A method of operating a slurry phase apparatus includes feeding one or more gaseous reactants into a slurry body of solid particulate material suspended in a suspension liquid contained inside a vessel. The one or more gaseous reactants are fed into the slurry body through a gas distributor having downward facing gas outlets and are fed towards a fluid impermeable partition spanning across the vessel below the gas distributor. The partition divides the vessel into a slurry volume above the partition and a bottom volume below the partition. A differential pressure is maintained over the partition between predefined limits by manipulating or allowing changes in the pressure in the bottom volume by employing a pressure transfer passage establishing flow or pressure communication between the bottom volume and a head space above the slurry body.

A method (10) of synthesizing Fischer-Tropsch products (20) includes feeding a synthesis gas (30) to a moving-bed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor (16) containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst in a moving catalyst bed and catalytically converting at least a portion of the synthesis gas (30) in the moving catalyst bed to Fischer-Tropsch products (20). The Fischer-Tropsch products (20) are removed from the moving-bed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor (16). The method (10) further includes, while the moving-bed Fisher-Tropsch synthesis reactor (16) is on-line, withdrawing a portion (50) of the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst from the moving-bed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor (16), adding a reactivated Fischer-Tropsch catalyst (57, 58) to the moving-bed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor (16), and adding a fresh Fischer-Tropsch catalyst (60,58), in addition to the reactivated catalyst (57,58), to the moving-bed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor (16).

A method is provided of shutting down an operating three-phase slurry bubble column reactor (10) having downwardly directed gas distribution nozzles (30) submerged in a slurry body (19) of solid particulate material suspended in a suspension liquid contained inside a reactor vessel (12), with the gas distribution nozzles (30) being in flow communication with a gas feed line (26) through which gas is fed to the gas distribution nozzles (30) by means of which the gas is injected downwardly into the slurry body (19). The method includes abruptly stopping flow of gas from the gas feed line (26) to the gas distribution nozzles (30) to trap gas in the gas distribution nozzles (30) thereby to inhibit slurry ingress upwardly into the gas distribution nozzles (30).

A system including a mixing apparatus configured to produce a reformer feedstock and comprising one or more cylindrical vessel having a conical bottom section, an inlet for superheated steam within the conical bottom section and an inlet for at least one carbonaceous material at or near the top of the cylindrical vessel, wherein the one or more cylindrical vessel is a pressure vessel configured for operation at a pressure in the range of from about 5 psig (34.5 kPa) to about 50 psig (344.7 kPa); a reformer configured to produce, from the reformer feedstock, a reformer product comprising synthesis gas, and also producing a hot flue gas; a synthesis gas conversion apparatus configured to catalytically convert at least a portion of the synthesis gas in the reformer product into synthesis gas conversion product, and to separate, from the synthesis gas conversion product, a spent catalyst stream and a tailgas.

A method of operating a slurry phase apparatus includes feeding one or more gaseous reactants into a slurry body of solid particulate material suspended in a suspension liquid contained inside a vessel. The one or more gaseous reactants are fed into the slurry body through a gas distributor having downward facing gas outlets and are fed towards a fluid impermeable partition spanning across the vessel below the gas distributor. The partition divides the vessel into a slurry volume above the partition and a bottom volume below the partition. A differential pressure is maintained over the partition between predefined limits by manipulating or allowing changes in the pressure in the bottom volume by employing a pressure transfer passage establishing flow or pressure communication between the bottom volume and a head space above the slurry body.

The present invention relates to a method for producing liquid or solid hydrocarbons from a synthesis gas via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis which does not carry out a separate reduction pre-treatment for catalyst activation. The method for producing liquid or solid hydrocarbons from a synthesis gas using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis according to the present invention comprises: a first step of applying an iron-based catalyst for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in which the number of iron atoms in the ferrihydrite phase fraction equals 10 to 100% and the number of iron atoms in the hematite phase fraction equals 0 to 90%, with respect to 100% of the number of the number of iron atoms, to a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor; and a second step of activating the catalyst for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis by a synthesis gas which is a reactant under the conditions of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and carrying out the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis by means of the activated catalyst for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. As such, the present invention is capable of efficiently producing liquid or solid hydrocarbons from a synthesis gas via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, even without a separate reduction pre-treatment.

A method of operating a slurry phase apparatus includes feeding one or more gaseous reactants into a slurry body of solid particulate material suspended in a suspension liquid contained inside a vessel. The one or more gaseous reactants are fed into the slurry body through a gas distributor having downward facing gas outlets and are fed towards a fluid impermeable partition spanning across the vessel below the gas distributor. The partition divides the vessel into a slurry volume above the partition and a bottom volume below the partition. A differential pressure is maintained over the partition between predefined limits by manipulating or allowing changes in the pressure in the bottom volume by employing a pressure transfer passage establishing flow or pressure communication between the bottom volume and a head space above the slurry body.

The hydrocarbon synthesis reaction apparatus according to the present invention includes a reaction vessel that brings a synthesis gas having carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen gas as main components into contact with a slurry having a solid catalyst suspended in a liquid hydrocarbon compound to synthesize a liquid hydrocarbon compound using a Fischer-Tropsch reaction; a filter that is provided within the reaction vessel and is configured to separate the liquid hydrocarbon compound from the catalyst; and a powdered catalyst particles-discharging device configured to discharge powdered catalyst particles in the solid catalyst in the slurry to the outside of the reaction vessel.

In the hydrocarbon-producing apparatus, a vapor-liquid separation tank of a second vapor-liquid separation unit is provided with a filling material layer. A vapor-liquid separation tank of the first vapor-liquid separation unit has a first return line. The vapor-liquid separation tank of the second vapor-liquid separation unit has a second return line. A light component of light oil discharged from a bottom of the vapor-liquid separation tank is returned to a portion between a top side above a return-location from the second return line within the vapor-liquid separation tank of the second vapor-liquid separation unit, and a line directly connected with a cooler installed on the first vapor-liquid separation unit through the first return line. A heavy component of light oil discharged from a bottom of the vapor-liquid separation tank of the second vapor-liquid separation unit is returned to the filling material layer through the second return line.

The present invention includes a reactor main body (4) that is formed into a tubular shape having an axis (O) as the center and accumulates a slurry (S); a gas supply line (10) for incorporating a synthesis gas (G) into the reactor main body (4), and a sparger part (5) that is disposed in a lower portion within the reactor main body (4), communicates with the gas supply line (10), and sprays the synthesis gas (G). The sparger part (5) includes a header tube (15) in which a plurality of openings are formed so as to be separated from each other in a first direction and which sprays the synthesis gas (G) from the openings, and a pair of wall surface parts that protrude from the header tube (15), on opposing sides of the plurality of openings and in a direction orthogonal to the first direction.