A method for generating hydrocarbons using a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) and a Fischer-Tropsch unit in a single microtubular reactor is described. This method can directly synthesize hydrocarbons from carbon dioxide and water. The method integrates high temperature co-electrolysis of H.sub.2O and CO.sub.2 and low temperature Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process in a single microtubular reactor by designation of a temperature gradient along the axial length of the microtubular reactor. In practice, methods disclosed herein can provide direct conversion of CO.sub.2 to hydrocarbons for use as feedstock or energy storage.

The Fischer-Tropsch process can be used for the conversion of hydrocarbonaceous feed stocks into normally liquid and/or solid hydrocarbons. The feed stock (e.g. natural gas, associated gas and/or coal-bed methane, 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 synthesis gas (or syngas) is then converted in one or more steps over a suitable catalyst at elevated temperature and pressure into paraffinic compounds ranging from methane to high molecular weight molecules comprising up to 200 carbon atoms, or, under particular circumstances, even more. The present invention relates to a catalyst, a method for manufacturing said catalyst. The present invention further relates to a catalyst obtainable by said method. The present invention further relates to a multi tubular reactor comprising said catalyst.

The present application relates to a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst body having an open-celled foam structure, said catalyst body comprising a substrate material and a catalytic active material or precursor thereof wherein: The substrate material: is a metal alloy or ceramic material; having a surface roughness of 50 m or more; has an open-celled foam structure with at least 15 pores per inch; and The catalytically active material or precursor thereof which: is present on the surface of the substrate material; comprises cobalt, iron, ruthenium or a combination thereof; and comprises a catalyst support selected from titania, alumina or silica.

A catalyst including cobalt, a carrier including silica, and a selective promoter including zirconium. The cobalt and the selective promoter are disposed on the surface of the carrier, and the outer surfaces of the active component cobalt and the selective promoter zirconium are coated with a shell layer including a mesoporous material. A method for preparing the catalyst, including: 1) soaking the carrier including silica into an aqueous solution including a zirconium salt, aging, drying, and calcining a resulting mixture to yield a zirconium-loaded carrier including silica; 2) soaking the zirconium-loaded carrier including silica into an aqueous solution including a cobalt salt, aging, drying, calcining a resulting mixture to yield a primary cobalt-based catalyst; 3) preparing a precursor solution of a mesoporous material; and 4) soaking the primary cobalt-based catalyst into the precursor solution of the mesoporous material; and crystalizing, washing, drying, and calcining a resulting mixture.

A catalyst precursor suitable for the Fischer Tropsch reaction is described comprising cobalt oxide supported on a porous support wherein the porous support is a ceramic foam comprising a closed cell structure.

The disclosed invention relates to a method for restarting a synthesis gas conversion process which has stopped. The synthesis gas conversion process may be conducted in a conventional reactor or a microchannel reactor. The synthesis gas conversion process may comprise a process for converting synthesis gas to methane, methanol or dimethyl ether. The synthesis gas conversion process may be a Fischer-Tropsch process.

A catalyst precursor suitable for the Fischer Tropsch reaction is described comprising cobalt oxide supported on a porous support wherein the porous support is a ceramic foam comprising a closed cell structure.

A unique process and catalyst is described that operates efficiently for the direct production of a high cetane diesel type fuel or diesel type blending stock from stochiometric mixtures of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This invention allows for, but is not limited to, the economical and efficient production high quality diesel type fuels from small or distributed fuel production plants that have an annual production capacity of less than 10,000 barrels of product per day, by eliminating traditional wax upgrading processes. This catalytic process is ideal for distributed diesel fuel production plants such as gas to liquids production and other applications that require optimized economics based on supporting distributed feedstock resources.

A hydrocarbon generation system that combines a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) and a Fischer-Tropsch unit in a single microtubular reactor is described. This system can directly synthesize hydrocarbons from carbon dioxide and water. High temperature co-electrolysis of H.sub.2O and CO.sub.2 and low temperature Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process are integrated in a single microtubular reactor by designation of a temperature gradient along the axial length of the microtubular reactor. The microtubular reactor can provide direct conversion of CO.sub.2 to hydrocarbons for use as feedstock or energy storage.

The present invention relates to a process for treating a catalyst to improve performance, and more specifically to a process for treating a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst using a high hydrogen syngas to improve catalyst performance.