Catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE TO PRODUCE HYDROCARBONS AND OXYGENATED HYDROCARBONS IN WHICH A GAS STREAM CONTAINING CO AND H2 AT REACTION TEMPERATURE IS PASSED THROUGH A SERIES OF SPACED FIXED CATALYST LAYERS ARRANGED IN A REACTION ZONE AND CONTAINING THE SAME CATALYST, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE MAINTAINING SAID GAS OUT OF CONTACT WITH LIQUIDS OTHER THAN THOSE DIRECTLY PRODUCED DURING THE REACTION WHILE SUCH GAS PASSES THROUGH THE CATALYST LAYERS AND THE SPACES THEREBETWEEN, RECYCLING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE HOT GAS STREAM LEAVING THE LAST CATALYST LAYER TO THE FIRST CATALYST LAYER AT REACTION TEMPERATURE, REMOVING REACTION HEAT AND PRODUCTS FROM AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE GAS LEAVING THE LAST CATALYST TO LOWER ITS TEMPERATURE BELOW THE REACTION TEMPERATURE, RECYCLING A PORTION OF THE COOLED GAS FROM WHICH REACTION PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED INTO THE GAS STREAM BETWEEN THE CATALYST LAYERS AND INTRODUCING GAS CONTAINING FRESH CO AND H2 COLDER THAN THE REACTION TEMPERATURE BETWEEN THE CATALYST LAYERS, THE PROPORTION OF SAID COOLED RECYCLED GAS TO THE GAS CONTAINING FRESH CO AND H2 IS BETWEEN 3:1 AND 5:1, THE COMBINED AMOUNT OF SAID COOLED RECYCLED GAS AND THE GAS CONTAINING FRESH CO AND H2 BEING SUFFICIENT TO COOL THE GAS STREAM BEFORE IT ENTERS EACH SUCCEEDING CATALYST LAYER TO APPROXIMATELY THAT TEMPERATURE WHICH THE GAS STREAM HAD WHEN ENTERING THE PRECEDING LAYER, THE TEMPERATURES WITHIN THE REACTION ZONE BEING ESSENTIALLY ONLY CONTROLLED BY THE THICKNESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CATALYST LAYERS AND THE GASES INTRODUCED INTO AND PASSED THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE.