PROCESS TO PREPARE A FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS PRODUCT

21 A B S T R A C T PROCESS TO PREPARE A FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS PRODUCT PROCESS TO PREPARE A FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS PRODUCT FROM A GASEOUS MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBONS COMPRISING METHANE, ETHANE AND OPTIONAL HIGHER CARBON NUMBER HYDROCARBONS BY PERFORMING THE FOLLOWING STEPS (A) PRE-REFORMING THE HYDROCARBON MIXTURE ADIABATICALLY, (B) HEATING THE GASEOUS MIXTURE OBTAINED IN STEP (A) TO A TEMPERATURE GREATER THAN 650 OC, 10 (C) PERFORMING A NON-CATALYZED PARTIAL OXIDATION BY CONTACTING THE HEATED MIXTURE OF STEP (B) YIELDING A REACTOR EFFLUENT HAVING A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN 1100 AND 1500 OC, (D) PERFORMING A FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS USING THE 15 HYDROGEN- AND CARBON MONOXIDE-CONTAINING GAS AS OBTAINED IN STEP (C) AS FEEDSTOCK AND (E) WHEREIN FROM THE SYNTHESIS PRODUCT OBTAINED IN STEP (D) A RELATIVELY LIGHT STREAM IS SEPARATED AND WHEREIN A FIRST PART OF THE LIGHT STREAM IS RECYCLED TO STEP (A) TO BE 20 SUBJECTED TO PRE-REFORMING AND WHEREIN A SECOND PART OF THE LIGHT STREAM IS RECYCLED TO THE BURNER OF STEP (C) TO BE SUBJECTED TO PARTIAL OXIDATION AND WHEREIN THE TEMPERATURE IN STEP (A) IS CONTROLLED BY THE ADJUSTING THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT STREAM THAT IS RECYCLED TO STEP (A).