Patent ID: 6344490
Filing Date: 2002-02-05
Classification: B01D,B01J,C10G

Abstract:
In a slurry hydrocarbon synthesis process for forming hydrocarbons wherein(a) a synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H2 and CO is reacted in the presence of a solid, particulate hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst in a slurry in a hydrocarbon synthesis reactor at reaction conditions effective to form hydrocarbons, at least a portion of which are liquid hydrocarbons at the reaction conditions, wherein the slurry comprises the catalyst and gas bubbles comprising the synthesis gas in a slurry hydrocarbon liquid, and wherein the slurry hydrocarbon liquid comprises the liquid hydrocarbons, (b) the slurry is directly contacted with a filter having a separating wall encompassing an interior, (c) part of the slurry hydrocarbon liquid is passed through the separating wall and into the interior as a filtrate, and (d) the filtrate is passed from the interior out of the reactor; wherein the improvement comprises: directly contacting the slurry with the filter which includes a plurality of hollow filter elements each having the separating wall encompassing the interior, arrayed across a manifold connected to a filtrate conduit, with the interior, the manifold, and the conduit in fluid communication, and wherein the separating wall is permeable to the slurry hydrocarbon liquid but not the slurry solids, and passing the filtrate out of the reactor by successively passing the filtrate from the interior, through the manifold, and through the filtrate conduit.