John D Brown

William P Volk

Gary A Foulds

The present invention provides a method for the recovery of elemental carbon or soot produced during the partial oxidation reaction of a hydrocarbonaceous fuel and oxygen. An effluent stream of raw synthesis gas or syngas with entrained carbon soot is produced during the partial oxidation reaction. A filter cake ( ) is fed to a receiving bin ( ) and then to a lockhopper ( ) where the wet filter cake is pressurized. Wet filter cake/oil feed mixture from lockhopper ( ) is fed through line ( ) to knockout vessel ( ) wherein oil and water vapor exit ( ) to a gasifier. An oil feed/particulate carbon mixture exits lockhopper ( ) through lines ( ) and ( ) to oil feed storage drum ( ), fed by oil feed ( ), and exits water-free mixture of oil and solids ( ) to a gasifier reaction zone.

Soot filter cake disposal

The raw syngas generated in a partial oxidation gasifier also includes carbon soot which is removed and recovered from the syngas by scrubbing with water. The scrubbing water contains one or more high temperature surfactants which allow greater soot concentrations in the water-scrubbing quench zone of the gasifier. The carbon soot is separated from the scrubbing water with the aid of a scrubbing oil. The separation of the carbon soot from the scrubbing water is enhanced with the aid of one or more surfactants that render the soot particles hydrophobic and oleophilic. The recovered carbon soot is ultimately recycled to the gasifier to recover the energy value of the carbon during the partial oxidation reaction. The overall energy efficiency of the gasification process can be increased by removing all or a significant portion of the water from the soot mixture before recycling the soot. Separating the soot from the water allows for independent regulation of the soot and water recycle streams, depending on the reaction conditions in the gasifier.

Removal of soot in gasification system

A combined system comprising an integrated gasifier combined cycle power generation system, an air separation unit ( ) which provides oxygen to partial oxidation gasification unit gasifier ( ) and an inventory section ( ) which stores liquid oxygen or liquid air until it is needed.

Combined cryogenic air separation with integrated gasifier

The present invention is an integrated process and apparatus for supplying at least a portion of the reducing gas feedstock to a reduction reactor, such as a reactor for the direct reduction of iron, wherein the reducing gas contacts a feed material at a mean operating gas pressure and effects reduction of the feed material to provide a reduced product. The integrated process includes gasifying a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock in a partial oxidation reaction to produce a synthesis gas which comprises hydrogen, and carbon monoxide at a pressure substantially greater than the mean operating gas pressure in the reduction reactor. The synthesis gas is expanded to lower its pressure to substantially the mean operating gas pressure in the DRI reduction reactor to thereby form the reducing gas feedstock at the pressure conditions used for the DRI reaction. The lower pressure reducing gas mixture generated by the expansion is introduced into the DRI reactor as part or all of the reducing gas requirement for the direct reduction of iron.

Gasification plant for direct reduction reactors

A combined system comprising an integrated gasifier combined cycle power generation system, an air separation unit which provides oxygen to a partial oxidation gasification unit gasifier and an inventory section which stores liquid oxygen or liquid air until it is needed.

Combined operation of a cryogenic air separation unit and an integrated

This invention is an integrated process which removes acidic gases such as H.sub.2 S, COS and CO.sub.2 from raw synthesis gas. The H.sub.2 S and COS is concentrated and separately recovered. The separately recovered CO.sub.2 is used as a moderator with the purified syngas in a combustion turbine. The process comprises separating H.sub.2 S and COS from a raw synthesis gas by absorption with a liquid solvent, removing coabsorbed CO.sub.2 by stripping the solvent with nitrogen, separating the H.sub.2 S and COS from the solvent and recovering sulfur from the H.sub.2 S and COS. The energy value of the CO.sub.2 and its value as a diluent in reducing NO.sub.x is recovered by using the CO.sub.2 as a moderator during combustion of the purified synthesis gas in a gas turbine.

