Method for hydrocarbon modification by directly heating electric heating tube

Abstract

A method of upgrading a hydrocarbon fluid includes introducing a first portion of the hydrocarbon fluid into a first conductive tube and introducing a second portion of the hydrocarbon fluid into a second conductive tube. A DC current is applied to the first conductive tube to heat the first portion of the hydrocarbon fluid within the first tube to a first reaction temperature to form a first product stream, and a DC current is applied to the second conductive tube to heat the second portion of the hydrocarbon fluid within the second tube to a second reaction temperature to form a second product stream. The first product stream is introduced into a product channel through an outlet of the first conductive tube, and the second product stream is introduced into the product channel through an outlet of the second conductive tube.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for upgrading hydrocarbons. Background Art

[0002] Ethylene is widely used as an intermediate in the petrochemical industry and its production volume exceeds that of any other organic compound. Most ethylene production is used to make ethylene oxide, ethylene dichloride and polyethylene, which are precursors to a variety of everyday consumer products. Despite various improvements over the years in thermal efficiency, reliability and safety, steam cracking furnaces used to form hydrocarbons such as ethylene still rely heavily on burning fossil fuels to provide process heat, resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions.

[0003] The steam cracking process for producing ethylene requires approximately half the energy of competing processes (e.g., direct C1 conversion technology) and is expected to remain the most energy-efficient process. CO2 emissions from ethane steam cracking range from 0.76 tons to 1.06 tons of CO2 per ton of ethylene produced, which is lower than naphtha steam cracking and has replaced C1-based routes for the production of ethylene. At projected ethylene production rates, CO2 emissions from conventional steam cracking could exceed 300 Mta-CO2 in the next few years. About 85% of CO2 emissions from the steam cracking process are discharged in the radiant combustion furnace segment. In a conventional radiant furnace, many fuel gas burners are deployed to effectively radiate the heat generated by the combustion process through the tubular reactor walls containing the flowing feedstock (e.g., hydrocarbons and steam) and product gases, thereby providing heat to carry out the desired endothermic chemical reactions.

[0004] The growth and availability of renewable electricity creates opportunities to use renewable energy in the ethylene formation process, thereby eliminating the need to burn fossil fuels and achieving a low-emission process. Various electric heating technologies such as impedance, induction, plasma and microwave can be used to replace combustion heating to generate heat and efficiently transfer heat to the radiant furnace tubes of the steam cracking furnace. However, there is still a need for systems that can form ethylene and other hydrocarbons by heating with renewable power sources. Summary of the invention

[0005] When direct electric heating is applied in large-scale steam cracking processes, large amounts of current and electricity are required. The key challenge is how to effectively and strategically apply direct electric heating to large-scale steam crackers through heaters consisting of multiple pipes that require hundreds of megawatts of electricity. The heating device of the present disclosure can reduce the total current required for the power supply by half, while avoiding the use of electrical isolation devices (such as isolation flanges) and creating multiple heating zones to deliver customized power and heat loads to each conductive pipe of the heating device. Reducing the required current can improve the efficiency of the power supply and associated electrical connections and supporting equipment. In addition, facilitating customized heat injection rates to the conductive pipes can increase the desired product yield.

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure include a heating device, which includes a pair of conductive tubes, a feed channel with a fluid inlet and a ground connection, a product channel with a fluid outlet and a ground connection, and a DC current voltage source. The feed channel is fluidly connected to the inlet of the pair of conductive tubes, and the product channel is fluidly connected to the outlet of the pair of conductive tubes. The pair of conductive tubes includes a first conductive tube and a second conductive tube connected in series, and the DC current voltage source is electrically connected to the first conductive tube and the second conductive tube.

