TITLE: Research Opportunities for Fischer-Tropsch Technology.

AUTHOR: N. B. Jackson.

INST.  AUTHOR: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States).

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  30 Jun 1999,  7p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE00008477INW

NOTES: Gas-to-Liquid Processing '99; San Antonio, TX; 05/20-21/1999. Sponsored by Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

ABSTRACT:

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was discovered in Germany in the 1920's and has been studied by every generation since that time. As technology and chemistry, in general, improved through the decades, new insights, catalysts, and technologies were added to the Fischer-Tropsch process, improving it and making it more economical with each advancement.  Opportunities for improving the Fischer-Tropsch process and making it more economical still exist. This paper gives an overview of the present Fischer-Tropsch processes and offers suggestions for areas where a research investment could improve those processes. Gas-to-liquid technology, which utilizes the Fischer Tropsch process, consists of three principal steps: Production of synthesis gas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) from natural gas, the production of liquid fuels from syngas using a Fischer-Tropsch process, and upgrading of Fischer-Tropsch fuels.  Each step will be studied for opportunities for improvement and areas that are not likely to reap significant benefits without significant investment.

REPORT  NUMBER: SAND99-1670C

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC04-94AL85000