Production of synthesis gas from heavy hydrocarbon fuels containing high metal concentrations

Claim 1

A partial oxidation process comprising: (1) reacting a reactant fuel feedstream comprising a heavy hydrocarbon fuel feedstock containing high metal concentrations in admixture with a liquid dispersion comprising soot in a liquid carrier with a free-oxygen containing gas in the presence of a temperature moderator at an autogenous temperature in the range of about 1700° to 3500° F. and a pressure in the range of about 5 to 300 atmospheres in the reaction zone of a first free-flow noncatalytic partial oxidation gas generator to produce a hot, raw stream of synthesis gas comprising H 2 , CO, CO 2 , particulate carbon, ash, and at least one material from the group H 2 O, CH 4 , H 2 S, COS, H 2 and Ar; (2) quench cooling and scrubbing with water at least a portion of the hot, raw synthesis gas stream from (1), and separating a partially cleaned synthesis gas stream from a stream of liquid dispersion comprising particulate carbon, water, and ash; (3) simultaneously with (1) reacting a heavy hydrocarbon fuel feedstock containing high metal concentrations with a free-oxygen containing gas in the presence of a temperature moderator at an autogenous temperature in the range of about 1700° F. to 3500° F. and a pressure in the range of about 5 to 300 atmospheres in the reaction zone of a second free-flow noncatalytic partial oxidation gas generator to produce a hot, raw stream of synthesis gas comprising H 2 , CO, CO 2 , particulate carbon, ash, and at least one material from the group H 2 O, CH 4 , H 2 S, COS, H 2 and Ar; (4) splitting the hot, raw synthesis gas stream from (3) into first and second hot-split synthesis gas streams; (5) cooling in a convection-type gas cooler all of the first hot, split gas stream from (4), scrubbing the partially cooled gas stream with water, and separating a clean product stream of synthesis gas with a low H 2 O/dry gas mole ratio from a stream of liquid dispersion of particulate carbon, water, and ash; (6) quench cooling and scrubbing with water all of the second hot, split gas stream from (4), and separating a partially cleaned synthesis gas stream from a stream of liquid dispersion comprising particulate carbon, water, and ash; (7) mixing together the partially cleaned synthesis gas streams from (2) and (6), scrubbing the combined streams with water, and separating a clean product stream of synthesis gas with a high H 2 O/dry gas mole ratio from a stream of liquid dispersion comprising particulate carbon, water, and ash; (8) combining the streams of liquid dispersion comprising particulate carbon, water, and ash from (2), (5), (6), and (7); and separating in a soot-recovery zone separate streams of clarified water, ash, and a liquid dispersion comprising soot in a liquid carrier; and (9) mixing all of the liquid dispersion comprising soot in a liquid carrier from (8) with fresh heavy hydrocarbon fuel feedstock containing high metal concentrations, and introducing said mixture into the first partial oxidation gas generator in (1) as said reactant fuel feedstream.