[0007] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure include methods for upgrading hydrocarbon fluids, the methods comprising introducing a hydrocarbon fluid into a fluid inlet of a feed channel, introducing a first portion of the hydrocarbon fluid into an inlet of a first conductive tube, and introducing a second portion of the hydrocarbon fluid into an inlet of a second conductive tube. The method also includes applying a DC current to the first conductive tube to heat the first portion of the hydrocarbon fluid in the conductive tube to a reaction temperature to form a first product stream, and applying a DC current to the second conductive tube to heat the second portion of the hydrocarbon fluid in the conductive tube to a reaction temperature to form a second product stream. The method also includes introducing the first product stream into a product channel through an outlet of the first conductive tube, and introducing the second product stream into the product channel through an outlet of the second conductive tube. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present disclosure may be best understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a method and apparatus for upgrading hydrocarbons according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] Figure 2A is a first side view of an apparatus for upgrading hydrocarbons according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 2B is a second side view of an apparatus for upgrading hydrocarbons according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 3A is a first plan view of an apparatus for upgrading hydrocarbons according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 3B is a second plan view of an apparatus for upgrading hydrocarbons according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 4A is a U-shaped conductive tube of an apparatus for upgrading hydrocarbons according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 4B is a double U-shaped conductive tube of an apparatus for upgrading hydrocarbons according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 5A is a W-shaped conductive tube of an apparatus for upgrading hydrocarbons according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 5B A double W-shaped conductive tube of an apparatus for upgrading hydrocarbons according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 6 is a graphical depiction of ethylene yield as a function of cracking temperature according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 7 is a graphical depiction of a process gas temperature profile according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0020] Figure 8 is a graphical depiction of ethylene yield according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a method for modifying a hydrocarbon fluid, the method comprising: introducing a hydrocarbon fluid into a fluid inlet of a feed channel; introducing a first portion of the hydrocarbon fluid into an inlet of a first conductive tube; introducing a second portion of the hydrocarbon fluid into an inlet of a second conductive tube; applying a DC current to the first conductive tube to heat the first portion of the hydrocarbon fluid in the first conductive tube to a first reaction temperature to form a first product stream; applying a DC current to the second conductive tube to heat the second portion of the hydrocarbon fluid in the second conductive tube to a second reaction temperature to form a second product stream; introducing the first product stream into a product channel through the outlet of the first conductive tube; introducing the second product stream into the product channel through the outlet of the second conductive tube.

[0022] Embodiments of the present disclosure also relate to the above-mentioned method, wherein applying a DC current to a first conductive tube can provide a total heat load for the first conductive tube, wherein greater than 50%, such as 60% to 85%, of the total heat load is provided in a front half of the first conductive tube; and applying a DC current to a second conductive tube can provide a total heat load for the second conductive tube, wherein greater than 50%, such as 60% to 85%, of the total heat load is provided in a front half of the second conductive tube.

[0023] It should be understood that the method for upgrading hydrocarbons disclosed herein can be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the specific embodiments set forth in the disclosure. Rather, the embodiments are provided so that the disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the embodiments will fully convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0024] Specific embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1A heating apparatus 100 for upgrading hydrocarbons in a hydrocarbon fluid 202 according to embodiments described herein is schematically illustrated.

[0026] The heating device 100 includes a pair of conductive tubes (such as Figure 1 As shown, the pair of conductive tubes may include 220a and 220b), a feed channel 210, a product channel 214, and a DC current voltage source 120. The feed channel 210 has a fluid inlet 212 and a ground connection 140, and is fluidly connected to the inlet 211 of the pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b. Similarly, the product channel 214 has a fluid outlet 216 and a ground connection 140, and is fluidly connected to the outlet 215 of the pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b.

