The Fischer-Tropsch process can be used for the conversion of hydrocarbonaceous feed stocks into normally liquid and/or solid hydrocarbons (i.e. measured at 0 C., 1 bar). The feed stock (e.g. natural gas, associated gas, coal-bed methane, residual oil fractions, biomass and/or coal) is converted in a first step into a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This mixture is often referred to as synthesis gas or syngas. The present invention relates to process for preparing a paraffin product from a carbonaceous feedstock and a system for preparing a paraffin product from a carbonaceous feedstock.

An input stream of gaseous nitrogen and carbon dioxide is introduced into a first interior volume of a separation vessel that is divided into first and second interior volumes by a separation membrane that includes a metal layer. The metal layer selectively permits movement of nitrogen through the metal layer. An output stream of gaseous nitrogen and carbon dioxide is conveyed out of the first interior volume and into a reaction vessel. The volume fraction of carbon dioxide is greater in the output stream than in the input stream; the volume fraction of nitrogen is reduced in the output stream relative to the input stream. Nitrogen is removed from the second interior volume to maintain a gradient of nitrogen partial pressure across the separation membrane that causes net transport of nitrogen from the first interior volume through the separation membrane into the second interior volume.

A reactor for hydrocarbon production that separates wax reaction products from lightweight gaseous reaction products. The reactor has a housing, a catalyst bed, a product recovery zone, and a stripping zone. The catalyst bed can be provided in multi-tubular and other fixed bed configurations. The stripping zone receives light-weight gas reaction products from the product recovery zone, while a gas outlet of the housing receives non-lightweight gaseous hydrocarbon reaction products from the product recovery zone. A wax outlet of the housing receives wax products from the product recovery zone.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure include methods of improving the activity of an at least partially non-active Fischer-Tropsch (FT) catalyst in a tubular FT reactor, which includes heating a heat transfer fluid (HTF) to a vapor state, using the heated HTF in the vapor state to achieve and maintain the at least partially non-active FT catalyst at a predetermined stage temperature; and exposing the at least partially non-active FT catalyst to at least one stage FT catalyst activity-related gas for a stage duration of time to increase the activity of the FT catalyst to a desired level. Other methods, systems and apparatuses are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method for start-up and operation of a Fischer-Tropsch reactor comprising the steps of: (a) providing a reactor with a fixed bed of reduced Fischer-Tropsch catalyst that comprises cobalt as catalytically active metal; (b) supplying a gaseous feed stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen to the reactor, wherein the gaseous feed stream comprises a nitrogen-containing compound other than molecular nitrogen in an initial concentration, wherein the initial concentration in the range of from 10 to 350 ppbv based on the volume of the gaseous feed stream; (c) converting carbon monoxide and hydrogen supplied with the gaseous feed stream to the reactor into hydrocarbons at a reaction temperature and at a set reactor productivity, whilst maintaining the initial concentration of the nitrogen-containing compound and maintaining the set reactor productivity during a first time period by adjusting the reaction temperature; (d) decreasing the concentration of the nitrogen- containing compound to a second concentration in the range of from 0 to 20 ppbv, wherein the second concentration is at least 5 ppbv below the initial concentration, preferably at least 20 ppbv below the initial concentration, and maintaining the reactor productivity by adjusting the reaction temperature.

A multi-structured tubular element for producing a reactor for effecting exothermic/endothermic chemical reactions, comprises two or more monolithic thermoconductive bodies, assembled together so that each has a part of the side surface interfaced with the side surface of one or more monolithic thermoconductive bodies adjacent thereto, so as to form as a whole, a honeycomb structure containing a plurality of longitudinal channels extending from one end to the other of said tubular element, suitable for being filled with a granular catalytic solid.

A nano-nickel catalyst and a hydrogenation device of carbon oxides are provided. The hydrogenation device is configured to reduce the carbon oxides to form low carbon hydrocarbons. The nano-nickel catalyst has a metallic nickel body and a plurality of microstructures connecting with at least one surface of the metallic nickel body. The microstructures are sharp, and have a length-diameter ratio ranging from 2 to 5.

A fuel synthesis catalyst of an embodiment for hydrogenating a gas includes at least one selected from the group consisting of; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, the catalyst comprising, an oxide base material containing at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of; Al.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO, TiO.sub.2, and SiO.sub.2, first metal particles containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of; Ni, Co, Fe, and Cu and brought into contact with the oxide base material, and a porous oxide layer containing at least one selected from the group consisting of; CeO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, and SiO.sub.2 and having an interface with each of the first metal particles and the oxide base material.

In some embodiments, a system for producing liquid fuel from landfill gas includes a tri-reformer that receives landfill gas and produces synthesis gas having a H.sub.2:CO ratio of approximately 2:1, and a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) reformer that receives the synthesis gas from the tri-reformer and produces liquid fuel.

Provided is a method and apparatus for producing a hydrocarbon fraction. The hydrocarbon fraction is formed from biomass based synthesis gas, the synthesis gas is fed through at least two catalyst layer, the first catalyst layer includes Fe-based catalyst, the second catalyst layer includes Co-based catalyst, and the synthesis gas is treated by supplying the synthesis gas through the first and second catalyst layers in order to form a hydrocarbon composition including the hydrocarbon fraction. Further, provided is a hydrocarbon fraction and its use.