Process for producing hydrogen-rich coal tar

Abstract

A process for producing hydrogen-rich coal tar includes introducing a coal feed into a pyrolysis zone, and contacting the coal feed with a hydrogen donor stream and a multifunctional catalyst in the pyrolysis zone. The multifunctional catalyst includes a hydrogenation function for increasing a hydrogen content of said coal tar stream. The process further includes pyrolyzing the coal feed with the hydrogen donor stream and the multifunctional catalyst to produce a coke stream and a coal tar stream comprising hydrocarbon vapor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for producing hydrogen-rich coal tar, comprising:
 introducing a coal feed into a pyrolysis zone;   contacting said coal feed with a hydrogen donor stream and a multifunctional catalyst in said pyrolysis zone, said multifunctional catalyst comprising a hydrogenation function for increasing hydrogen content of said coal tar stream;   pyrolyzing said coal feed with the hydrogen donor stream and said multifunctional catalyst to produce a coke stream and a coal tar stream comprising hydrocarbon vapor.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 hydrotreating at least a portion of said coal tar stream, wherein said hydrotreating produces water, and the water is recycled to said pyrolysis zone as the hydrogen donor stream.   
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 hydrotreating at least a portion of said coal tar stream, wherein said hydrotreating produces ammonia, and said ammonia is recycled to said pyrolysis zone as said hydrogen donor stream,   wherein said multifunctional catalyst further comprises a function for decomposing ammonia to nitrogen and hydrogen, said hydrogen reacting on said hydrogenation function of said multifunction catalyst to increase a hydrogen content of said coal tar stream.   
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said hydrogenation function increases said hydrogen content of said coal tar stream by at least partially hydrogenating at least a portion of said hydrocarbon vapor. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 separating said partially hydrogenated hydrocarbon vapor from said coal tar stream;   recycling said partially hydrogenated hydrocarbon vapor to said pyrolysis zone as said hydrogen donor stream.   
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said hydrogen donor stream comprises one or more of water, ammonia, and an organic hydrogen donor solvent. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein said organic hydrogen donor solvent includes one or more of tetralin and decalin and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein said multifunction catalyst further includes a steam reforming function that causes said water to react with said coke stream to form carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen, said hydrogen reacting on said hydrogenation function of said multifunction catalyst to increase said hydrogen content of said coal tar stream. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 hydrocracking at least a portion of said coal tar stream, wherein said hydrocracking produces ammonia, and said ammonia is recycled to said pyrolysis zone as said hydrogen donor stream,   wherein said multifunctional catalyst further comprises a function for decomposing ammonia to nitrogen and hydrogen, said hydrogen reacting on said hydrogenation function of said multifunction catalyst to increase said hydrogen content of said coal tar stream.   
     
     
         10 . A process for producing hydrogen-rich coal tar, comprising:
 introducing a coal feed into a pyrolysis zone;   contacting the coal feed with at least a hydrogen donor stream and a multifunctional catalyst in said pyrolysis zone, the hydrogen donor stream comprising one or more of water, ammonia, and an organic hydrogen donor solvent, said multifunctional catalyst including a hydrogenation function for increasing a hydrogen content of said coal tar stream;   pyrolyzing the coal feed with the hydrogen donor stream and the catalyst to produce a coke stream and a coal tar stream comprising hydrocarbon vapor.   
     
     
         11 . The process of steam reforming of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 hydrotreating at least a portion of said coal tar stream, wherein said hydrotreating produces water, and the water is recycled to said pyrolysis zone as the hydrogen donor stream.   
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 hydrotreating at least a portion of said coal tar stream, wherein said hydrotreating produces ammonia, and said ammonia is recycled to said pyrolysis zone as said hydrogen donor stream,   wherein said multifunctional catalyst further comprises a function for decomposing ammonia to nitrogen and hydrogen, said hydrogen reacting on said hydrogenation function of said multifunction catalyst to increase hydrogen content of said coal tar stream.   
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein said hydrogenation function increases said hydrogen content of said coal tar stream by at least partially hydrogenating at least a portion of said hydrocarbon vapor. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 separating said partially hydrogenated hydrocarbon vapor from said coal tar stream;   recycling said partially hydrogenated hydrocarbon vapor to said pyrolysis zone as said hydrogen donor stream.   
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein said organic hydrogen donor solvent includes one or more of tetralin and decalin and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein said multifunction catalyst further includes a steam reforming function that causes said water to react with said coke stream to form carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen, said hydrogen reacting on said hydrogenation function of said multifunction catalyst to increase said hydrogen content of said coal tar stream. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 hydrocracking at least a portion of said coal tar stream, wherein said hydrocracking produces ammonia, and said ammonia is recycled to said pyrolysis zone as said hydrogen donor stream,   wherein said multifunctional catalyst further comprises a function for decomposing ammonia to nitrogen and hydrogen, said hydrogen reacting on said hydrogenation function of said multifunction catalyst to increase said hydrogen content of said coal tar stream.   
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 hydrotreating at least a portion of said coal tar stream, wherein said hydrotreating produces water, and the water is recycled to said pyrolysis zone as the hydrogen donor stream.   
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 hydrotreating at least a portion of said coal tar stream, wherein said hydrotreating produces ammonia, and said ammonia is recycled to said pyrolysis zone as said hydrogen donor stream.   
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 combining the ammonia from the hydrotreating and the ammonia from the hydrocracking.