Gas Technologies, Inc.

Robert W Carr

Nathan A Pawlak

Roger J Grunch

Walter Breidenstein

Vladimir Ivanovich Vedeneev

An apparatus and method of producing methanol is provided that reacts a methane-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas in a reactor to provide a product stream comprising methanol and formaldehyde. The product stream is scrubbed using a process component absorbent. After scrubbing the product stream, unprocessed methane gas is mixed with the methane-containing gas for reprocessing through the reactor while methanol and formaldehyde is sent to a rectification process for removal.

Scrubber for methanol production system

A reactor system for gas phase reacting of at least two fluid feed streams, where the reactor system has an injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber in fluid communication with a tubular-flow reactor. The injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber has a bulkhead that slides during real-time operation to either diminish or expand the internal volume of the backmixing reaction chamber. In one embodiment, the effective passageway space through the bulkhead is also variably adjustable. In another embodiment, the tubular-flow reactor shares the bulkhead so that axial bulkhead movement commensurately expands one reaction space while diminishing the other reaction space. Input gas streams enter the backmixing reaction chamber with sufficient velocity to turbulently agitate the contents of the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber by injective intermixing of the alkane-containing gas feed stream and the oxygen-containing gas feed stream. A focal application is for direct (partial) oxidative conversion of natural gas to alkyl oxygenates.

Tandem reactor system having an injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber, tubular-reactor, and axially movable interface

An apparatus and method of producing methanol includes reacting a heated hydrocarbon-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas in a reactor; to provide a product stream comprising methanol; and transferring heat from the product stream to the hydrocarbon-containing gas to heat the hydrocarbon containing gas. After removing methanol and COfrom the product stream, unprocessed hydrocarbons are mixed with the hydrocarbon containing gas fro reprocessing through the reactor.

Method and apparatus for producing methanol

An apparatus and method of producing methanol includes reacting a heated hydrocarbon-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas in a reactor; to provide a product stream comprising methanol; and transferring heat from the product stream to the hydrocarbon-containing gas to heat the hydrocarbon containing gas. After removing methanol and COfrom the product stream, unprocessed hydrocarbons are mixed with the hydrocarbon containing gas for reprocessing through the reactor. Reactor byproducts are injected into the ground to increase the output of a hydrocarbon producing well.

Method and system for methanol production

A method for alkyl oxygenate (e.g., methanol) manufacture via partial oxidation of alkane (methane) uses an injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber in fluid communication with a tubular-flow reactor. Alkyl free radicals are induced in the backmixing reaction chamber prior to being fed through a flow-restriction baffle to the tubular-flow reactor. Injective intermixing of feed streams agitates the backmixing reaction chamber. In one embodiment, a variable position flow restriction baffle is axially moved to commensurately modify the backmixing reaction chamber and tubular-flow reactor volumes. In another embodiment, the tubular-flow reactor is quenched with a variable position quenching input. The method further provides for condensing the output stream from the reaction system in a condensing scrubber and also for recycling a portion of the scrubbed output stream to the reactor system.

Method for direct-oxygenation of alkane gases

An apparatus for alkyl oxygenate (e.g., methanol) manufacture via partial oxidation of alkane (methane) has an injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber in fluid communication with a tubular-flow reactor. The injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber induces alkyl free radicals prior to input to the tubular-flow reactor. Injective intermixing of feed streams agitates the backmixing reaction chamber. In one embodiment, a variable position bulkhead axially moves to commensurately modify the backmixing reaction chamber and tubular-flow reactor volumes. In another embodiment, the tubular-flow reactor has a variable position quenching input. Both 'hairbrush' and conical input inserts facilitate turbulent injective admixing of the input feed streams in the injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber. A condensing scrubber is also used for treating the output stream from the reaction system.

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Bloomington, MN, United States of America

Robert W Carr