[0027] In an embodiment, the power feed 110 may be provided to a transformer 112. The transformer 112 may be any transformer known in the art for transferring electrical energy from one circuit to another. In an embodiment, the transformer 112 may be a power step-down transformer for reducing the voltage level of the power supply, thereby forming a reduced voltage power supply 114, which is provided to a DC current voltage source 120. The power step-down transformer 112 and the associated DC current voltage source 120 may use semiconductor technology, such as thyristors, diodes, insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), integrated gate commutated thyristors (IGCTs), which are commercially available through companies such as Fuji Electric or ABB and are commonly used in the electrochemical or metal industry. It should be understood that although for clarity, the transformer 112 and the DC current voltage source 120 are not shown in FIG. Figure 1 are shown as separate units, but in an embodiment, these components may be integrated into a single unit.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the pair of conductive tubes includes a first conductive tube 220a and a second conductive tube 220b connected in series. As used throughout this disclosure, 220a and 220b will be used to refer to the terms "first conductive tube" and "second conductive tube", respectively, to refer to a pair of conductive tubes or each component in a pair of conductive tubes; however, this does not mean to be limited to a specific pair of conductive tubes or the first pair of conductive tubes, but generally refers to any pair of conductive tubes or any component in a pair of conductive tubes. In an embodiment (such as Figure 1220a and 220b. In an embodiment (not shown), there may be additional pairs of conductive tubes, such as a second pair of conductive tubes including 220a and 220b. In an embodiment (not shown), there may be more than 2 pairs of conductive tubes. In an embodiment, the heating device 100 may include 2 to 100 pairs, 2 to 75 pairs, 2 to 60 pairs, 2 to 50 pairs, 2 to 40 pairs, 2 to 35 pairs, 2 to 30 pairs, 2 to 25 pairs, 2 to 20 pairs, 2 to 15 pairs, 2 to 10 pairs, 2 to 5 pairs, 5 to 100 pairs, 5 to 75 pairs, 5 to 60 pairs, 5 to 50 pairs, 5 to 40 pairs, 5 to 35 pairs, 5 to 30 pairs, 5 to 25 pairs, 5 to 20 pairs, 5 to 15 pairs, 5 to 10 pairs, 10 to 100 pairs, 10 to 75 pairs, 10 to 60 pairs, 10 to 50 pairs, 10 to 40 pairs, 10 to 35 pairs, 10 to 30 pairs, 10 to 25 pairs, 10 to 20 pairs, 10 to 15 pairs, 15 to 100 pairs, 15 to 75 pairs, 15 to 60 pairs, 15 to 50 pairs, 15 to 40 pairs, 15 to 35 pairs, 15 to 30 pairs, 15 to 25 pairs, 15 to 20 pairs, 20 to 100 pairs, 20 to 75 pairs, 20 to 60 pairs, 20 to 50 pairs, 20 to 40 pairs, 20 to 35 pairs, 20 to 30 pairs, 20 to 25 pairs, 25 to 100 pairs, 25 to 75 pairs, 25 to 60 pairs, 25 to 50 pairs, 25 to 40 pairs, 25 to 35 pairs, 25 to 30 pairs, 30 to 100 pairs, 30 to 75 pairs, 30 In some embodiments, the heating apparatus 100 includes at least two pairs of conductive tubes, the first pair of conductive tubes and the second pair of conductive tubes can be physically arranged parallel to each other and separated by a certain distance (d) on the horizontal axis, as shown in the figure.

[0029] In an embodiment, the first conductive tube, the second conductive tube, or both may have a curve along the length of the conductive tube. The shape of each conductive tube may be different, such as similar to the letter M, W, U, inverted U, I, or a combination thereof. It is desirable that each conductive tube connected to the power feed 110 has a similar shape and geometry, and is made of similar materials, and the resistance value at room temperature and at operating temperature is within the range of + / -10% of the specified range of the new material to ensure that the power output required for each conductive tube is within the expected range of approximately + / -11%, thereby ensuring that the heat flux delivered to all pipes is within a narrower range (+ / -11% of the average value) compared to the heat flux delivered to the pipe in the existing conventional combustion furnace (which can vary up to 100% throughout the furnace). The uniform heat flux of the conductive tube can provide a more uniform pipe temperature, so that the maximum pipe temperature along the single pipe and adjacent pipes in the furnace is reduced compared to the maximum pipe temperature present in a conventional combustion furnace. The reduction in the maximum pipe temperature can allow the average pipe temperature to increase, which will improve the conversion rate of the reactants and increase the selectivity to the desired product (ethylene). Therefore, improved control of the maximum temperature of the conductive cracking tube will result in a reduced rate of coke accumulation on the inner wall of the tube. Tubes operating without coke accumulation exhibit higher heat transfer rates, aiding tube cooling and further limiting tube overheating. Reduced coking rates can result in longer operating runs, thereby reducing the frequency of expensive furnace shutdowns required for tube decoking, so a longer overall tube life can be expected with conductive tubes.

[0030] In the embodiment, any pair of conductive tubes may have a resistance of 1.0 μΩ·m to 4.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 1.0 μΩ·m to 3.5 μΩ·m at 900°C, 1.0 μΩ·m to 3.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 1.0 μΩ·m to 2.5 μΩ·m at 900°C, 1.0 μΩ·m to 2.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 1.0 μΩ·m to 1.5 μΩ·m at 900°C, 1.5 μΩ·m to 4.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 1.5 μΩ·m to 3.5 μΩ·m at 900°C, 1.5 μΩ·m to 3.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 1.5 μΩ·m to 2.5 μΩ·m at 900°C, The resistivity of the conductive film may be 1.5 μΩ·m to 2.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 2.0 μΩ·m to 4.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 2.0 μΩ·m to 3.5 μΩ·m at 900°C, 2.0 μΩ·m to 3.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 2.0 μΩ·m to 2.5 μΩ·m at 900°C, 2.5 μΩ·m to 4.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 2.5 μΩ·m to 3.5 μΩ·m at 900°C, 2.5 μΩ·m to 3.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 3.0 μΩ·m to 4.0 μΩ·m at 900°C, 3.0 μΩ·m to 3.5 μΩ·m at 900°C, or 3.5 μΩ·m to 4.0 μΩ·m at 900°C. In an embodiment, the resistivity of the conductive tube may vary over the length of the conductive tube.

