Velocys Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis Technology—New Advances on State-of-the-Art

Each process configuration for practicing the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) places particular demands on the catalyst to be used. We discuss how the Velocys microchannel reactor system used in conjunction with a unique Velocys catalyst prepared by the organic matrix combustion method results in a very stable, high performance FT synthesis system. With the very high heat removal capability of the microchannel structure, stable, single pass conversions near 80 % can be realized. Further, the catalysts are shown to be stable under these high conversion conditions even with exit ratios of H₂O/H₂ as high as 7–8. The slow loss of catalyst performance with time-on-stream can be completely reversed using an oxidative regeneration approach and this cycle can be applied to the catalyst numerous times without deleterious effect.