Patent ID: 8203027

Claim:
A continuous process for producing liquid fuel from a biogas containing 90 mole % to 100 mole % methane, said process comprising: (a) feeding said biogas to a reaction vessel partially filled with a liquid petroleum fraction to a first externally controlled liquid level to cause said biogas to bubble through said liquid petroleum fraction and through a metallic grid of at least one catalytic transition metal immersed in said liquid, while maintaining said body of liquid at a temperature of at least about 80° C. but below boiling; (b) passing a gaseous reaction product mixture from a head space in said reaction vessel above said liquid level through a condenser to convert said gaseous reaction product mixture to liquid condensate and uncondensed gas; (c) passing said liquid condensate and uncondensed gas into a product vessel having a second externally controlled liquid level, to separate said liquid condensate from said uncondensed gas; and (d) drawing from said product vessel said liquid condensate so separated as said liquid fuel while recycling said uncondensed gas from said product vessel to said reaction vessel by directing said uncondensed gas below said first liquid level and through said first metallic grid; steps (a) through (d) being performed continuously and simultaneously.