METHOD OF PROCESSING NATURAL GAS TO PRODUCE METHANOL Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: methods of supply and processing natural gas by unit to produce methanol. SUBSTANCE: method includes supply of natural gas under pressure, heating, gas desulfurization, catalytic steam conversion to obtain converted gas, utilization of heat, gas compression, synthesis of methanol with circulation of unreacted gas, recuperation of heat of unreacted gas and further cooling in air cooling apparatus and in cooler of circulating water, separation of condensed methanol. The essence of the method consists in that initial natural gas under pressure of 30-45 atm is heated up to 50 C in tubeside of high-pressure recuperation heat exchanger with heat of circulating gas with temperature of 105-110 C and divided into two flows with ratio of (75-85): (25-15). The first flow is used for process reaction and the second flow is used for combustion. EFFECT: reduced energy consumption and increased economic efficiency of the process. 1 dwg