Patent ID: 8894939

Claim:
A single stage Fischer-Tropsch reactor system for carrying out a chemical reaction in a fluidized three phase slurry system, operating with an internal syngas recycle in a homogeneous flow regime which reactor system comprises: (a) a single stage cylindrical reaction vessel having a horizontal axis with a cross sectional area perpendicular to the gas flow, where said gas flow traverses the diameter of the cylindrical reactor from the bottom along the entire length of the reactor, where the reaction vessel has a top and a bottom and where the reaction vessel has a height perpendicular to both the horizontal axis and to the ground and a horizontal length where the horizontal length is greater than the height and wherein the cross sectional area varies with the height; (b) a fluidized three phase slurry system within the vessel operating with an internal syngas recycle in a homogeneous flow regime; (c) a synthesis feed gas inlet at or near the bottom of the reaction vessel where the feed gas inlet introduces synthesis feed gas into the reaction vessel; (d) a gas distributor system, with a plurality of orifices and nozzles at or near the bottom of the reaction vessel running the length of the bottom of the reactor where the gas distributor system provides for distribution of the feed gas along the reactor's length; (e) a single set of cooling coils in the reaction vessel to remove heat; (f) at least two sidewall downcomers to provide improved fluidization of catalyst particles throughout the reactor where the downcomers are perpendicular to the reactor longitudinal axis; (g) a conduit at or near the top of the reaction vessel for removal of unreacted feed gas, light products, and water; and (h) a solid liquid products separation system to remove liquid products from the reaction vessel.