Patent ID: 11879099
Assignee: UOP LLC
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  B | IPC B  C

Claim 0:
1. A process for making liquid hydrocarbons comprising:
introducing a feed stream comprising hydrocarbons or a carbonaceous feedstock to a synthesis gas production zone comprising a syngas reactor to produce a synthesis gas stream comprising synthesis gas having a molar ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide in a range of 0.5 to 3.0;
reacting the synthesis gas stream in a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reaction zone comprising an FT reactor to form a liquid hydrocarbon stream comprising the liquid hydrocarbon and an FT off gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and an inert gas;
recycling a portion of the FT off gas stream to the synthesis gas production zone or to the FT reaction zone or to both the synthesis gas production zone and the FT reaction zone;
removing a purge stream from the FT off gas stream;
separating the purge stream in a membrane separation unit to form a permeate stream comprising hydrogen and a residue stream comprising the carbon monoxide, the methane, and the inert gas;
separating the residue stream in a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit into a fuel gas stream comprising the inert gas and a first portion of the carbon monoxide and the methane and a second stream comprising a second portion of the carbon monoxide and the methane; and
introducing the second stream into the synthesis gas production zone or to the FT reaction zone or to both the synthesis gas production zone and the FT reaction zone.