484results about "Refining by heating/cooling" patented technology

A method for utilizing whole crude oil as a feedstock for the pyrolysis furnace of an olefin production plant wherein the feedstock after preheating is subjected to mild thermal cracking assisted with controlled cavitation conditions until substantially vaporized, the vapors being subjected to severe cracking in the radiant section of the furnace.

A method for utilizing whole crude oil as a feedstock for the pyrolysis furnace of an olefin production plant wherein the feedstock after preheating is subjected to mild thermal cracking assisted with controlled cavitation conditions until substantially vaporized, the vapors being subjected to severe cracking in the radiant section of the furnace.

A device and method are provided for manipulating petroleum, non-conventional oil and other viscous complex fluids made of hydrocarbons that comprise enforcement of fluid in a multi-stage flow-through hydrodynamic cavitational reactor, subjecting said fluids to a controlled cavitation and continuing the application of such cavitation for a period of time sufficient for obtaining desired changes in physical properties and / or chemical composition and generating the upgraded products. The method includes alteration of chemical bonds, induction of interactions of components, changes in composition, heterogeneity and rheological characteristics in order to facilitate handling, improve yields of distillate fuels and optimize other properties.

The invention relates to hydrocarbon conversion processes, to equipment useful in such processes, to the products of such hydrocarbon conversion processes and the use thereof, and to the use of energy derived from such processes.

Disclosed herein are processes for producing and separating ethane and ethylene. In some embodiments, an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) product gas comprising ethane and ethylene is introduced to a separation unit comprising two separators. Within the separation unit, the OCM product gas is separated to provide a C2-rich effluent, a methane-rich effluent, and a nitrogen-rich effluent. Advantageously, in some embodiments the separation is achieved with little or no external refrigeration requirement.

A method for processing a fluidic mixture in a multi-stage hydrodynamic cavitation device is disclosed. The fluidic mixture is introduced to an inlet and passed through a flowpath having at least ten cavitation zones. The fluidic mixture is exposed to cavitation inducing features in each of the at least ten cavitation zones to induce cavitation bubbles, which bubbles are then collapsed between every two adjacent of the at least ten cavitation zones. The multi-stage hydrodynamic cavitation device for processing the fluidic mixture has a generally cylindrical housing with an inlet, an outlet, a flowpath therebetween, and a plurality of cavitation zones along the flowpath. Two or more of the cavitation zones along the flowpath comprise a disk multi-jet nozzle having a plurality of through channels disposed across the surface thereof, wherein each channel includes expansions and contractions of its cross-sectional area along its length.

Disclosed herein are processes for producing and separating ethane and ethylene. In some embodiments, an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) product gas comprising ethane and ethylene is introduced to a separation unit comprising two separators. Within the separation unit, the OCM product gas is separated to provide a C2-rich effluent, a methane-rich effluent, and a nitrogen-rich effluent. Advantageously, in some embodiments the separation is achieved with little or no external refrigeration requirement.

A triglyceride or a triglyceride / hydrocarbon combination can be heated to produce thermally treated feeds. The thermally treated feeds can then be contacted with a hydrotreating catalyst in a reaction zone.

The invention is intended to produce high-pressure light fuel gas with good combustibility by contacting and reacting high-temperature, high-pressure water and heavy oil with each other in a contact-reaction unit to extract light oil components from the heavy oil and to remove metals. The high-temperature, high-pressure water and the heavy oil are introduced to the contact-reaction unit for contact and reaction with each other therein. Heavy oil components not dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water are separated by precipitation from hydrocarbon gases and light oil components which are dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water. The separated heavy oil components are burnt or incinerated without any further modification.

A process for producing polymer drag reducing agent (DRA) slurries without cryogenic temperatures or conventional grinding is described. The homogenizing or size reduction of polymer, such as poly(alpha-olefins), may be achieved by the use of granulated polymer and at least one liquid, non-solvent for the polymer DRA. In one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the homogenizing is conducted at ambient temperature. Examples of suitable non-solvents include water and non-aqueous non-solvents including, but not necessarily limited to, alcohols, glycols, glycol ethers, ketones, and esters; having from 2-6 carbon atoms, and combinations thereof. The polymeric DRA may be homogenized to an average particle size of about 600 microns or less.

