초록 ▼

A new cost effective and thermally efficient process for converting nearly valueless resources, such as “static,” lower quality sour natural gas containing hydrogen sulfide, to useable fuels and chemicals, such as hydrogen, methanol and high cetane diesel fuel. The preferred method and

A new cost effective and thermally efficient process for converting nearly valueless resources, such as “static,” lower quality sour natural gas containing hydrogen sulfide, to useable fuels and chemicals, such as hydrogen, methanol and high cetane diesel fuel. The preferred method and apparatus can be used to treat conventional sour gas, i.e., gas having a ratio of H 2 S to CH 4 of at least 0.1 moles and preferably of at least 0.33 moles/mole, using a reforming catalyst and a sulfur capture agent. The process nominally can be carried out using two reactors that repeatedly cycle reactants between two basic process steps—reforming, and air regeneration.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for converting a sour natural gas stream into syngas containing hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, said syngas being substantially free of hydrogen sulfide, said sour natural gas containing at least 0.1 moles of hydrogen sulfide per mole of methane, said method compri

1. A method for converting a sour natural gas stream into syngas containing hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, said syngas being substantially free of hydrogen sulfide, said sour natural gas containing at least 0.1 moles of hydrogen sulfide per mole of methane, said method comprising the steps of:reforming a feed stream containing said sour natural gas and steam by passing said feed stream over a metal-based catalyst to capture sulfur and form a metal sulfide, said metal-based catalyst selected from the group consisting essentially of NiO, Fe 2 O 3 , MnO, CuO, CoO, CdO and ZnO and mixtures thereof;regenerating said metal-based catalyst by contacting said metal sulfide formed during said reforming step with air, wherein the amount of heat consumed in said reforming step is balanced by the heat liberated in said regenerating step. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said sour natural gas has a ratio at least 0.3 moles of hydrogen sulfide per mole of methane. 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a continuous stream of syngas is produced by repeatedly cycling multiple reactors between said reforming and regenerating steps. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reforming and regenerating steps use a nickel-based catalyst and carried out at a temperature of at least 500° C. 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said regenerating step produces vitiated air containing SO 2 , said SO 2 being removed in a further step of passing said vitiated air over a fluidized bed of CaCO 3 at a pressure of between 3 and 10 atmospheres. 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure during said reforming step is at least 100 atmospheres. 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said metal-based catalyst is supported on an inert carrier catalyst. 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said metal-based catalyst is NiO and said reforming step includes a first phase wherein said NiO is reduced to Ni, said CH 4 is reformed to produce hydrogen and CO, and said H 2 S reacts with NiO to produce NiS and H 2 O. 9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said metal-based catalyst is NiO and said reforming step includes a second phase wherein substantially all of the NiO is reduced to Ni and the composition of the output gas from said reforming step changes from CO 2 and H 2 O to an equilibrium mixture of hydrogen, H 2 , CO, CO 2 and CH 4 . 10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said metal-based catalyst is NiO and said regenerating step includes a first phase wherein said air reacts with the Ni formed during said reforming step to form NiO. 11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said metal-based catalyst is NiO and said regenerating step includes a second phase wherein said air reacts with NiS to form SO 2 and NiO.