Oxo-synthesis gas

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY PRODUCING A STREAM OF OXOSYNTHESIS GAS HAVING A COMPARATIVELY HIGH MOLE RATIO (CO/H2) AND A SEPARATE STREAM OF METHANOL SYNTHESIS GAS HAVING A COMPARTIVELY LOW MOLE RATIO (CO-H2) WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING A HYDROCARBON FUEL TO PARTIAL OXIDATION WITH OXYGEN IN A GAS GENERATING ZONE TO PRODUCE A STREAM OF EFFLUENT GAS COMPRISING CO AND H2 AND HAVING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 2,000* TO 3,000*F., MIXING TOGETHER A FIRST PORTION OF SAID EFFLUENT GAS STREAM FROM SAID GAS GENERATING ZONE WITH A STREAM COMPRISING SUPPLEMENTAL CARBON DIOXIDE SO AS TO PRODUCE A WATER-GAS REVERSE SHIFT FEEDSTREAM, REACTING SAID WATERGAS REVERSE SHIFT FEEDSTREAM IN A NONCATALYTIC ADIABATIC WATERGAS REVERSE SHIFT CONVERSION ZONE TO PRODUCE A STREAM OF OXOSYNTHESIS GAS HAVING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1,500* TO 2,800*F. AND HAVING A MOLE RATIO (CO/H2) WHICH IS GREATER THAN THE MOLE RATIO (CO/H2) OF THE EFFLUENT GAS STREAM FROM SAID GAS GENERATING ZONE, SEPARATELY MIXING TOGETHER A SECOND PORTION OF SAID EFFLUENT GAS STREAM FROM SAID GAS GENERATING ZONE WITH A STREAM OF SUPPLEMENTAL STREAM OF FORM A WATER-GAS DIRECT SHIFT FEEDSTREAM, AND REACTING SAID WATER-GAS DIRECT SHIFT FEEDSTREAM IN A NONCATALYTIC ADIAABATIC WATER-GAS DIRECT SHIFT CONVERSION ZONE TO PRODUCE A STREAM OF METHANOL SYNTHESIS GAS HAVING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1,500* TO 2,800*F. AND HAVING A MOLE RATIO (CO/H2) WHICH IS LESS THAN THE MOLE RATIO (CO/H2) IN SAID EFFLUENT GAS STREAM FROM SAID GAS GENERATING ZONE.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 with the added steps of removing substantially all of the CO2 from said stream of methanol synthesis gas to produce a supplemental gas stream comprising at least 95 mole percent CO2 and introducing said supplemental CO2 stream into said noncatalytic adiabatic water-gas reverse shift conversion zone as at least a portion of said stream of supplemental carbon dioxide in said water-gas reverse shift feedstream.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein the mole ratio (CO/H2) of the said stream of oxo-synthesis gas is substantially that required for the synthesis of oxo compounds and the mole ratio (CO/H2) of said stream of methanol synthesis gas is substantially that required for the synthesis of methanol.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein separate portions of said effluent gas stream from said gas generating zone are introduced into said direct and reverse shift conversion zones at substantially the same conditions of temperature and pressure as produced in said gas generating zone.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 with the added steps of introducing said stream of oxo-synthesis gas into a waste-heat boiler in indirect heat exchange with a stream of water to produce a stream of steam at a temperature in the range of 500* to 1,500* F, and introducing at least a portion of said steam into said noncatalytic adiabatic water-gas direct shift conversion zone as said supplemental H2O.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 with the added steps of introducing supplemental free-oxygen (95 mole percent O2 or higher) into said noncatalytic adiabatic water-gas reverse and direct shift conversion zones in amounts sufficient to maintain the reaction temperature in said reverse and direct shift conversion zones at a temperature in the range of 1,700* to 2,800* F.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 wherein said water-gas reverse shift feedstream is reacted while passing through said water-gas reverse shift conversion zone and said water-gas direct shift feedstream is reacted simultaneously while passing through said water-gas direct shift conversion zone.

Claim 9

A continous process for increasing the mole ratio (CO/H2) of a feed-gas mixture comprising H2, CO, CO2 and H2O comprising (1) mixing a stream comprising supplemental CO2 with said feed-gas mixture to produce a CO2-enriched feed-gas mixture at a temperature of at least 1,500* F.; (2) reacting together CO2 and H2 in said CO2-enriched feed-gas mixture without a catalyst at a reaction temperature of at least 1,500* F., while said CO2-enriched feed-gas mixture is passing through an unpacked free-flow non-catalytic adiabatic water-gas reverse shift conversion zone; and (3) removing an effluent gas stream from said non-catalytic reverse shift conversion zone comprising H2, CO, CO2 and H2O having a mole ratio (CO/H2) which is greater than the mole ratio (CO/H2) of said feed-gas mixture.

Claim 10

A continous process for increasing the mole ratio (CO/H2) of a feed-gas mixture comprising H2, CO, CO2 and H2O comprising (1) mixing a stream comprising supplemental CO2 with said feed-gas mixture to produce a CO2-enriched feed-gas mixture at a temperature of at least 1,500* F.; (2) reacting together CO2 and H2 in said CO2-enriched feed-gas mixture without a catalyst at a reaction temperature of at least 1,500* F., while said CO2-enriched feed-gas mixture is passing through an unpacked free-flow non-catalytic adiabatic water-gas reverse shift conversion zone; and (3) removing an effluent gas stream from said non-catalytic reverse shift conversion zone comprising H2, CO, CO2 and H2O having a mole ratio (CO/H2) which is greater than the mole ratio (CO/H2) of said feed-gas mixture.