An acoustic / pressure wave-driven device for separating a first component from a mixture of the first component and a second fluid component. The device comprises a rich reservoir, a lean reservoir, a pump reservoir, a bridge structure, and an acoustic / pressure wave source. The rich reservoir is for containing a fluid mixture having an elevated concentration of the first component. The lean reservoir is for containing a fluid mixture having a lesser concentration of the first component that is leaner than the concentration of the first component in fluid mixture of the rich reservoir. The pump reservoir contains a fluid mixture of the first component and the second fluid component. The bridge structure has a sidewall defining a gradient channel in fluid communication with the rich reservoir and the lean reservoir and a length extending there between. The gradient channel is for containing a fluid having a concentration gradient of the first component along its length. A diffusion portion of the sidewall disposed between the gradient channel and the pump reservoir is adapted to permit diffusion of at least the first component between the gradient channel and the pump reservoir while preventing fluid flow there between. The acoustic / pressure wave source provides acoustic waves into the pump reservoir to cause pressure oscillations in the fluid mixture therein adjacent to the diffusion portion to move molecules of the target component against the concentration gradient from the lean reservoir into the rich reservoir.

The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock that utilizes a short residence pyrolytic reactor operating under conditions that cracks and chemically upgrades the feedstock. The method for upgrading a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprises introducing a particulate heat carrier into an upflow reactor, introducing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock into the upflow reactor at a location above that of the particulate heat carrier so that a loading ratio of the particulate heat carrier to feedstock is from about 15:1 to about 200:1, allowing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to interact with the heat carrier with a residence time of less than about 1 second, to produce a product stream, separating the product stream from the particulate heat carrier, regenerating the particulate heat carrier, and collecting a gaseous and liquid product from the product stream.

A vortex reactor includes a reactor body having first and second ends, with one or more inlet ports coupled to the first end. The reactor is configured to form one or more vortices in a fluid passed into the reactor. The inlet port(s) may be positioned to advance a reactor fluid into the reactor body at an angle tangential to an inner surface of the reactor body, forming a vortex that advances toward the second end along the inner surface of the reactor body. A vortex induction mechanism can be disposed within the reactor to induce or augment a vortex within the reactor. The reactor includes an ultrasound-imparting device configured to generate cavitation bubbles in the reactor fluid. The fluid flow within the reactor concentrates the cavitation bubbles within the vortex, thereby providing beneficial physical and / or chemical effects, while protecting the reactor walls and other reactor components from cavitational erosion.

A process for stabilization of heavy hydrocarbons to reduce sludge formation in storage tanks and / or transportation lines and to enhance the hydrocarbon yield includes mixing a paraffinic or heavy naphtha solvent having carbon numbers in the range 10 to 20 with the feedstock to solvent-flocculate a relatively small, predetermined portion of asphaltenes present in the feedstock, separating and flashing the sediment to recover a light hydrocarbon fraction, flashing the heavy hydrocarbon / solvent phase and recycling the solvent to stabilize the heavy hydrocarbons without significantly affecting the yield of valuable products.

The present invention is directed to the upgrading of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock that utilizes a short residence pyrolytic reactor operating under conditions that cracks and chemically upgrades the feedstock. The process of the present invention provides for the preparation of a partially upgraded feedstock exhibiting reduced viscosity and increased API gravity. This process selectively removes metals, salts, water and nitrogen from the feedstock, while at the same time maximizes the yield of the liquid product, and minimizes coke and gas production. Furthermore, this process reduces the viscosity of the feedstock in order to permit pipeline transport, if desired, of the upgraded feedstock with little or no addition of diluents. The method for upgrading a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprises introducing a particulate heat carrier into an upflow reactor, introducing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock into the upflow reactor at a location above that of the particulate heat carrier so that a loading ratio of the particulate heat carrier to feedstock is from about 15:1 to about 200:1, allowing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to interact with the heat carrier with a residence time of less than about 1 second, to produce a product stream, separating the product stream from the particulate heat carrier, regenerating the particulate heat carrier, and collecting a gaseous and liquid product from the product stream. This invention also pertains to the products produced by the method.

Process for reclaiming useful products from a waste oil, comprising a thermal separation step performed in a vessel at conditions, of temperature and pressure, allowing to substantially avoid cracking of the waste oil and to assure the separation of said heated waste oil into a first heavy oil fraction and into a second light oil fraction having, in comparison with the waste oil, a low content in solids and / or in other contaminants that are different from water and from inert gas. The process is further characterized in that while, during the thermal separation treatment, the waste oil is heated to a temperature about the boiling temperature of the heavy oil fraction, and below the cracking temperature of the waste oil, and at a pressure that is preferably below the atmospheric pressure, the heavy oil fraction of the vapours existing the vessel, in contact with a cooler surface, condenses and falls back into the vessel, while the second fraction, in a gaseous state, is eventually submitted to at least one further separation treatment. When water is present in the waste oil, said water is used to improve the amount of recovered light oils; and / or when no water is present in the waste oil, water or at least one inert gas or at least one component that may become an inert gas by heating may be added to the waste oil or to the thermal separation unit. Uses of the process for environmental applications and for treating used oils and to prepare oil products. Systems for reclaiming useful products from waste oils comprising at least one rotating kiln and at least one self-refluxing condenser and / or at least one dephlegmator.

