Process for operating a highly productive tubular reactor

Abstract

The present technology is directed to processes for conversion of synthesis gas in a tubular reactor to produce a synthetic product that utilizes high activity carbon monoxide hydrogenation catalysts and a heat transfer structure that surprisingly provides for higher per pass conversion with high selectivity for the desired synthetic product without thermal runaway.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A tubular reactor comprising:
 one or more reactor tubes including a tube inlet;   a tube outlet located downstream of the tube inlet;   an inner tube wall defining an interior of the one or more reactor tubes;   an outer tube wall defining an exterior of the one or more reactor tubes;   a volume of a catalyst provided in at least one section within the interior of the one or more reactor tubes; and   a heat transfer structure provided within the interior of the one or more reactor tubes, the heat transfer structure being in conductive thermal contact with a portion of the catalyst and in at least partial conductive thermal contact with the inner tube wall throughout a surface area of the inner tube wall in the at least one section containing the catalyst;   a reactor inlet in fluid communication with the one or more reactor tubes; and   a reactor outlet located downstream of the reactor inlet and in fluid communication with the one or more reactor tubes,   wherein the tubular reactor satisfies at least one of the following conditions:   a ratio of an effective thermal conductivity of the heat transfer structure and the catalyst with the inner tube wall to a thermal conductivity of the catalyst (k eff /k cat ) is at least 50:1, or   a total combined surf ace area of the heat transfer structure and inner tube wall containing the catalyst per volume of the catalyst (the “SA/V”) is about 500 m 2 /m 3  to about 4000 m 2 /m 3 .   
     
     
         16 . The tubular reactor of  claim 15 , wherein at least about 5% of the surface area of the inner tube wall containing the carbon monoxide hydrogenation catalyst is in conductive thermal contact with the heat transfer structure. 
     
     
         17 . The tubular reactor of  claim 15 , wherein the heat transfer structure comprises steel, aluminum, copper, an alloy thereof, or a combination of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The tubular reactor of  claim 15 , wherein the catalyst is a carbon monoxide hydrogenation catalyst. 
     
     
         19 . The tubular reactor of  claim 18 , wherein the carbon monoxide hydrogenation catalyst is a particulate catalyst having a weight average diameter from about 100 micrometers (μm) to about 1 millimeter (mm). 
     
     
         20 . The tubular reactor of  claim 18 , wherein the carbon monoxide hydrogenation catalyst is a particulate catalyst having an average outer surface to volume ratio from about 3.0 mm −1  to about 50.0 mm −1 . 
     
     
         21 . The tubular reactor of  claim 18 , wherein the carbon monoxide hydrogenation catalyst comprises a particulate Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. 
     
     
         22 . The tubular reactor of  claim 15 , wherein the heat transfer structure comprises a random network of heat conducting surfaces. 
     
     
         23 . The tubular reactor of  claim 15 , wherein the heat transfer structure comprises an ordered network of heat conducting surfaces. 
     
     
         24 . The tubular reactor of  claim 15 , wherein the heat transfer structure comprises a plurality of fins extending radially from a central support. 
     
     
         25 . The tubular reactor of  claim 15 , wherein the heat transfer structure comprises
 a first set of a plurality of fins extending radially from a central support to an internal circumferential wall of the heat transfer structure to define a first set of channels;   a second set of a plurality of fins extending radially from the circumferential wall to the inner tube wall, wherein each fin of the second set is in conductive thermal contact with the inner tube wall to define a second set of channels.