[0031] In an embodiment, any conductive tube may have an inner diameter of 1 to 6 inches (in), 1 in to 5 in, 1 in to 4 in, 1 in to 3 in, 1 in to 2 in, 2 in to 6 in, 2 in to 5 in, 2 in to 4 in, 2 in to 3 in, 3 in to 6 in, 3 in to 5 in, 3 in to 4 in, 4 in to 6 in, 4 in to 5 in, or 5 in to 6 in. Any conductive tube may have a wall thickness of 0.1in to 1.5in, 0.1in to 1.25in, 0.1in to 1.0in, 0.1in to 0.75in, 0.1in to 0.5in, 0.1in to 0.25in, 0.25in to 1.5in, 0.25in to 1.25in, 0.25in to 1.0in, 0.25in to 0.75in, 0.25in to 0.5in, 0.5in to 1.5in, 0.5in to 1.25in, 0.5in to 1.0in, 0.5in to 0.75in, 0.75in to 1.5in, 0.75in to 1.25in, 0.75in to 1.0in, 1.0in to 1.5in, 1.0in to 1.25in, or 1.25in to 1.5in. Any conductive tube may have a length of 10 to 60 meters (m), 10m to 50m, 10m to 40m, 10m to 30m, 10m to 20m, 20m to 60m, 20m to 50m, 20m to 40m, 20m to 30m, 30m to 60m, 30m to 50m, 30m to 40m, 40m to 60m, 40m to 50m, or 50m to 60m. In an embodiment, the inner diameter, wall thickness, or both may vary over the length of the conductive tube.

[0032] As previously described, various characteristics of the conductive tube can be modified to deliver different heat loads to different sections of the conductive tube. It is expected that changing the characteristics of the conductive tube can result in heat being delivered in a manner that is conducive to improved performance. Customization of the power and heat load delivered to the conductive tube can be achieved by adjusting the resistance of the first portion of the conductive tube and the resistance of the second portion of the conductive tube relative to each other. In an embodiment, the first portion of any conductive tube may be adjacent to the inlet 211. Similarly, the second portion of any conductive tube may be adjacent to the outlet 215. The resistance can be adjusted by adjusting the characteristics of the various portions of the conductive tube, wherein the characteristics are any of those described herein. It is expected that the resistance of each portion of the conductive tube can also be changed by using different materials with different resistivities.

[0033] In an embodiment, the first conductive tube 220a can be electrically connected to the second conductive tube 220b. In an embodiment, the first current bridge connector 218a and the second current bridge connector 218b are electrically positioned between the first conductive tube 220a and the second conductive tube 220b. The current bridge connectors 218a, 218b are configured to conduct current on the feed channel 210, the product channel 214, or both. In an embodiment, the current bridge connectors 218a, 218b can be connected to the ground connection 140, such as Figure 1 , where ground connection 140 is shown connected to current bridge connection 218a. Figure 1 A ground connection 140 connected to the current bridge connection 218a is shown, but it should be understood that there may be additional or alternative ground connections 140 connected to the other current bridge connections 218a, 218b. In an embodiment (not shown), each current bridge connection 218a, 218b may be connected to a separate or independent ground connection 140.

[0034] The first current bridge connector 218a and the second current bridge connector 218b may include a material having a high melting point, low electrical resistance, and is electrically compatible with the material of the pipe to which they are attached (such as the same material as the pipe). According to an embodiment, the first current bridge connector 218a and the second current bridge connector 218b are made of a material having a resistivity less than or equal to the resistivity of the material used to form the pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b to limit excessive heat generated in the current bridge connector.

[0035] The DC current and voltage source 120 is electrically connected to the first conductive tube 220a and the second conductive tube 220b. In an embodiment, the pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b are configured so that the DC current 130 generated from the DC current and voltage source 120 flows from the first conductive tube 220a to the second conductive tube 220b, and from the second conductive tube 220b to the DC current and voltage source 120. In an embodiment, the DC current 130 can flow from the first conductive tube 220a to the second conductive tube 220b through the first current bridge connector 218a and the second current bridge connector 218b.