A method and a system for transporting a flow of fluid hydrocarbons containing wax and / or asphaltenes or any other precipitating solids through a treatment and transportation system including a pipeline are disclosed. The flow of fluid hydrocarbons is introduced into a reactor (4), where it is mixed with another fluid flow having a temperature below a crystallization temperature for the wax and / or asphaltenes or other solids and containing particles or crystals acting as nucleating and / or growth cores for the wax and / or asphaltenes or other solids, the mixing temperature providing precipitation of the wax and / or asphaltenes or other solids from the flow of fluid hydrocarbons, and the effluent flow of hydrocarbons and particles is conveyed from the reactor (4) to a pipeline (6) for transportation.

The invention is intended to produce high-pressure light fuel gas with good combustibility by contacting and reacting high-temperature, high-pressure water and heavy oil with each other in a contact-reaction unit to extract light oil components from the heavy oil and to remove metals. The high-temperature, high-pressure water and the heavy oil are introduced to the contact-reaction unit for contact and reaction with each other therein. Heavy oil components not dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water are separated by precipitation from hydrocarbon gases and light oil components which are dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water. The separated heavy oil components are burnt or incinerated without any further modification.

Disclosed is an apparatus for extracting sulfur compounds from a hydrocarbon stream. A prewash section for converting hydrogen sulfide to sodium sulfide by reaction with an alkali such as caustic prepares the hydrocarbon stream for extraction. Spent alkali is continuously withdrawn and regenerated alkali is continuously added to the prewash section.

A method to remove a metals impurity from a petroleum feedstock for use in a power generating process is provided. The method comprising the steps of mixing a heated feedstock with a heated water stream in a mixing device to produce a mixed stream; introducing the mixed stream to a supercritical water reactor in the absence of externally provided hydrogen and externally provided oxidizing agent to produce a reactor effluent comprising a refined petroleum portion; cooling the reactor effluent to produce a cooled stream; feeding the cooled stream to a rejecter configured to separate a sludge fraction to produce a de-sludged stream; reducing the pressure of the de-sludged stream to produce a depressurized product; separating the depressurized product to produce a gas phase product and a liquid product; separating the liquid product to produce a petroleum product, having a reduced asphaltene content, reduced concentration of metals impurity, and reduced sulfur.

The present invention relates to transportable product for the transportation of paraffinic wax and methods of transporting using this transportable product. The transportable product comprises 90 to 20 weight % of a hydrocarbonaceous liquid, wherein the hydrocarbonaceous liquid comprises ≧75 weight % of a liquid selected from the group consisting of naphtha, heavy oil, distillate, lubricant base oil, and mixtures thereof, and 10 to 80 weight % of wax particles, wherein the wax particles comprise ≧90 weight % of wax particles larger than 2.4 mm. The transportable product and methods of transporting according to the present invention are able to accommodate a relatively high weight % of paraffinic wax particles in the transportable product while avoiding interparticle adhesion and clumping by ensuring that the wax particles are not too small and the amount of small wax particles is not excessive.

A method for determining asphaltene stability in a hydrocarbon-containing material having solvated asphaltenes therein is disclosed. The method involves the steps of: (a) precipitating an amount of the asphaltenes from a liquid sample of the hydrocarbon-containing material with an alkane mobile phase solvent in a column; (b) dissolving a first amount and a second amount of the precipitated asphaltenes by gradually and continuously changing the alkane mobile phase solvent to a final mobile phase solvent having a solubility parameter at least 1 MPa0.5 higher than the alkane mobile phase solvent; (c) monitoring the concentration of eluted fractions from the column; (d) creating a solubility profile of the dissolved asphaltenes in the hydrocarbon-containing material; and (e) determining one or more asphaltene stability parameters of the hydrocarbon-containing material.

