Patent ID: 9296671
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: B01J,C01B,C07C

Claim Text:
1. A method for producing methanol using an oxygen transport membrane based reforming system, wherein said system comprises at least one reforming reactor and at least one oxygen transport membrane reactor in close proximity to said at least one reforming reactor, the method comprising the steps of: separating oxygen from an oxygen containing stream with one or more catalyst containing oxygen transport membrane reactors to produce an oxygen permeate and an oxygen depleted retentate stream, the catalyst being contained within tubes on the permeate side of the oxygen transport membrane reactors; partially reforming a combined feed stream comprising natural gas and steam in a reforming reactor in the presence of a reforming catalyst and radiant heat transferred from the oxygen transport membrane reactor to produce a partially reformed synthesis gas stream; directing the partially reformed synthesis gas stream to the permeate side of the one or more catalyst containing oxygen transport membrane reactor; reacting a portion of the partially reformed synthesis gas stream contacting the permeate side of the catalyst containing oxygen transport membrane reactor with the oxygen permeate to generate a heated reaction product stream comprising oxidation products and heat, and wherein a portion of the heat is transferred by radiation to the reforming reactor, a portion of the heat is used within the oxygen transport membrane reactor and a portion of the heat is transferred by convection to the oxygen-depleted retentate stream; reforming the partially reformed synthesis gas stream in the catalyst containing oxygen transport membrane reactor in the presence of the heat generated as a result of the oxidation reaction to produce a final reformed synthesis gas product stream; directing the final reformed synthesis gas product stream to a methanol synthesis and purification system; synthesizing the final reformed synthesis gas product stream into crude methanol; and purifying the crude methanol to a finished methanol product.