Process for producing liquid and, optionally, gaseous products from gaseous reactants

Abstract

An installation for producing liquid and, optionally, gaseous products from gaseous reactants. The installation has a reactor vessel having a vertically extending slurry bed zone; a first gas inlet in the vessel at a low level within the slurry bed zone for introducing gaseous reactants; a second gas inlet in the vessel at a level within the slurry bed zone which is above the first gas inlet for introducing recycled gas, the second gas inlet in the vessel being above the lower 20% of the vertical height of the slurry bed zone; a gas outlet in the vessel above the slurry bed zone, for withdrawing gas from a head space above the slurry bed zone and a liquid outlet in the vessel within the slurry bed zone, for withdrawing liquid product from the vessel.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . An installation for producing liquid and, optionally, gaseous products from gaseous reactants, the installation comprising
 a reactor vessel having a vertically extending slurry bed zone which, in use, will contain a slurry bed of solid particles suspended in a suspension liquid;   a first gas inlet in the vessel at a low level within the slurry bed zone, for introducing gaseous reactants into the vessel;   a second gas inlet in the vessel at a level within the slurry bed zone which is above the first gas inlet, for introducing recycled gas into the vessel, with the second gas inlet in the vessel being above the lower 20% of the vertical height of the slurry bed zone;   a gas outlet in the vessel above the slurry bed zone, for withdrawing gas from a head space above the slurry bed zone; and   a liquid outlet in the vessel within the slurry bed zone, for withdrawing liquid product from the vessel.   
   
   
       18 . The installation as claimed in  claim 17 , which includes slurry redistribution means or slurry redistributors through which, in use, slurry can be redistributed from a high level in the slurry bed to a lower level thereof, thereby to redistribute solid particles within the slurry bed. 
   
   
       19 . The installation as claimed in  claim 17 , in which the second gas inlet is at a level which is located between 20% and 80% of the vertical height of the slurry bed zone. 
   
   
       20 . The installation as claimed in  claim 17  in which the second gas inlet is at a level above the lower 30% of the vertical height of the slurry bed zone. 
   
   
       21 . The installation as claimed in  claim 18  in which the slurry redistribution means or slurry redistributors include downcomers, the downcomers being arranged in at least a