PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS FOR PRODUCING LIQUID TRANSPORTATION FUELS
Disclosed in the application include systems and processes for producing a liquid transportation fuel product using a carbon-containing feedstock. Also disclosed include catalysts that can be used in the systems and the processes, and processes of making the catalysts.
1 . A system for converting a carbon-containing feedstock into a liquid transportation fuel product, the system comprising
an air-blown producer gas reactor operable to convert the carbon-containing feedstock into a producer gas comprising H 2 , CO, CO 2 , and N 2 , with substoichiometeric amounts of H 2 and CO (less than 2:1 molar ratio of H 2 to CO);
a processing unit, wherein the processing unit comprises a Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) reactor, and a cracker,
wherein the F-T reactor comprises an iron catalyst, wherein the iron catalyst comprises volcanic sand,
wherein the F-T reactor is fluidly coupled to a source of feed gas and operable to convert at least a portion of the feed gas into a FTS product, wherein the FTS product comprises the liquid transportation fuel product and a first residue, and
wherein the cracker is fluidly coupled to the F-T reactor and operable to catalytically crack at least a portion of the first residue to produce an additional amount of the liquid transportation fuel product and a second residue; and a product upgrading unit, wherein the product upgrading unit is operable to produce an additional amount of the liquid transportation fuel product from a product gas.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbon-containing feedstock comprises at least one feedstock selected from the group consisting of a ligno-cellulosic biomass solid, a biomass derived oil, a biomass derived gas, and a fossil-fuel derived carbonaceous feedstock.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the F-T reactor is fluidly coupled to the air-blown producer gas reactor, wherein the feed gas to the F-T reactor comprises the producer gas.
4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a hard-wax trap, wherein the hard-wax trap is fluidly coupled to the F-T reactor and the cracker, wherein at least a portion of the first residue and/or at least a portion of the second residue is delivered to the hard-wax trap, wherein the hard-wax trap is operable to separate an additional amount of the liquid transportation fuel product and a mixture from a hard-wax product.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the iron catalyst comprises a titanomagnitite.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises more than one processing unit, wherein the feed gas of the F-T reactor of at least one of the processing units comprises the producer gas from the air-blown producer gas reactor, wherein the feed gas of the F-T reactor of at least one of the processing units comprises at least a portion of the FTS product generated in another F-T reactor of the system.
7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a soft-wax trap, wherein the soft-wax trap is fluidly coupled to the F-T reactor, wherein the soft wax trap is operable to separate an additional amount of the liquid transportation fuel product from the feed gas.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the more than one processing unit comprises a soft-wax trap, wherein the soft-wax trap is fluidly coupled between the gas preheater and the F-T reactor, wherein the soft-wax trap is operable to separate an additional amount of the liquid transportation fuel product from the preheated feed gas.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the product upgrading unit comprises at least one apparatus selected from the group consisting of a condenser, a hydrogenation apparatus, a distillation apparatus, an isomerization apparatus, a molecular-sieve polishing apparatus, an activated-carbon polishing apparatus, and a hydrogen membrane.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the iron catalyst comprises a titanomagnititic black sand.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is promoted by a Group 1 metal.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is operable to catalyze a water-gas-shift (WGS) reaction between water (H 2 O) and carbon monoxide (CO).
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cracker comprises a ZSM-5 zeolite cracking catalyst.
14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the hydrogenation apparatus comprises a palladium or platinum on alumina hydrogenation catalyst.
15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the isomerization apparatus comprises a ferrierite zeolite isomerization catalyst.
16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid transportation fuel product comprises at least one product selected from the group consisting of a gasoline product, a diesel product, and a jet fuel product.
17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid transportation fuel product meets a commercial fuel specification.
18 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the iron catalyst is pelletized with clay and a silica-based binding agent.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the iron catalyst is reduced with hydrogen at pressures of 50 to 70 psig and temperatures of 500 to 550° C. for up to seven days.
20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the iron catalyst catalyst is converted to an active FT catalyst by exposure to CO, syngas, or producer gas at 270° C. to 180° C. at pressures of less than 100 psig for up to 5 days.