System for removing solids from coal liquefaction reactor effluents

Claim 2

The process of claim 1 wherein the specific gravity of the liquid about equals the specific gravity of the solids.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein the contacting is at a temperature of about 420 to about 515* C.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein the solid-liquid mixture flows countercurrently with the hydrogen-containing gas.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein the gas-liquid contacting conditions are such that gas flows through continuous bodies of liquid, and the solid-gas contacting conditions are such that the solid flows through continuous bodies of gas.

Claim 6

The process of claim 6 wherein the continuous bodies of liquids are pools maintained by trays, and where the solid flows as a fluidized bed through the gas.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein the contacting is performed in a continuous manner.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 wherein the final stage is conducted at a pressure substantially less than the initial stage.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1 wherein the vapors from the first and final stages are separated into their components by cooling the vapors until at least the middle oil fraction is removed from the vapor, and wherein at least the heat released during condensation of the heavy oil fraction is used to heat the hydrogen-containing gas for the first and final stages.

Claim 10

The process of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the vapor from which the middle oil fraction has been condensed is reheated by the heat released during the condensation of the heavy oil fraction and recycled to the first and final stages as the hydrogen-containing gas.

Claim 11

The process of claim 10 wherein the heat released during the condensation of the liquid fractions is also used to produce steam.

Claim 12

The process of claim 10 wherein the vapors are further cooled until essentially all the chemical oils have been removed from the vapors.

Claim 13

A coal liquefaction process comprising: a. converting coal into its liquefiable components by causing hydrogen addition to coal in the presence of a hydrocarbon oil, b. separating the carbonizable mixture of liquids and solids in the effluent from the conversion by i. as a first stage, introducing said effluent into a hydrogen containing gas under gas-liquid contacting conditions at a temperature in the range of about 350* C to about 530* C, at a presence of about 200 to 10,000 psig, and under a reducing atmosphere, to vaporize a major portion of said liquids, and ii. as a final stage, introducing said remaining liquids and solids into a hydrogen containing gas under solid-gas contacting conditions at a temperature in the range of about 350* C to about 530* C, at a pressure of about 200 to 10,000 psig, and under a reducing atmosphere, to further vaporize volatilizable components of said mixture until said solids are substantially free of such components, c. obtaining therefrom a solid residue substantially free of volatilizable components and vapors of the liquids and volatilized components, and d. separating said vapors into preselected components.

Claim 14

The process of claim 14 wherein the separating is at a temperature of about 420* C to about 515* C.

Claim 15

The process of claim 14 wherein: a. converting coal is done with a hydrogen containing gas present as a hydrogen addition agent, said converting is performed at a pressure of about 2,000 to about 10,000 psi, and b. said separating is done at a pressure about equal to or no more than about 2,000 psi less than said coal conversion.

Claim 16

The process of claim 14 wherein separating in said final stage is conducted at a pressure substantially below that of the separating in said initial stage.

Claim 17

The process of claim 14 wherein: a. converting coal is done with a hydrogen donor oil Present as a hydrogen addition agent, said converting is performed at a pressure of about 200 to 1,000 psi, and b. said separating of such mixture is done at a pressure of about 200 to about 3,000 psi.

Claim 18

The process of claim 18 wherein separating in said final stage is conducted at a pressure of at least about 200 psi.

Claim 19

The process of claim 14 wherein said vapors are separated by cooling to condense preselected liquid fractions, and where a vapor fraction having at least one of said liquid fractions removed therefrom is recycled as the hydrogen-containing gas to said separating step.

Claim 20

The process of claim 20 wherein a further vapor fraction having all of said liquid fractions removed therefrom is recycled to said coal conversion step as a hydrogen addition agent therein, said vapor fraction being at a pressure no less than about one-half the pressure of said coal conversion step.

Claim 21

The process of claim 20 wherein said heat released during condensation of said liquid fractions is conserved within said liquefaction process.

Claim 22

The process of claim 14 wherein said vapor separation is conducted at a pressure lower than said separating step.

Claim 23

The process of claim 14 wherein said vapor separation is conducted at a pressure equal to said separating step.