Patent ID: 7078439
Filing Date: 2006-07-18
Classification: B01D,C10G

Abstract:
1. A process for producing hydrocarbons comprising: passing gaseous reactants comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide into a reactor containing a slurry comprising a liquid and a catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises particles, and contains at least one catalytic metal selected from the group consisting of metals from Groups 8, 9, and 10 of the Periodic Table, and further wherein the slurry comprises between 5 and 25 volume percent of catalyst particles; converting at least a portion of gaseous reactants to hydrocarbons over said catalyst, such that a portion of said hydrocarbons are liquid and the slurry includes said liquid hydrocarbons, feeding a slurry stream comprising a portion of the slurry to a sedimentation chamber having at least one inclined channel disposed therein, an upper product outlet, and a lower catalyst outlet; flowing the slurry stream through the at least one inclined channel in a mostly counter-current manner to settling particles as the slurry gets leaner and leaner in particle content to form a catalyst-lean stream, while most of the catalyst particles settle downwards in the inclined channel so as to form a catalyst-rich stream; passing the catalyst-lean stream through the upper product outlet of said sedimentation chamber such that the catalyst-lean stream provides at least a portion of the liquid hydrocarbons; passing the catalyst-rich stream through the lower catalyst outlet of said sedimentation chamber; and recycling at least a portion of said catalyst-rich stream to the reactor.