Production of synthetic methanol

Abstract

Abstract AN INTEGRATED METHANOL SYNTHESIS PROCES IS PROVIDED IN WHICH THE REBOILES OF THE DISTILLATION UNITS IN THE METHANOL PURIFICATION SECTION ARE HEATED IN AN IMPROVED MANNER, TO EFFECTIVELY RECOVER HEAT AND UTILIZE THIS HEAT TO REBOIL AND VAPORIZE THE METHONAL DISTILLATION COLUMN BOTTOMS. IN ONE ASPECT OF THE INVENTION, CRUDE METHANOL SYNTHESIS GAS PRODUCED AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE BY THE CATALYTIC STEAM REFORMING OF A FLUID HYDROCARBON IS PASSED THROUGH ONE OR MORE DISTILLATION COLUMN REBOILERS, TO COOL THE SYNTHESIS GAS BY USEFUL HEAT EXCHANGE WHICH REBOILS THE DISTILLATION COLUMN BOTTOMS. IN ANOTHER EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION, HOT CONVERTED SYNTHESIS GAS FROM THE CATALYTIC METHANOL SYNTHESIS CONVERTER IS COOLED BY HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A CIRCULATING FLUID, WHICH IS THEREBY HEATED. THE HEATED FLUID IS CIRCULATED THROUGH A DISTILLATION COLUMN REBOILER, TO PROVIDE A HEATING EFFECT WHICH REBOILS THE DISTILLATION COLUMN BOTTOMS. THE COOLED FLUID IS RECIRCULATED FOR FURTHER HEAT EXCHANGE WITH CONVERTED GAS.

Inventors

• 👤 Maxim Karafian
• 👤 Dinshaw D Mehta
• 👤 Saverio A Sama

Bibliographic Details