Removal of acidic gases in a gasification power system with production

The invention improves the reliability and efficiency of the burning of a synthesis gas as a fuel for a combustion turbine to produce power by incorporating a synthesis gas expander immediately upstream of the combustion turbine. Increased efficiency occurs from the additional power output from the expander and by a reduction or elimination of nitrogen compression from an air separation unit for the control of oxides of nitrogen.

Synthesis gas expander located immediately upstream of combustion turbine

The present invention relates to an integrated process and apparatus for supplying at least a portion of, or substantially all, or all of the reducing gas feedstock to a reduction reactor, such as a reactor for the direct reduction of iron, wherein the reducing gas contacts a feed material at a mean operating gas pressure and effects reduction of the feed material to provide a reduced product. The integrated process includes the production of a hydrogen-rich gas by the partial oxidation of a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock to produce a hydrogen-rich gas, which can also be referred to as a synthesis gas or syngas. The synthesis gas is at a pressure substantially greater than the mean operating gas pressure in the reduction reactor. The synthesis gas is expanded to lower its pressure to substantially the mean operating gas pressure in the DRI reduction reactor to thereby form the reducing gas feedstock at the pressure conditions used for the DRI reaction. The lower pressure reducing gas mixture generated by the expansion is introduced into the DRI reactor as part or all of the reducing gas requirement for the direct reduction of iron.

Integration of partial oxidation process and direct reduction reaction

Production of H.sub.2 -rich gas

Mechanical and electrical power are produced along with synthesis or fuel gas by the partial oxidation process with integrated combustion and steam turbines. By-product vaporized liquefied natural gas for feed to a pipeline for gas consumers is obtained by heat exchange with heat containing streams from the partial oxidation gasification and gas cleaning and purification zone; and optionally from heat containing streams from combustion and/or steam turbine zones which are integrated with the partial oxidation process. Heat from the combustion turbine exhaust gas is used as follows: (1) superheat steam for use in a steam turbine; (2) preheat water saturated clean sulfur-free synthesis or fuel gas with or without supplemental methane enrichment; (3) preheat oxygen gas for the partial oxidation zone; and (4) vaporize LNG. Pre, inter, and after stages of an air compressor are cooled by indirect heat exchange with LNG which is thereby warmed or vaporized.

Combined power cycle with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and synthesis or

This invention relates to the production of hydrogen-rich gas by the partial oxidation of a saturated gaseous hydrocarbonaceous fuel or a mixture of saturated gaseous hydrocarbonaceous fuel and a liquid hydrocabonaceous fuel in a gas generator. In the process, a saturated gaseous hydrocarbonaceous fuel from a subsequent fuel gas saturator is preheated by indirect heat exchange with a portion of shifted process gas stream from a catalytic water-gas direct shift conversion zone and reacted in said partial oxidation gas generator. The process gas stream from the noncatalytic partial oxidation gas generator is quench cooled and scrubbed with water and preheated by indirect heat exchange with a second portion of the process gas stream from the shift conversion zone prior to catalytically reacting the CO and H.sub.2 O in the process gas stream in the shift conversion zone to increase its H.sub.2 content. The shifted process gas stream is cooled and dewatered to produce shift condensate which is used to saturate the aforesaid preheated gaseous hydrocarbonaceous fuel feedstream to the partial oxidation gas generator.

A highly efficient partial oxidation process with the production of power comprising the steps of producing fuel gas by the partial oxidation of hydrocarbonaceous fuel, cooling said fuel gas at high pressure by quenching in water to produce quenched fuel gas and by indirect heat exchange with BFW to maximize the production of IP and MP steam, cleaning said fuel gas, preheating scrubbing water comprising process condensate and make-up water by direct contact and direct heat exchange with clean fuel gas and using said preheated scrubbing water in the cleaning of said fuel gas, reducing the pressure of said cooled fuel gas stream prior to heating water for fuel gas saturation, cooling the process fuel gas stream in stages and condensing water for use as said scrubbing water, purifying the process fuel gas and saturating it with water, and burning said purified and saturated fuel gas in the combustor of a power-producing gas turbine along with saturated nitrogen to produce exhaust gas with a reduced NO.sub.x. In one embodiment, the hot exhaust gas from the gas turbine is passed through a HRSG to superheat the process steam. The superheated process steam is then used as part of the working fluid in an expansion turbine for the production of power. Steam condensate may be converted into high pressure (HP) steam and superheated in the HRSG. The power generation steam cycle is optimized to assist in maximizing the process steam which can be used most efficiently in the cycle.

