METHANOL PRODUCTION METHOD AND INSTALLATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE METHOD Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: industrial organic synthesis. SUBSTANCE: method involves: separate feeding of compressed and heated hydrocarbon-containing gas and oxygen- containing gas into mixing zones of in-series disposed reactors at starting temperature up to 500 C and pressure up to 10 MPa with oxygen content in reaction zones no higher than 6 vol.%; over-wall cooling of reaction mixture before each next reaction zone; final cooling of reaction mixture before separation after last reaction zone of last reactor; separation of cooled gas- liquid mixture into off gas and liquid products; rectification of liquid products to yield methanol; and feeding of off gases into initial hydrocarbon- containing gas or burning these gases. According to invention, reaction is accompanied by controlled heat pick-up by way of cooling reaction mixture with steam condensate to give steam, and cooling degree of reaction mixture is regulated by parameters of escaping steam, which is used in liquid product rectification stage. Reaction zone are completely or in part constructed in the form of a series of parallel tubes constituting part of apparatus for over-wall cooling of reaction mixture, these tubes being sheltered by common housing provided with steam condensate-supply pipeline and pipeline for withdrawing steam into rectification unit. EFFECT: increased yield of methanol, simplified process flowsheet, and reduced consumption of hydrocarbon-containing gas. 12 cl, 3 dwg, 1 tbl, 3 ex