[0036] The output voltage (V o ) is the voltage potential of each conductive tube (V p ), thus allowing the same amount of DC current 130 to power the pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b electrically connected in series. It is contemplated that the output voltage (V o ) is the voltage potential of each conductive tube (V p ), which allows the output current (I o) is equal to the current of each tube assembly. This can be used to convert the output current (I o ) is kept to a minimum while allowing the inlet 211 and outlet 215 of the pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b to be electrically grounded through the ground connection 140 to ensure safe operation while also eliminating the need for the use of electrical isolation devices (such as isolation flanges).

[0037] As previously described, the pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b have an inlet 211 and an outlet 215. Any conductive tube may have one inlet 211 (as shown) or may have multiple inlets 211 (not shown). In an embodiment, any conductive tube may have 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 inlets 211. Any conductive tube may have one outlet 215 (as shown) or may have multiple outlets 215 (not shown). In an embodiment, any conductive tube may have 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 outlets 215. In an embodiment, the inlet 211 of the pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b each has a 0 voltage potential. Additionally or alternatively, in an embodiment, the outlet 215 of a pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b each has a 0 voltage potential. The inlet 211 and / or the outlet 215 may have a 0 voltage potential due to being conductively connected to the ground connection 140.

[0038] The heating device 100 can also be configured to deliver the DC current 130 from the inlet 211 of the first conductive tube 220a across the first current bridge connection 218a to the inlet 211 of the second conductive tube 220b. The heating device 100 can also be configured to deliver the DC current 130 from the outlet 215 of the first conductive tube 220a across the second current bridge connection 218b to the outlet 215 of the second conductive tube 220b. It can be expected that the current bridge connection 218a, 218b is a low resistance path compared to the connection between the inlet 211 or the outlet 215; therefore, the portion of the DC current 130 flowing through the current bridge connection 218a, 218b is relatively large compared to the connection between the inlet 211 and the outlet 215.

[0039] In an embodiment, the heating device 100 may further include a positive conductor 124 and a negative conductor 126. In an embodiment, the positive conductor 124 electrically connects the DC current voltage source 120 and the first conductive tube 220a. Similarly, the negative conductor 126 may electrically connect the DC current voltage source 120 and the second conductive tube 220b.

[0040] In an embodiment, the heating device 100 can be configured to send the DC current 130 from the DC current voltage source 120 to the first conductive tube 220a through the positive conductor 124. Additionally or alternatively, the heating device 100 can be configured to send the DC current 130 from the second conductive tube 220b to the DC current voltage source 120 through the negative conductor 126.

