ABSTRACT
An overview of commercial Fischer-Tropsch refineries to date is provided, namely, German technology (1930-1940s), U.S. Hydrocol (1940-1950s), Sasol 1 (1950s), Sasol 2 and 3 (1980s), Mossgas (1990s), Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis (1990s), and Sasol-Chevron technology (2000s). Changes in design philosophy are tracked, trends are identified, and with the benefit of hindsight, some general points of learning are highlighted. Some of the most important findings are:
18.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 332 18.2 Classification of Fischer-Tropsch Syncrudes ......................................... 332 18.3 German Technology (1930-1940s) ....................................................... 334 18.4 U.S. Technology (1940-1950s) .............................................................. 337 18.5 Sasol 1 Technology (1950s) ................................................................... 340
18.5.1 Evolution of the Sasol 1 Facility ................................................ 344 18.6 Sasol 2 and 3 Technologies (1980s) ...................................................... 345
18.6.1 Evolution of the Sasol 2 and 3 Facilities .................................... 349 18.7 Mossgas Technology (1990s) .................................................................351 18.8 Shell Technology (1990s) ...................................................................... 354 18.9 Sasol-Chevron Technology (2000s) ...................................................... 356 18.10 Discussion ............................................................................................. 357
18.10.1 Refining Objectives .................................................................. 357 18.10.2 Selection of Fischer-Tropsch Syncrude ................................... 358 18.10.3 Gas-to-Liquids Trends ............................................................. 359
18.11 Conclusions ........................................................................................... 360 References ......................................................................................................... 361
1. Fischer-Tropsch syncrude is best refined to transportation fuels with chemicals co-production.
