Hydropyrolysis of hydrocarbonaceous fuel at short reaction times

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR HYDROPYROLYZING A SOLID OR LIQUID HYDROCARBONACEOUS FUEL AT SHORT REACTION TIMES, COMPRISING: PROVIDING A FLUIDIZED BED AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 1100* AND 1800*F. AND AT A PRESSURE GREATER THAN ABOUT 20 ATMOSPHERES, SAID FLUIDIZED BED COMPRISING COKE PELLETS LARGER THAN ABOUT ONE SIXTY-FOURTH INCH AND DISPLAYING AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIALLY FIVE-FOLD RANGE IN DIAMETER; SUPPLYING FLUIDIZING GAS TO SAID BED AT A SUPERFICIAL VELOCITY GREATER THAN ABOUT 5 FEET PER SECOND, SAID GAS CONTAINING HYDROGEN; CHARGING A SOLID OR LIQUID HYDROCARBONACEOUS FUEL TO SAID FLUIDIZED BED, THE SOLID PRODUCT OF THE HYDROPYROLYSIS OF SAID FUEL WITHIN SAID ACCRETING UPON SAID COKE PELLETS; PROVIDING A SPACE SITUATED ABOVE SAID FLUIDIZED BED TO RECEIVE GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF SAID HYDROPYROLYSIS INCLUDING UNREACTED HYDROGEN, THE DIMENSION OF SAID BED AND SAID SPACE BEING SUCH THAT THE RESIDENCE OF SAID GASEOUS PRODUCTS IN SAID BED AND SAID SPACE IS LESS THAN ABOUT 10 SECONDS, THE DIAMETER OF SAID SPACE BEING SUCH THAT THE SUPERFICIAL VELOCITY OF SAID GASEOUS PRODUCTS IN SAID SPACE IS GREATER THAN ABOUT 4 FEET PER SECOND; SUPPLYING SOLID PARTICLES SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN 100 MICRONS TO SAID SPACE AT A TEMPERATURE AND RATE OF FLOW TO MAINTAIN SAID TEMPERATURE OF SAID FLUIDIZED BED SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT, SAID RATE OF FLOW BEING SUFFICIENT TO ESTABLISH THE FAST-FLUIDIZED STATE IN SAID SPACE; WITHDRAWING SAID GASEOUS PRODUCTS AND SAID SOLID PARTICLES FROM THE TOP OF SAID SPACE; AND, WITHDRAWING COKE PELLETS FROM SAID FLUIDIZED BED.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 including the following additional steps: providing a second space situated above said first space situated above said fluidized bed, said gaseous products and said solid particles supplied to said first space being allowed to pass from said first space into said second space, a restriction in area for flow being interposed between said two spaces to hinder backflow of gas or solid from said second space to said first space; and, withdrawing gas and solid at the top of said second space, separating solid from said gas by a syclone, cooling at least a portion of said separated solid and returning said portion to said second space to maintain a temperature in said second space between about 600* and 900* F.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2 in which said dimensions are such that said residence time is less than about 5 seconds.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 in which at least a portion of the carbon contained in at least a portion of said coke pellets withdrawn from said fluidized bed is gasified by a gasification medium selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, steam, carbon dioxide, and flue gas in a second fluidized bed of said coke pellets operating at about 1900* to 2100* F, fine particles containing carbon being produced in said second fluidized bed by the wastage of said coke pellets undergoing gasification, and including the step of establishing a fast fluidized bed of said fine particles containing carbon in a zone above said second fluidized bed by separating said fine particles from gaseous products of gasification leaving the top of said zone and recirculating said separated fine particles to substantially the bottom of said zone.

Claim 6

A process for hydropyrolyzing a solid or liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel at short reaction times, comprising: providing a fluidized bed at a temperature between about 1100* and 1800* F and at a pressure greater than about 20 atmospheres, said fluidized bed comprising coke pellets larger than about one sixty-fourth inch and displaying at least a substantially five-fold range in diameter; supplying fluidizing gas to said bed at a superficial velocity greater than about 5 feet per second, said gas containing hydrogen; charging a solid or liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel to said fluidized bed, the solid product of the hydropyrolysis of said fuel within said bed accreting upon said coke pellets; providing a space situated above said fluidized bed to receive gaseous products of said hydropyrolysis including unreacted hydrogen, the dimensions of said bed and said space being such that the residence time of said gaseous products in said bed and said space is less than about 10 seconds, the diameter of said space being such that the superficial velocity of said gaseous products in said space is greater than about 4 feet per second; supplying solid particles substantially smaller than 100 microns to said space at a temperature greater than said temperature of said fluidized bed and at a rate of flow to maintain said temperature of said fluidized bed substantially constant, said rate of flow being sufficient to establish the fast-fluidized state in said space; withdrawing said gaseous products and said solid particles from the top of said space; and, withdrawing coke pellets from said fluidized bed.

Claim 7

A process for hydropyrolyzing a solid or liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel at short reaction times, comprising: providing a fluidized bed at a temperature between about 1100* and 1800* F and at a pressure greater than about 20 atmospheres, said fluidized bed comprising coke pellets larger than about one sixty-fourth inch and displaying at least a substantially five-fold range in diameter; supplying fluidizing gas to said bed at a superficial velocity greater than about 5 feet per second, said gas containing hydrogen; charging a solid or liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel to said fluidized bed, the solid product of the hydropyrolysis of said fuel within said bed accreting upon said coke pellets; providing a space situated above said fluidized bed to receive gaseous products of said hydropyrolysis including unreacted hydrogen, the dimensions of said bed and said space being such that the residence time of said gaseous products in said bed and said space is less than about 10 seconds, the diameter of said space being such that the superficial velocity of said gaseous products in said space is greater than about 4 feet per second; supplying solid particles substantially smaller than 100 microns to said space at a temperature greater than said temperature of said fluidized bed and at a rate of flow to maintain said temperature of said fluidized bed substantially constant, said rate of flow being sufficient to establish the fast-fluidized state in said space; withdrawing said gaseous products and said solid particles from the top of said space; and, withdrawing coke pellets from said fluidized bed.

Claim 8

The process of claim 5 including the following additional steps: providing a second space situated above said first space situated above said fluidized bed, said gaseous products and said solid particles supplied to said first space being allowed to pass from said first space into said second space, a restriction in area for flow being interposed between said two spaces to hinder backflow of gas or solid from said second space to said first space; and, withdrawing gas and solid at the top of said second space, separating solid from said gas by a cyclone, cooling at least a portion of said separated solid and returning said portion to said second space to maintain a temperature in said second space between about 600* and 900* F.

Claim 9

The process of claim 6 in which said dimensions are such that said residence time is less than about 5 seconds.