Methods, systems, and catalysts for the direct conversion of syngas to high-octane hydrocarbons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12180130-B2
Application number	US-202117401778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2021
Priority date	Aug 14, 2020
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method that includes converting a gas stream that contains hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) to a second mixture that contains a hydrocarbon, for example, a hydrocarbon having between 3 and 15 carbon atoms, where the converting is performed using a first catalyst configured to convert H 2 and CO to methanol, a second catalyst configured to convert methanol to dimethyl ether (DME), and a third catalyst configured to convert DME to the hydrocarbon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
converting a gas stream comprising hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) to a mixture comprising a hydrocarbon having between 3 and 15 carbon atoms, wherein:
the converting is performed using a first catalyst configured to convert H 2 and CO to methanol, a second catalyst configured to convert methanol to dimethyl ether (DME), and a third catalyst configured to convert DME to the hydrocarbon;
the first catalyst and the second catalyst are physically mixed in a first catalyst bed and the third catalyst is positioned in a second catalyst bed;
the first catalyst bed and second catalyst bed are contained in a single stacked packed-bed reactor in series;
the first catalyst comprises copper-zinc oxide-alumina (CZA);
the second catalyst comprises gamma alumina (A); and
the third catalyst comprises copper modified BEA zeolite (Cu/BEA).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Cu/BEA catalyst comprises a beta zeolite having a silica to alumina ratio between about 20:1 and about 300:1.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the copper in the third catalyst is present at a concentration between about 1 wt % and about 20 wt %, relative to the total weight of the third catalyst.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first catalyst and the second catalyst are present at a ratio between about 1:1 and about 8:1.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second catalyst and the third catalyst are present at a ratio between about 0.1:1 and about 5:2.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas stream further comprises carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the gas stream has a concentration of carbon dioxide greater than or equal to 10 mol %.

Assignees

• Alliance Sustainable Energy

Inventors

• Ruddy Daniel
• Hensley Jesse Evan
• Schaidle Joshua A
• Nash Connor Patrick
• To Anh The

Classifications

• B01J35/19

  Catalysts containing parts with different compositions · CPC title

• B01J8/04

  the fluid passing successively through two or more beds · CPC title

• C07C2521/06

  Silicon, titanium, zirconium or hafnium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof · CPC title

• C07C2521/04

  Alumina · CPC title

• C07C2521/08

  Silica · CPC title