Enhancement of fischer-tropsch process for hydrocarbon fuel formulation in a gtl environment

Abstract

An enhanced natural gas processing method using Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process for the synthesis of sulfur free, clean burning, hydrocarbon fuels, examples of which include syndiesel and aviation fuel. A selection of natural gas, separately or combined with portions of natural gas liquids and FT naphtha and FT vapours are destroyed in a syngas generator and used or recycled as feedstock to an Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reactor in order to enhance the production of syndiesel from the reactor. The process enhancement results are the maximum production of formulated syndiesel without the presence or formation of low value by-products.

1 - 47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . A method for producing synthetic hydrocarbons comprising:
 providing a feedstock consisting of 20% ethane, propane, butane and/or pentane, and 80% methane,   feeding said feedstock to a syngas generator comprising steam methane reformer (SMR) to produce a hydrogen-rich syngas stream; and   catalytically converting the hydrogen rich syngas stream in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce synthetic hydrocarbons.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the feedstock comprises 20% propane and/or butane. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising a scrubbing unit to remove one or more components from the syngas stream. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the one or more components comprise one or more of ammonia, sulfur compounds, and carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the feedstock is provided to a combined steam methane reformer and an autothermal reformer. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the synthetic hydrocarbons produced comprise diesel fuel. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the synthetic hydrocarbons produced comprise jet fuel. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the synthetic hydrocarbons produced have an absence of sulfur. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the synthetic hydrocarbons produced have an increased cetane rating as compared to the cetane rating of petroleum based diesel. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 48 , which is performed in a gas to liquid (GTL) plant. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein said synthetic hydrocarbons contain at least naphtha; and said method further comprises recycling at least a portion of said naphtha to said steam methane reformer to form an enhanced hydrogen rich syngas stream; and re-circulating said enhanced hydrogen rich syngas stream for conversion to synthetic hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein said synthetic hydrocarbons contain at least naphtha and unconverted FT (Fischer-Tropsch) vapours; and said method further comprises recycling at least a portion of said naphtha and unconverted FT vapours to said syngas generator to form an enhanced hydrogen rich syngas stream; and re-circulating said enhanced hydrogen rich syngas stream for conversion to synthetic hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the hydrogen-rich syngas stream has a hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio of greater than 2:1. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the hydrogen-rich syngas stream has a hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio of greater than 3:1. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the hydrogen-rich syngas stream has a hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio of approximately 2.5:1. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the hydrogen-rich syngas stream has a hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio of from 3:1 to 5:1. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising separating a portion of hydrogen from the syngas.