Claim 11

A process for simultaneously producing a product stream of synthesis gas having a mole ratio (CO/H2) of about 1 or higher, and a separate product stream of synthesis gas having a mole ratio (CO/H2) of about 1 or lower which comprises splitting into first and second feed streams a stream of synthesis gas principally comprising CO and H2 as produced in a free-flow partial oxidation synthesis gas-generating zone at a temperature in the range of about 2,000* to 3,000* F., and a pressure in the range of about 1 to 350 atmospheres; mixing together said first feed stream of synthesis gas at substantially the same conditions of temperature and pressure produced in said gas-generating zone with a stream comprising supplemental carbon dioxide produced subsequently in the process so as to produce a water-gas reverse shift feed stream having a temperature of at least 1,500* F., reacting together CO2 and H2 in said water-gas reverse shift feed stream at a pressure in the range of about 1 to 350 atmospheres and at a temperature of at least 1,500* F. in a separate unpacked free-flow non-catalytic water-gas reverse shift conversion zone to produce a first product stream of synthesis gas comprising CO, H2, CO2, H2O and optionally free carbon soot whose mole ratio (CO/H2) is about 1 or higher and which is greater than the mole ratio (CO/H2) of said feed stream of synthesis gas; cooling said first product stream with water in a first heat-exchange zone so as to produce a stream of steam at a temperature in the range of about 500* to 1,500* F; separately mixing together said second feed stream of synthesis gas at substantially the same conditions of temperature and pressure produced in said gas-generating zone with a stream comprising supplemental steam obtained at least in part from said first heat-exchange zone to form a water-gas direct shift feed stream having a temperature of at least 1,500* F.; reacting together H2O and CO in said water-gas direct shift feed stream at a pressure in the range of about 1 to 350 atmospheres and a temperature of at least 1,500* F. in a separate unpacked free-flow non-catalytic water-gas direct shift conversion zone to produce a second stream of product synthesis gas comprising CO, H2, CO2, H2O optionally free carbon soot whose mole ratio (CO/H2) is about 1 or lower, and which is less than the mole ratio (CO/H2) of said feed stream of synthesis gas; recovering carbon dioxide from said second product stream of synthesis gas; and introducing said recovered carbon dioxide into said separate non-catalytic water-gas reverse shift conversion zone as at least a portion of said supplemental carbon dioxide.

Claim 12

A process for simultaneously producing a product stream of synthesis gas having a mole ratio (CO/H2) of about 1 or higher, and a separate product stream of synthesis gas having a mole ratio (CO/H2) of about 1 or lower which comprises splitting into first and second feed streams a stream of synthesis gas principally comprising CO and H2 as produced in a free-flow partial oxidation synthesis gas-generating zone at a temperature in the range of about 2,000* to 3,000* F., and a pressure in the range of about 1 to 350 atmospheres; mixing together said first feed stream of synthesis gas at substantially the same conditions of temperature and pressure produced in said gas-generating zone with a stream comprising supplemental carbon dioxide produced subsequently in the process so as to produce a water-gas reverse shift feed stream having a temperature of at least 1,500* F., reacting together CO2 and H2 in said water-gas reverse shift feed stream at a pressure in the range of about 1 to 350 atmospheres and at a temperature of at least 1,500* F. in a separate unpacked free-flow non-catalytic water-gas reverse shift conversion zone to produce a first product stream of synthesis gas comprising CO, H2, CO2, H2O and optionally free carbon soot whose mole ratio (CO/H2) is about 1 or higher and which is greater than the mole ratio (CO/H2) of said feed stream of synthesis gas; cooling said first product stream with water in a first heat-exchange zone so as to produce a stream of steam at a temperature in the range of about 500* to 1,500* F; separately mixing together said second feed stream of synthesis gas at substantially the same conditions of temperature and pressure produced in said gas-generating zone with a stream comprising supplemental steam obtained at least in part from said first heat-exchange zone to form a water-gas direct shift feed stream having a temperature of at least 1,500* F.; reacting together H2O and CO in said water-gas direct shift feed stream at a pressure in the range of about 1 to 350 atmospheres and a temperature of at least 1,500* F. in a separate unpacked free-flow non-catalytic water-gas direct shift conversion zone to produce a second stream of product synthesis gas comprising CO, H2, CO2, H2O optionally free carbon soot whose mole ratio (CO/H2) is about 1 or lower, and which is less than the mole ratio (CO/H2) of said feed stream of synthesis gas; recovering carbon dioxide from said second product stream of synthesis gas; and introducing said recovered carbon dioxide into said separate non-catalytic water-gas reverse shift conversion zone as at least a portion of said supplemental carbon dioxide.

Claim 13

The process of claim 9 wherein the mole ratio (CO/H2) of said first product stream of synthesis gas is substantially that required for the synthesis of oxo-compounds and the mole ratio (CO/H2) of said second stream of product synthesis gas is substantially that required for the synthesis of methanol.

Claim 14

The process of claim 9 with the added steps of introducing supplemental free oxygen into said separate unpacked free-flow non-catalytic water-gas reverse and direct shift conversion zones in amounts sufficient to maintain the reaction temperatures in said shift conversion zones in the range of about 1,700* to 2, 800* F.