Developing a Pilot Industrial Plant for the Production of Synthetic Hydrocarbons from Natural Gas

Basic engineering solutions for a pilot industrial plant for the production of synthetic hydrocarbons from natural gas by a three-stage scheme that includes the synthesis of syngas, the synthesis of a wide fraction of hydrocarbons, and the separation and purification of ceresin are developed. The partial oxidation of methane (natural gas) with air for the synthesis of syngas is validated. The area of stable operation for tubular reactors based on a cobalt catalyst using diluted syngas is determined for the synthesis of a wide fraction of hydrocarbons: T <= 230 degrees C, P <= 2.0 MPa, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) <= 1500 h(-1). Target synthesis products that include Ceresin 100 are separated via stagewise fractionation at atmospheric and low (below 10 mmHg) pressures and T <= 360 degrees C. The proposed solutions ensure the flexibility and reliability of the pilot industrial plant and the possibility of refining its operational regimes within a wide range of process parameters.