Integrated direct coal liquefaction process and system

Abstract

An integrated direct coal liquefaction and upgrading process and system in which feed coal is mixed with a coal liquefaction nominal 650° F.+ (343° C.+) fraction from atmospheric fractionator, vacuum fractionator bottoms, and recycled catalyst containing vacuum gas oil (VGO) from and upgrader and pumped to the input of the liquefaction reactor where it is mixed with preheated hydrogen. Part of the VGO fraction from the liquefaction vacuum fractionator is mixed with make-up catalyst and catalyst containing VGO fraction from the upgrader atmospheric fractionator and fed with preheated hydrogen to the input of the upgrading reactors. The output of the upgrading reactors is cooled in hot and cold separators to recover hydrogen containing gaseous components and the liquid fraction is separated in the upgrader atmospheric fractionator into product and a catalyst containing unconverted VGO stream, a portion of which forms the recycled VGO to the liquefaction slurry mix tank. A portion of the catalyst containing vacuum fractionator bottoms are sent as fuel to a cement plant in which the catalyst is gasified and recovered.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) An integrated direct coal liquefaction and upgrading process, comprising the steps of:
 a) forming a slurry of feed coal containing solid carbonaceous material mixed with a nominal 650° F.+ (343° C.+) stream, a vacuum gas oil (VGO) stream, molybdenum catalyst containing VGO from an upgrader, and catalyst containing nominal 1000° F.+ (538° C.+) bottoms;   b) feeding said slurry and preheated hydrogen to the input of a direct coal liquefaction (DCL) slurry reactor;   c) separating the product of said DCL reactor into components including a hydrogen containing gaseous stream, a VGO stream, a nominal 650° F.+ (343° C.+) stream, and catalyst containing nominal 1000° F.+ (538° C.+) bottoms, portions of said nominal 650° F.+(343° C.+) stream, of said VGO stream, and of said bottoms being used as components of said slurry;   d) feeding a portion of said DCL reactor product VGO stream, a molybdenum containing catalyst or catalyst precursor, molybdenum catalyst containing VGO and preheated hydrogen to the input of an upgrading reactor;   e) separating the product of the upgrading reactor into components including a liquid product stream and a molybdenum catalyst containing VGO stream, said upgrading reactor produced molybdenum catalyst containing VGO stream being used as a component of said slurry and as a component of the feed to the input of the upgrading reactor.   
     
     
         2 ) The integrated direct coal liquefaction and upgrading process of  claim 1  further including the steps of:
 a) feeding a portion of said nominal 1000° F.+ (538° C.+) bottoms as fuel to a cement plant; and 
 b) recovering molybdenum containing catalyst from said vacuum fractionator bottoms in said cement plant. 
 
     
     
         3 ) An integrated apparatus for converting a coal containing solid carbonaceous material feed into hydrocarbon liquids and for upgrading such liquids, comprising:
 a) a direct coal liquefaction (DCL) reactor for converting such coal containing solid carbonaceous material at elevated temperatures and pressures in the presence of a solvent and a catalyst for producing hydrocarbon products;   b) an atmospheric fractionator for separating hydrocarbon products of said DCL reactor into different boiling point fractions, including a nominal 650° F.+ (343° C.+) fraction;   c) a vacuum fractionator for separating a portion of said 650° F.+ fraction from the atmospheric fractionator into a nominal 650° F. to 1000° F. (343° C. to 538° C.−) VGO fraction and a catalyst containing nominal 1000° F.+ (538° C.+) bottoms fraction;   d) a DCL reactor slurry mix tank for mixing a portion of said 650° F.+ (343° C.+) fraction with feed coal containing solid carbonaceous material, molybdenum catalyst containing VGO, DCL reactor product VGO, and a portion of said catalyst containing bottoms fraction to form a DCL reactor slurry;   e) a pump for feeding said DCL reactor slurry to the input of said DCL reactor;   f) an upgrading reactor,   g) an upgrader slurry mix tank; and   h) an upgrader atmospheric fractionator for separating the product of the upgrading reactor into components including a liquid product stream and a molybdenum catalyst containing VGO stream, a portion of the said upgrading reactor produced molybdenum catalyst containing VGO stream being fed to said DCL reactor slurry mix tank and the remainder thereof being fed to said upgrader slurry mix tank, said upgrader slurry mix tank mixing a portion of said DCL reactor product VGO fraction with said molybdenum catalyst containing VGO stream and a molybdenum containing catalyst or catalyst precursor to form an upgrading slurry and feeding said upgrading slurry to the input of said upgrading reactor; and   i) heat exchanger means for feeding preheated hydrogen to the inputs of said DCL reactor and said upgrading reactor.   
     
     
         4 ) The integrated apparatus of  claim 3  further including:
 a) feeding a portion of said nominal 1000° F.+ (538° C.+) bottoms as fuel to a cement plant; and 
 b) recovering molybdenum containing catalyst from said vacuum fractionator bottoms in said cement plant. 
 
     
     
         5 ) A cement kiln for recovering molybdenum containing catalyst from coal liquefaction process bottoms comprising:
 a) first and second longitudinally connected rotatable kiln sections having differing diameters;   b) a stationary seal at the connection of said kiln sections for preventing hot gases from escaping between said kiln sections;   c) an input at the free end of said first kiln section for introducing Ingredients for cement manufacture into said first kiln section;   d) an input at the free end of said second kiln section for introducing molybdenum catalyst containing 1000° F.+ (538° C.+) coal liquefaction process bottoms into said second kiln section; and   e) an outlet in said stationary seal for removing a portion of hot MoO 3  containing gas stream from the kiln  400 .