Carbon to liquids system and method of operation
A method of operating a carbon to liquids system is provided. The method includes receiving a flow of syngas and reacting, in a reactor, the syngas and a catalyst in a Fischer-Tropsch reaction to produce a product including steam, wherein the reactor includes a polymeric material that is configured to permit the permeation of the steam therethrough. The method also includes recycling the permeated steam to a vessel positioned upstream from the reactor.
1. A method of operating a carbon to liquids system comprising:
receiving a flow of a syngas into a reactor, wherein the reactor includes a polymeric material that permits permeation of steam through the material;
channeling a cooling fluid flow through the reactor past an outer surface of the material;
reacting the syngas in the presence of a catalyst in a Fischer-Tropsch reaction to produce a product and steam at or near an inner surface of the material, wherein the steam permeates through the material and forms a mixture of the cooling fluid and the steam in the reactor; and
thereafter recycling the mixture of the steam and the cooling fluid to a vessel positioned upstream from the reactor.
2. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising shifting the syngas to facilitate increasing a hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio of the syngas, wherein the shifted syngas is reacted in the reactor.
3. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid at least partially comprises natural gas.
4. The method in accordance with claim 3 , wherein recycling further comprises recycling the mixture of steam and cooling fluid to at least one of a steam methane reformer and a catalytic partial oxidation reactor wherein the mixture reduces the energy requirements of the reformer and/or reactor.
5. The method in accordance with claim 4 , wherein recycling further comprises recycling the mixture of steam and cooling fluid to at least one of a boiler and a heat exchanger before recycling the mixture of steam and cooling fluid to the steam methane reformer wherein the mixture reduces the energy requirements of the boiler and/or exchanger.
6. The method in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the recycling of the mixture of steam and cooling fluid to at least one of a boiler and a heat exchanger further comprises channeling the steam and cooling fluid directly to at least one of the boiler and the heat exchanger.
7. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein recycling the mixture of steam and cooling fluid facilitates increasing conversion of the syngas during the Fischer-Tropsch reaction to greater than about 45%.
8. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the cooling fluid functions to maintain the temperature of the Fischer-Tropsch reaction at a predetermined temperature.