Partial oxidation process with production of power

Mechanical and electrical power are produced along with synthesis or fuel gas by the partial oxidation process with integrated combustion and steam turbines. By-product vaporized liquefied natural gas for feed to a pipeline for gas consumers is obtained by heat exchange with heat containing streams from the partial oxidation gasification and gas cleaning and purification zone; and optionally from heat containing streams from combustion and/or steam turbine zones which are integrated with said partial oxidation process. Heat from the combustion turbine exhaust gas is used as follows: (1) superheat steam for use in a steam turbine; (2) preheat water saturated clean sulfur-free synthesis or fuel gas with or without supplemental methane enrichment; (3) preheat oxygen gas for said partial oxidation zone; and (4) vaporize LNG. Pre, inter, and after stages of an air compressor are cooled by indirect heat exchange with LNG which is thereby warmed or vaporized.

Cryogenic liquefied natural gas (LNG) is used as a source of refrigeration and methane in the production of dry sulfur-free, methane-enriched synthesis gas or fuel gas. Raw syngas is indirectly and directly contacted with cryogenic liquefied natural gas (LNG) and cooled thereby below the dew point. Water is thereby condensed out and separated from the process gas stream. Further, the liquid LNG vaporizes and increases the methane content of the dewatered synthesis gas. Cold liquid absorbent solvent contacts the dry CH.sub.4 -enriched synthesis gas in an absorption column and absorbs the acid gases e.g. H.sub.2 S and COS and optionally H.sub.2 S+COS+CO.sub.2. In a preferred embodiment, the rich solvent absorbent is regenerated in a stripping column and the released acid gases are sent to a Claus unit for the production of elemental sulfur. In a second embodiment, the regenerated lean liquid absorbent solvent may be mixed with the dry, purified synthesis gas leaving from the top of the absorption tower. This mixture is then directly and optionally indirectly contacted with additional cryogenic liquid LNG. The CH.sub.4 content of the synthesis or fuel gas is thereby increased to a value in the range of about 10 to 80 mole %. By means of a decanter, dry, sulfur-free methane-enriched syngas product is separated from liquid absorbent solvent. The liquid absorbent solvent is then recycled to the absorption column.

Process for producing dry, sulfur-free, CH.sub.4 -enriched synthesis or

The hot effluent gas stream comprising H.sub.2 +CO and entrained molten slag and ash from the partial oxidation of an ash-containing heavy liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel, an ash-containing solid carbonaceous fuel, or mixtures thereof is passed in succession through a radiant cooling zone, a metal gas transfer line with internal metal heat transfer surfaces, and a convection cooling zone. By maintaining the internal metal heat transfer surfaces of the gas transfer line where turbulent flow of gas stream occurs at a temperature in the range of about 150.degree. F. to below 700.degree. F. by noncontact heat exchange with a coolant, substantially no molten slag or ash sticks to the metal heat transfer surfaces on the inside of the gas transfer line. Simultaneously, where laminar flow fo the gas stream within the gas transfer line occurs, slag and ash entrained in the gas stream is prevented from sticking to the inside metal heat transfer surfaces of the gas transfer line by maintaining the temperature of said inside surfaces in the range of about 700.degree. F. to 1,200.degree. F. by noncontact heat exchange with a coolant.

Growing community of inventors

Rye, NY, United States of America

Frederick C Jahnke