Standard Alcohol Company of America, Inc.

Michael Emory Pardun

Richard Denham Ridley, Jr

Frans Lodewijk Plantenga

Geradette Giardino

Robert Mulverhill

Technology to convert syngas into aviation fuel is described. Some variations provide a process comprising: providing a starting syngas stream comprising Hand CO; purifying the syngas feed stream, if necessary; feeding the clean syngas stream to an alcohol-synthesis reactor, to catalytically convert syngas to a C-Cmixed-alcohol stream; feeding the C-Cmixed-alcohol stream to a dehydration reactor, to catalytically convert C-Cmixed alcohols to C-Cmixed olefins; feeding the mixed olefins to an oligomerization reactor, to catalytically convert the C-Cmixed olefins to C-Cmixed hydrocarbons; feeding the C-Cmixed hydrocarbons and hydrogen to a hydrogenation reactor, to catalytically hydrogenate C═C double bonds within the C-Cmixed hydrocarbons, thereby generating stabilized C-Cmixed hydrocarbons; and recovering the stabilized C-Cmixed hydrocarbons as aviation fuel. In preferred embodiments, the aviation fuel is sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) under ASTM D7566-24a.

Processes and systems for production of sustainable aviation fuel from syngas via mixed alcohols

It has been discovered that mixed-alcohol production can utilize the waste tail gas stream from the pressure-swing adsorption section of an industrial hydrogen plant. Some variations provide a process for producing mixed alcohols, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit (e.g., a steam methane reforming reactor); compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO-rich stream, and a CH-rich stream; introducing the syngas stream into a mixed-alcohol reactor operated at effective alcohol synthesis conditions in the presence of an alcohol-synthesis catalyst, thereby generating mixed alcohols; and purifying the mixed alcohols to generate a mixed-alcohol product. Other variations provide a process for producing clean syngas, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit; compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO-rich stream, and a CH-rich stream; and recovering a clean syngas product.

Tail gas utilization for mixed alcohols production

Some variations provide a process for producing mixed alcohols, comprising: purifying a biogas feedstock to generate a renewable natural gas stream comprising methane; introducing the renewable natural gas stream into a methane-to-syngas unit operated at effective conditions to convert the methane to a first syngas stream containing at least H, CO, and CO; purifying the first syngas stream, including separating the COfrom the first syngas stream, and optionally separating some of the Hfrom the first syngas stream, thereby generating a clean syngas stream; introducing the clean syngas stream into a mixed-alcohol reactor operated at effective alcohol synthesis conditions with an alcohol-synthesis catalyst, thereby generating mixed alcohols; and purifying the mixed alcohols to generate a mixed-alcohol product. The mixed-alcohol product may be blended with a hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline, to produce a blended fuel. The blended fuel has significantly lower carbon intensity than the base hydrocarbon fuel.

Biogas conversion to mixed alcohols

It has been discovered that mixed-alcohol production can utilize the waste tail gas stream from the pressure-swing adsorption section of an industrial hydrogen plant. Some variations provide a process for producing mixed alcohols, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit (e.g., a steam methane reforming reactor); compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO-rich stream, and a CH-rich stream; introducing the syngas stream into a mixed-alcohol reactor operated at effective alcohol synthesis conditions in the presence of an alcohol-synthesis catalyst, thereby generated mixed alcohols; and purifying the mixed alcohols to generate a mixed-alcohol product. Other variations provide a process for producing clean syngas, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit; compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO-rich stream, and a CH-rich stream; and recovering a clean syngas product.

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Denver, CO, United States of America

Michael Emory Pardun