METHANOL PRODUCTION PROCESS USING A HIGH NITROGEN CONTENT SYNTHESIS GAS WITH A HYDROGEN RECYCLE.

摘要

A METHOD FOR PREPARING METHANOL FROM A SYNTHESIS GAS HAVING LESS THAN 90THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT OF H2 TO CONVERT THE CO AND CO2 CONTENT OF THE SYNTHESIS GAS TO METHANOL BY RECYCLING INTO COMBINATION WITH SUCH SYNTHESIS GAS A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF A HYDROGEN RICH GAS STREAM OBTAINED AS A PERMEATE GAS BY DIFFUSION OF THE PROCESS TAIL GAS TO PROVIDE A COMBINED SYNTHESIS-RECYCLE GAS STREAM HAVING AT LEAST ABOUT 95OF THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT OF H2 TO CONVERT ITS CO AND CO2 CONTENT TO METHANOL. IN A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION COMPRESSED AIR IS TAKEN FROM A GAS TURBINE TO FORM THE OXIDANT STEAM USED IN FORMING THE SYNTHESIS GAS, SUCH SYNTHESIS GAS IN COMBINATION WITH THE HYDROGEN RICH RECYCLE GAS IS PROCESSED THROUGH A SERIES OF METHANOL CONVERTORS TO METHANOL AND THE NON-PERMEATE PORTION OF THE TAIL GAS FROM THIS METHANOL PROCESS IS RETURNED AS FUEL TO THE GAS TURBINE.