Patent ID: 7820725

Claim:
A process for the formation of methanol, the process comprising the steps of: (a) inputting a first feed stream comprising carbon containing molecules and hydrogen containing molecules to a first microchannel reactor; (b) inputting a second feed stream comprising carbon containing molecules and hydrogen containing molecules to a second microchannel reactor, where the second microchannel reactor is in parallel with the first microchannel reactor; (c) reacting the carbon containing molecules with the hydrogen containing molecules in the presence of a catalyst housed within the first microchannel reactor to form methanol molecules flowing in a first process stream; (d) reacting the carbon containing molecules with the hydrogen containing molecules in the presence of a catalyst housed within the second microchannel reactor to form methanol molecules flowing in a second process stream; (e) directing the first process stream to a downstream heat exchanger; (f) directing the second process stream to a downstream heat exchanger; (g) cooling the first process stream within the downstream heat exchanger to condense at least one chemical comprising the first process stream; (h) extracting the chemical from the first process stream to form a cooled gaseous process stream; (i) directing the second process stream into thermal communication with the cooled gaseous process stream to increase the temperature and form an elevated temperature gaseous process stream having carbon containing molecules and the hydrogen containing molecules; (j) inputting elevated temperature gaseous process stream to a downstream microchannel reactor; and (k) reacting the carbon containing molecules with the hydrogen containing molecules in the presence of a catalyst housed within downstream microchannel reactor to form methanol molecules flowing in a downstream process stream.