Synthetic fuel production methods and apparatuses

Abstract

Carbon-containing tail gases and pollutants in a coal-to-liquid hydrocarbon production process, or other liquid fuel production process, may be reacted to produce additional synthesis gas which may be used to produce liquid fuels and hydrocarbons or which may be recycled within the liquid fuel production process to improve conversion of carbon to liquid fuels or hydrocarbons.

1 . A liquid fuel production system, comprising:
 at least one gasification process apparatus configured to produce a synthesis gas;   at least one gas cleanup process configured to remove carbon dioxide from the synthesis gas;   at least one synthesis gas conversion process apparatus configured to receive at least a portion of the synthesis gas after removal of at least a portion of the carbon dioxide therefrom and to produce a carbon-containing tail gas; and   at least one reactor configured to receive at least a portion of the carbon dioxide removed from the synthesis gas by the gas cleanup process and configured to receive the carbon-containing tail gas from the at least one synthesis gas conversion process apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one gasification process apparatus comprises a gasification unit selected from the group consisting of an entrained flow gasifier, a counter-current fixed bed gasifier, a co-current fixed bed gasifier, and a fluid bed gasifier. 
     
     
         3 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one synthesis gas conversion process apparatus comprises a Fischer-Tropsch process apparatus. 
     
     
         4 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactor further comprises a reactor configured to react the at least a portion of the carbon dioxide with at least a portion of the carbon-containing tail gas. 
     
     
         5 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one product recycle stream configured to deliver a recycle synthesis gas formed in the at least one reactor to the at least one gas cleanup process. 
     
     
         6 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one product recycle stream configured to deliver a recycle synthesis gas formed in the at least one reactor to the at least one synthesis gas conversion process. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one product recycle stream configured to recycle a synthesis gas formed in the at least one reactor to the at least one gasification process apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 1 , further comprising a steam source configured to mix steam with the carbon dioxide removed from the gas cleanup process. 
     
     
         9 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 1 , further comprising a steam source configured to mix steam with at least a portion of the carbon-containing tail gas from the at least one synthesis gas conversion process. 
     
     
         10 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 1 , further comprising a steam source configured to mix steam with at least a portion of the carbon dioxide removed from the gas cleanup process and at least a portion of the carbon-containing tail gas from the at least one synthesis gas conversion process. 
     
     
         11 . A liquid fuel production system, comprising:
 at least one gasification process apparatus configured to produce a synthesis gas;   at least one gas cleanup process configured to remove carbon dioxide from the synthesis gas;   at least one synthesis gas conversion process apparatus configured to receive at least a portion of the synthesis gas after removal of at least a portion of the carbon dioxide therefrom and to produce a carbon-containing tail gas;   at least one steam source configured to combine steam with at least one of the carbon dioxide removed from the synthesis gas and the carbon-containing tail gas; and   at least one reactor configured to receive at least a portion of the carbon dioxide removed from the synthesis gas, at least a portion of the steam, and at least a portion of the carbon-containing tail gas.   
     
     
         12 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one product recycle stream configured to deliver a recycle synthesis gas formed in the at least one reactor to the at least one synthesis gas conversion process apparatus. 
     
     
         13 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one product recycle stream configured to combine a recycle synthesis gas formed in the at least one reactor with the synthesis gas produced in the at least one gasification process apparatus. 
     
     
         14 . The liquid fuel production system of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one product recycle stream configured to recycle a synthesis gas formed in the at least one reactor to the at least one gasification process apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . A method for converting a carbon-containing fuel to liquid fuel, comprising:
 providing a carbon-containing fuel supply;   gasifying at least a portion of the carbon-containing fuel supply to produce a synthesis gas;   removing carbon dioxide from the synthesis gas;   converting the synthesis gas into liquid hydrocarbons and a tail gas using a synthesis gas conversion process; and   reacting at least a portion of the carbon dioxide with at least a portion of the tail gas to produce a recycle synthesis gas product.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein providing a carbon-containing fuel supply comprises providing at least one carbon-containing fuel selected from the group consisting of coal, oil shale, biomass, refuse, waste materials, natural gas, lignite, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein gasifying at least a portion of the carbon-containing fuel supply comprises gasifying the carbon-containing fuel supply in a gasifier selected from the group consisting of an entrained flow gasifier, a counter-current fixed bed gasifier, a co-current fixed bed gasifier, and a fluid bed gasifier. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein removing carbon dioxide from the synthesis gas further comprises:
 providing a gas cleanup process;   feeding at least a portion of the produced synthesis gas to the gas cleanup process; and   removing carbon dioxide from the synthesis gas in the gas cleanup process.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein converting the synthesis gas into liquid hydrocarbons and a tail gas using a synthesis gas conversion process comprises converting the synthesis gas into liquid hydrocarbons and a tail gas in a Fischer-Tropsch process. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising combining the recycle synthesis gas product with the produced synthesis gas. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising feeding the recycle synthesis gas product to the synthesis gas conversion process. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising combining the carbon dioxide with steam. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising combining the tail gas with steam. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein reacting at least a portion of the carbon dioxide with at least a portion of the tail gas to produce a recycle synthesis gas product further comprises:
 combining the carbon dioxide with steam;   combining the tail gas with steam; and   reacting the carbon dioxide combined with steam with the tail gas combined with steam to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen.