PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF HYDROCARBONS

摘要

A process for the preparation of hydrocarbons comprises feeding a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide into a reaction zone in a reactor at an elevated temperature and pressure and allowing the hydrogen and carbon monoxide to react in the presence of a catalyst retained in the reaction zone, and is characterized in that a reservoir of a hydrogen-rich gas is maintained at a pressure above that of the pressure of the feed mixture the reservoir and the reaction zone being connected in such a way that hydrogen-rich gas can flow from the reservoir into the reaction zone. A reactor in use in the process is shutdown by interrupting the feed of the mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, thereby allowing hydrogen-rich gas to flow from the reservoir and quench the reactions occurring in the reaction zone. Apparatus for use in the process comprises a reactor having a reaction zone in which catalyst can be retained; an inlet for introducing at elevated pressure a feed gas from a feed gas supply into the reaction zone; means for interrupting the flow of feed gas to the reaction zone from the feed gas supply; storage means for maintaining a reservoir of hydrogen-rich gas at a pressure above that of the feed gas; connection means extending between the storage means and the reaction zone by which hydrogen-rich gas can flow from the reservoir into the reaction zone whilst the flow of feed gas is uninterrupted.