Process and apparatus for the synthesis of hydrocarbons

Claim 2

IN AN APPARATUS FOR CATALYTIC VAPOR PHASE REACTIONS WHEREIN A REACTANT GAS IS CONTACTED WITH A FLUIDIZED CATALYST AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, A REACTION VESSEL HAVING A REACTION ZONE ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE A FLUIDIZED MASS OF POWDERED CATALYST, MEANS ADJACENT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE REACTION VESSEL FOR PASSING A DISTRIBUTED FLOW OF A GASEOUS STREAM THROUGH THE CATALYST IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION FOR MAINTAINING THE CATALYST IN A STATE OF FLUIDIZATION, AN UPRIGHT CONDUIT DISPOSED WITHIN THE REACTION ZONE, SAID CONDUIT BEING CLOSED AT ONE EXTREMITY AND BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE EXTREMITY WITH MEANS FOR PASSING THE REACTANT GAS THROUGH SAID CONDUIT, SAID CONDUIT BEING A POROUS TUBE HAVING PREDETERMINED, SPACED PORTIONS OF THE SURFACE THEREOF PROVIDED WITH A RELATIVELY IMPERMEABLE COATING, EFFECTIVE TO SEAL THE PORES THEREOF, THE INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF SAID SURFACE BEING FREE FROM SAID COATING SUCH THAT THE REACTANT GAS PASSES THERETHROUGH FOR INJECTION INTO THE FLUIDIZED MASS OF CATALYST AND MEANS LOCATED AT THE UPPER PORTION OF THE REACTION VESSEL FOR WITHDRAWING A GASIFORM STREAM CONTAINING THE PRODUCTS OF REACTION.

Claim 3

IN THE SYNTHESIS OF HYDROCARBONS BY THE EXOTHERMIC REACTION OF CARBON MONOXIDE WITH HYDROGEN IN CONTACT WITH A HYDROCARBON SYNTHESIS CATALYST INVOLVING THE PASSAGE OF THE REACTANTS UPWARDLY THROUGH A FLUID PHASE MASS OF SOLID PARTICLE HYDROCARBON SYNTHESIS CATALYST IN A REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINED AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE SAID REACTION PROCEEDS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INJECTING INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE A GASEOUS FLUIDIZING STREAM, CAUSING SAID GASEOUS FLUIDIZING STREAM TO FLOW UPWARDLY THROUGH THE CATALYST IN CONTACT THEREWITH TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST PARTICLES IN DENSE FLUID PHASE CONDITION WITH AN UPPER, PSEUDO-LIQUID SURFACE, PASSING A REACTANT STREAM IN A PATH OF FLOW EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND INTERNALLY THROUGH THE SAID FLUID PHASE MASS OF CATALYST OUT OF CONTACT AND IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH, INJECTING THE ENTIRE REACTANT STREAM INTO THE DENSE FLUID PHASE OF CATALYST PARTICLES ALONG SAID UPWARD PATH OF FLOW IN SUCCESSIVE PORTIONS, THE UPPERMOST OF WHICH IS DISPOSED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW SAID UPPER PSEUDO-LIQUID SURFACE SO THAT THE INJECTED PORTIONS OF THE REACTANT STREAM MEET AND INTERMINGLE WITH THE UPFLOWING FLUIDIZING STREAM AT A MULTIPLICITY OF POINTS ALONG A SUBSTANTIAL VERTICAL SECTION OF THE REACTION ZONE WITHIN THE FLUID PHASE OF CATALYST, WITHDRAWING THE EFFLUENT GASEOUS PRODUCTS FROM THE TOP PORTION OF THE REACITON ZONE AND RECOVERING DESIRED PRODUCTS OF REACTION THEREFROM.

Claim 4

IN THE SYNTHESIS OF HYDROCARBONS BY THE EXOTHERMIC REACTION OF CARBON MONOXIDE WITH HYDROGEN IN CONTACT WITH A HYDROCARBON SYNTHESIS CATALYST INVOLVING THE PASSAGE OF THE REACTANTS UPWARDLY THROUGH A FLUID PHASE MASS OF SOLID PARTICLE HYDROCARBON SYNTHESIS CATALYST IN A REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINED AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE SAID REACTION PROCEEDS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INJECTING INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE A GASEOUS FLUIDIZING STREAM, CAUSING SAID GASEOUS FLUIDIZING STREAM TO FLOW UPWARDLY THROUGH THE CATALYST IN CONTACT THEREWITH TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST PARTICLES IN DENSE FLUID PHASE CONDITION WITH AN UPPER, PSEUDO-LIQUID SURFACE, PASSING A REACTANT STREAM IN A PATH OF FLOW EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND INTERNALLY THROUGH THE SAID FLUID PHASE MASS OF CATALYST OUT OF CONTACT AND IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH, INJECTING THE ENTIRE REACTANT STREAM INTO THE DENSE FLUID PHASE OF CATALYST PARTICLES ALONG SAID UPWARD PATH OF FLOW IN SUCCESSIVE PORTIONS, THE UPPERMOST OF WHICH IS DISPOSED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW SAID UPPER PSEUDO-LIQUID SURFACE SO THAT THE INJECTED PORTIONS OF THE REACTANT STREAM MEET AND INTERMINGLE WITH THE UPFLOWING FLUIDIZING STREAM AT A MULTIPLICITY OF POINTS ALONG A SUBSTANTIAL VERTICAL SECTION OF THE REACTION ZONE WITHIN THE FLUID PHASE OF CATALYST, WITHDRAWING THE EFFLUENT GASEOUS PRODUCTS FROM THE TOP PORTION OF THE REACITON ZONE AND RECOVERING DESIRED PRODUCTS OF REACTION THEREFROM.