Method and reactor system for converting oxygenate contaminants in an MTO reactor system product effluent to hydrocarbons

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and reactor system for converting oxygenate and/or olefin contaminants in a methanol to olefin reactor system product effluent to hydrocarbons, including paraffin compounds, preferably over a sulphided catalyst of the type Nickel or Cobalt combined with Molybdenum or Tungsten. In one embodiment, the oxygenate-containing stream to be hydrogenated comprises one or more of the following streams, alone or in combination: a quench tower bottoms stream, a water absorption unit bottoms stream, a C 4 + stream, and/or a C 5 + stream.

1 - 48 . (canceled)  
     
     
         49 . A reactor system for converting oxygenates to hydrocarbons, comprising: 
 a reactor which converts an oxygenate-containing feedstock to an olefin-containing effluent;    a separation system in fluid communication with the reactor, wherein the separation system separates light olefins in the olefin-containing effluent from oxygenate contaminants in the olefin-containing effluent; and    a hydrogenation unit which receives the oxygenate contaminants from the separation system and converts the oxygenate contaminants to hydrocarbons.    
     
     
         50 . The reactor system of  claim 49 , wherein the separation system includes a quench tower adapted to form a first overhead stream comprising at least a portion of the light olefins, and a first bottoms stream comprising at least a portion of the oxygenate contaminants.  
     
     
         51 . The reactor system of  claim 50 , further comprising: 
 a conduit system which directs at least a portion of the first bottoms stream to the hydrogenation unit.    
     
     
         52 . The reactor system of  claim 49 , wherein the separation system includes a water absorption unit adapted to form a first overhead stream comprising at least a portion of the light olefins, and a first bottoms stream comprising at least a portion of the oxygenate contaminants.  
     
     
         53 . The reactor system of  claim 52 , further comprising: 
 a conduit system which directs at least a portion of first bottoms stream to the hydrogenation unit.    
     
     
         54 . The reactor system of  claim 49 , wherein the separation system includes a distillation unit adapted to form a first overhead stream comprising at least a portion of the light olefins, and a first bottoms stream comprising at least a portion of the oxygenate contaminants.  
     
     
         55 . The reactor system of  claim 54 , further comprising: 
 a conduit system which directs at least a portion of the first bottoms stream to the hydrogenation unit.    
     
     
         56 . The reactor system of  claim 50 , wherein the separation system includes a water absorption unit adapted to form a second overhead stream comprising at least a portion of the light olefins, and a second bottoms stream comprising at least a portion of the oxygenate contaminants.  
     
     
         57 . The reactor system of  claim 56 , further comprising: 
 a conduit system which combines the first and second bottoms streams and directs at least a portion of the first and second bottoms streams to the hydrogenation unit.    
     
     
         58 . The reactor system of  claim 50 , wherein the separation system includes a distillation unit adapted to form a second overhead stream comprising at least a portion of the light olefins, and a second bottoms stream comprising at least a portion of the oxygenate contaminants.  
     
     
         59 . The reactor system of  claim 58 , further comprising: 
 a conduit system which combines the first and second bottoms streams and directs at least a portion of the first and second bottoms streams to the hydrogenation unit.    
     
     
         60 . The reactor system of  claim 56 , wherein the separation system includes a distillation unit adapted to form a third overhead stream comprising at least a portion of the light olefins, and a third bottoms stream comprising at least a portion of the oxygenate contaminants.  
     
     
         61 . The reactor system of  claim 60 , further comprising: 
 a conduit system which combines the first, second and third bottoms streams and directs at least a portion of the first, second and third bottoms streams to the hydrogenation unit.    
     
     
         62 . The reactor system of  claim 50 , wherein the hydrogenation unit includes a hydrogenation catalyst.  
     
     
         63 . The reactor system of  claim 62 , wherein the catalyst includes Tungsten.  
     
     
         64 . The reactor system of  claim 62 , wherein the catalyst includes Nickel.  
     
     
         65 . The reactor system of  claim 62 , wherein the catalyst includes Molybdenum.  
     
     
         66 . The reactor system of  claim 62 , wherein the catalyst includes Cobalt.