Process for producing high-methane gas
High-methane gas which can be used in place of natural gas is made by (a) catalytically cracking liquid hydrocarbons with water vapor at elevated temperatures and pressures to produce a rich gas containing less than 15 percent hydrogen by volume; (b) cooling the rich gas to a temperature below 150/sup 0/C thereby reducing the water vapor content thereof by condensation; (c) separating condensed water from the rich gas; (d) thereafter hydrogenating the carbon oxides in the gas by dividing same into two streams, one of the streams being preheated to a temperature of at least 250/sup 0/C and then being introduced into the first catalyst layer of a hydrogenation zone containing two catalyst layers, the other of the streams being fed at the temperatures produced in cooling step (b) between the catalyst layers of the hydrogenation zone; and (e) scrubbing the product gas leaving the hydrogenation zone to remove carbon dioxide. Preferably, the ratio of the two streams is adjusted such that the temperature rise in the second catalyst layer of the hydrogenation zone is less than 50/sup 0/C and the product gas leaving the hydrogenation zone contains less than 1 percent hydrogen by volume. 3 claims, 1 figure.
- Assignee:
- Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4012404
- OSTI ID:
- 7307267
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020400 -- Petroleum-- Processing
090121* -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Chemical Synthesis-- (1976-1989)
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ALKANES
CATALYTIC CRACKING
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRACKING
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HIGH BTU GAS
HYDROCARBONS
METALS
METHANATION
METHANE
NICKEL
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS
SYNTHESIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS