The present invention concerns the production and use of feedstock streams. Specifically, the present invention provides a process for the production of a commodity using two or more feedstock streams. Each feedstock stream is processed into a common intermediate and subsequently processed into a final product, such as electrical energy, a liquid fuel or a liquefied fuel, such as methanol, dimethyl ether, synthetic gasoline, diesel, kerosene, or jet fuel. The common intermediate may be synthetic gas (syngas), producer gas or pyrolysis gas.

The present invention concerns the production and use of feedstock streams. Specifically, the present invention provides a process for the production of a commodity using two or more feedstock streams. Each feedstock stream is processed into a common intermediate and subsequently processed into a final product, such as electrical energy, a liquid fuel or a liquefied fuel, such as methanol, dimethyl ether, synthetic gasoline, diesel, kerosene, or jet fuel. The common intermediate may be synthetic gas (syngas), producer gas or pyrolysis gas.

A process the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether in the presence of a solid Brønsted acid catalyst selected from aluminosilicate zeolites which have a maximum free sphere diameter of greater than 3.67 Angstroms and heteropolyacids and a promoter selected from methyl formate, dimethyl oxalate and dimethyl malonate and the molar ratio of promoter to methanol is maintained at less than 1.

A process the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether in the presence of a solid Brønsted acid catalyst selected from aluminosilicate zeolites which have a maximum free sphere diameter of greater than 3.67 Angstroms and heteropolyacids and a promoter selected from methyl formate, dimethyl oxalate and dimethyl malonate and the molar ratio of promoter to methanol is maintained at less than 1.

A method of synthesizing fuel from an aqueous solution includes pumping the aqueous solution, containing dissolved inorganic carbon, from a body of water into a carbon extraction unit. The method further includes extracting the dissolved inorganic carbon from the aqueous solution to create CO.sub.2 by changing a pH of the aqueous solution in the carbon extraction unit. The CO.sub.2 derived in the carbon extraction unit is received by a fuel synthesis unit, and the CO.sub.2 is converted into fuel including at least one of a hydrocarbon, an ether, or an alcohol using the fuel synthesis unit.

A method of synthesizing fuel from an aqueous solution includes pumping the aqueous solution, containing dissolved inorganic carbon, from a body of water into a carbon extraction unit. The method further includes extracting the dissolved inorganic carbon from the aqueous solution to create CO.sub.2 by changing a pH of the aqueous solution in the carbon extraction unit. The CO.sub.2 derived in the carbon extraction unit is received by a fuel synthesis unit, and the CO.sub.2 is converted into fuel including at least one of a hydrocarbon, an ether, or an alcohol using the fuel synthesis unit.

Integrated methods and systems are disclosed for the production of dimethyl ether. The method may include reforming natural gas to syngas in a first reactor; contacting the syngas produced in the first reactor with a catalyst system in a second reactor to produce dimethyl ether and carbon dioxide; and supplying steam as a cofeed to at least one of the first reactor and the second reactor in an amount sufficient to achieve a M.sub.m value of 1.4 to 1.8 or to improve the hydrocarbon or oxygenate selectivity.

Integrated methods and systems are disclosed for the production of dimethyl ether. The method may include reforming natural gas to syngas in a first reactor; contacting the syngas produced in the first reactor with a catalyst system in a second reactor to produce dimethyl ether and carbon dioxide; and supplying steam as a cofeed to at least one of the first reactor and the second reactor in an amount sufficient to achieve a M.sub.m value of 1.4 to 1.8 or to improve the hydrocarbon or oxygenate selectivity.

A process by which the raw material, a gas comprising mainly hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, is introduced into a first reactor together with a catalyst, in which one or more reactions take place that produce methanol or dimethyl ether or both, which are then introduced into a second reactor adding oxygen and a catalyst and producing formaldehyde and a minority of dimethyl ether, and where there may be an excess of water, such water being extracted from the process and the remaining products being introduced into the third reactor with, optionally, an additive, and such raw material is exposed to catalysts and under an atmosphere at medium temperature and pressure, in order to produce three or four groups of chemical reactions that, after extracting most of the water that is generated as a residue during the process, produces as a result a liquid multifunctional product that can be used as a solvent, a foaming agent or an oxygenated fuel; said product, normally a fluid, comprises polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers with molecular formula CH3O(CH2O)nCH3 wherein n has a value between 1 and 7.

A process by which the raw material, a gas comprising mainly hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, is introduced into a first reactor together with a catalyst, in which one or more reactions take place that produce methanol or dimethyl ether or both, which are then introduced into a second reactor adding oxygen and a catalyst and producing formaldehyde and a minority of dimethyl ether, and where there may be an excess of water, such water being extracted from the process and the remaining products being introduced into the third reactor with, optionally, an additive, and such raw material is exposed to catalysts and under an atmosphere at medium temperature and pressure, in order to produce three or four groups of chemical reactions that, after extracting most of the water that is generated as a residue during the process, produces as a result a liquid multifunctional product that can be used as a solvent, a foaming agent or an oxygenated fuel; said product, normally a fluid, comprises polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers with molecular formula CH3O(CH2O)nCH3 wherein n has a value between 1 and 7.