Speaker:
James C. W. Kuo
Private Consultant in science and technology of energy and chemicals
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Date:
Monday, February 5, 1996, 3:30 p.m.
Ben Bandy Conference Room
Center for Applied Energy Research
Abstract:
Operation of a two-stage slurry Fischer-Tropsch (F-T)/ZSM-5 pilot plant will be reviewed in this seminar. The objective of the pilot plant is to develop a process of converting low H2/CO ratio (less than 0.8) synthesis gas, which can generally be obtained from highly efficient, advanced coal-gasification systems, into high quality transportation fuels. The slurry F-T process based on precipitated Fe/Cu/K2CO3 catalysts is ideal for promoting the water-gas-shift reaction, essential for converting the low H2/CO ratio synthesis gas. High single-pass H2/CO conversions (higher than 80%) were achieved using the combination of the slurry F-T reactor, the Fe-base catalyst, and the low H2/CO ratio synthesis gas.The overhead gaseous effluent from the F-T reactor is sentdirectly to a fixed-bed ZSM-5 reactor without inter-reactor cooling. The ZSM-5 catalyst efficiently converts the F-T compounds, i.e., olefins, oxygenates, and paraffins, into high octane gasoline components.Two modes of process operation will be discussed. One is a gasoline-mode operation emphasizing gasoline production and the other is a high F-T reactor-wax mode operation. The F-T reactor-wax is an excellent feedstock for making high quality diesel. A catalyst-reactor-wax separator was designed and operated excellently.