The fuel properties of petroleum hydrocarbon waste having an API gravity varying from about 5 to 30 are improved by heating the hydrocarbon to a temperature of about 35° C. to 90° C. and mixing the heated hydrocarbon stream with a suitable solvent to reduce the viscosity of the hydrocarbon, which is then separated by a centrifuge to obtain an aqueous phase stream, an oil phase stream, and a separated solids stream. The oil phase stream has a viscosity range of about 250 centipoise (cP) to about 1000 cP. The oil phase stream is utilized in a refinery, while a slurry fuel is prepared with the separated solids stream and aqueous phase stream as a feedstock for road asphalt, a fuel for a combustor, or a fuel for a gasification process. The oil phase stream is used for fuels and feedstock for making carbon fiber.

A method for removal and condensation of vapors from within an enclosed space (120) is disclosed. An enclosed space (120) containing material (110) is surrounded by an insulative permeable layer (130) having a lowering temperature gradient (230) between the inner surface (220) and the outer surfaces (240). The insulative layer (130) may also be covered by an impermeable layer (140). Heating the material (110) in the enclosed space (120) causes the formation of vapors at a positive pressure within the enclosed space (120). Vapors pass through the inner surface (220) of the insulative permeable layer (130) and contact the permeable materials and are condensed by the lowering temperature within the insulative layer (130). The condensate liquid passes downwardly through the insulative layer (130) for collection. The positive pressure within the heated enclosed space (120) and the condensation and lowering of pressure and temperature within the insulative layer (130) serves to draw additional vapors from within the enclosed space (120) into the insulative layer (130) for condensation and collection.

Methods and apparatus relate to removal of mercury from crude oil. Such removal relies on transferring mercury from a liquid hydrocarbon stream to a natural gas stream upon contacting the liquid hydrocarbon stream with the natural gas stream. Processing of the natural gas stream after used to strip the mercury from the liquid hydrocarbon stream removes the mercury from the natural gas stream.

A process is disclosed for enhanced recovery of propylene and LPG from the fuel gas produced in Fluid catalytic cracking unit by contacting a heavier hydrocarbon feed with FCC catalyst. In the conventional process, the product mixture from FCC main column overhead comprising naphtha, LPG and fuel gas, are first condensed and gravity separated to produce unstabilized naphtha, which is subsequently used in the absorber to absorb propylene and LPG from fuel gas. However, the recovery of propylene beyond 97 wt % is difficult in this process since unstabilized naphtha already contains propylene of 5 mol % or above. In the present invention, C4 and lighter components from unstabilized naphtha are first stripped off in a separate column to obtain a liquid fraction almost free from propylene (<0.1 mol %) and other LPG components. Such a stripped liquid fraction, after cooling to 20° C. to 30° C., is used in the absorber to absorb higher amounts of propylene and LPG from fuel gas, leading to improved recovery of propylene.

Feeding a slurry comprising inert solids, liquid hydrocarbons, liquid water and sometimes dissolves solids to a unit having a casing defining a thermal extraction chamber heated both directly and indirectly in which first and second intermeshing screws rotate, the screws in close tolerance with each other and with inside casing surfaces. The casing and screws define a tortuous flow path in which the slurry and a vaporous composition evolved therefrom flow. The intermeshing screws push the slurry toward a discharge end of the chamber at a first velocity while reducing pressure and increasing temperature in the chamber, while rotating the screws to create turbulent vacuum thermal conditions in the chamber to physically transform some or all of the slurry into the vaporous composition. The vaporous composition traverses the tortuous flow path with a second velocity at least 1.5 times the first velocity, optionally forming a heated, substantially dry, composition comprising the inert solids.

High energy (e.g., ultrasonic) mixing of a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock and reactants comprised of an oxidation source, catalyst and acid yields a diesel fuel product or additive having substantially increased cetane number. Ultrasonic mixing creates cavitation, which involves the formation and violent collapse of micron-sized bubbles, which greatly increases the reactivity of the reactants. This, in turn, substantially increases the cetane number compared to reactions carried out using conventional mixing processes, such as simple mechanical stirring. Alternatively, an aqueous mixture comprising water and acid can be pretreated with an oxidation source such as ozone and subjected to ultrasonic cavitation prior to reacting the pretreated mixture with a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock.

Recent experimental work with currently available adsorbents indicates that operating the adsorption section at lower temperatures improves the para-xylene productivity. As a result, an aromatics complex and heat recovery network for a low temperature adsorptive separation-isomerization loop is disclosed resulting in adsorbents savings in combination with higher capacity thereby enabling smaller adsorbents chambers, a smaller total heat exchanger area and a lower heat exchanger shell count.