[0041] In an embodiment, the positive conductor 124 may be electrically connected to the first conductive tube 220a at a location between the inlet 211 and the outlet 215. Similarly, in an embodiment, the negative conductor 126 may be electrically connected to the second conductive tube 220b at a location between the inlet 211 and the outlet 215. In an embodiment, the positive conductor 124 and the negative conductor 126 may be electrically connected at a location approximately halfway along the length of the conductive tubes 220a, 220b. In an embodiment, the positive conductor 124 and the negative conductor 126 may be electrically connected at a location closer to the inlet 211 of the conductive tubes 220a, 220b (compared to the outlet 215), such as Figure 1 In an embodiment where the positive conductor 124 and the negative conductor 126 are electrically connected at a location along the length of the conductive tubes 220a, 220b closer to the inlet 211 (compared to the outlet 215), more than 50% of the total electrically generated heat of each conductive tube 220a, 220b may be generated in the front half of the conductive tubes 220a, 220b. In an embodiment, 50% to 95%, 50% to 90%, 50% to 85%, 50% to 80%, 50% to 75%, 50% to 70%, 50% to 65%, 50% to 60%, 50% to 55%, 55% to 95%, 55% to 90%, 55% to 85%, 55% to 80%, 55% to 75%, 55% to 70%, 55% to 65%, 55% to 60%, 60% to 95%, 60% to 90%, 60% to 85%, 60% to 80%, 60% to 75%, 60% to 70%, 60% to 65%, 65% to 95%, 65% to 90%, 65% to 85%, 65% to 80%, 65% to 75%, 65% to 70%, 70% to 95%, 70% to 90%, 70% to 85%, 70% to 80%, 70% to 75%, 75% to 95%, 75% to 90%, 75% to 85%, 75% to 80%, 80% to 95%, 80% to 90%, 80% to 85%, 85% to 95%, 85% to 90%, or 90% to 95% may be generated in the first half of the conductive tubes 220a, 220b. In an embodiment, the average heat load (total heat divided by total surface area) along the length of each conductive tube is between 10 and 150 kilowatts per square meter (kW / m 2 ) range, such as 15Kw / m 2 Up to 150Kw / m 2 、20Kw / m 2 Up to 150Kw / m 2 、25Kw / m 2 Up to 150Kw / m 2 、30Kw / m 2 Up to 150Kw / m2 、40Kw / m 2 Up to 150Kw / m 2 、50Kw / m 2 Up to 150Kw / m 2 、70Kw / m 2 Up to 150Kw / m 2 、90Kw / m 2 Up to 150Kw / m 2 , 100Kw / m 2 Up to 150Kw / m 2 、125Kw / m 2 Up to 150Kw / m 2 、10Kw / m 2 Up to 125kW / m 2 、15Kw / m 2 Up to 125Kw / m 2 、20Kw / m 2 Up to 125Kw / m 2 、25Kw / m 2 Up to 125Kw / m 2 、30Kw / m 2 Up to 125Kw / m 2 、40Kw / m 2 Up to 125Kw / m 2 、50Kw / m 2 Up to 125Kw / m 2 、70Kw / m 2 Up to 125Kw / m 2 、90Kw / m 2 Up to 125Kw / m 2 , 100Kw / m 2 Up to 125Kw / m 2 、10Kw / m 2 Up to 100kW / m 2 、15Kw / m 2 Up to 100Kw / m 2 、20Kw / m 2 Up to 100Kw / m 2 、25Kw / m 2 Up to 100Kw / m 2 、30Kw / m 2 Up to 100Kw / m 2 、40Kw / m 2 Up to 100Kw / m 2 、50Kw / m 2 Up to 100Kw / m 2 、70Kw / m 2 Up to 100Kw / m 2、90Kw / m 2 Up to 100Kw / m 2 、10Kw / m 2 Up to 90kW / m 2 、15Kw / m 2 Up to 90Kw / m 2 、20Kw / m 2 Up to 90Kw / m 2 、25Kw / m 2 Up to 90Kw / m 2 、30Kw / m 2 Up to 90Kw / m 2 、40Kw / m 2 Up to 90Kw / m 2 、50Kw / m 2 Up to 90Kw / m 2 、70Kw / m 2 Up to 90Kw / m 2 、10Kw / m 2 Up to 70kW / m 2 、15Kw / m 2 Up to 70Kw / m 2 、20Kw / m 2 Up to 70Kw / m 2 、25Kw / m 2 Up to 70Kw / m 2 、30Kw / m 2 Up to 70Kw / m 2 、40Kw / m 2 Up to 70Kw / m 2 、50Kw / m 2 Up to 70Kw / m 2 、10Kw / m 2 Up to 50kW / m 2 、15Kw / m 2 Up to 50Kw / m 2 、20Kw / m 2 Up to 50Kw / m 2 、25Kw / m 2 Up to 50Kw / m 2 、30Kw / m 2 Up to 50Kw / m 2 、40Kw / m 2 Up to 50Kw / m 2 、10Kw / m 2 Up to 40kW / m 2 、15Kw / m 2 Up to 40Kw / m 2 、20Kw / m 2 Up to 40Kw / m 2、25Kw / m 2 Up to 40Kw / m 2 、30Kw / m 2 Up to 40Kw / m 2 、10Kw / m 2 Up to 30kW / m 2 、15Kw / m 2 Up to 30Kw / m 2 、20Kw / m 2 Up to 30Kw / m 2 、25Kw / m 2 Up to 30Kw / m 2 、10Kw / m 2 Up to 25kW / m 2 、15Kw / m 2 Up to 25Kw / m 2 、20Kw / m 2 Up to 25Kw / m 2 、10Kw / m 2 Up to 20kW / m 2 、15Kw / m 2 Up to 20Kw / m 2 or 10Kw / m 2 Up to 15kW / m 2 .

[0042] Now refer to Figure 2A and Figure 2B Further defining the above-mentioned heating device 100 according to the embodiments disclosed and described herein, Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a side view of a heating device 100 according to one or more embodiments. Figure 2A As shown, the ground connection 140 is electrically connected to the left and right sides of the first conductive tube 220a. In addition, the positive conductor 124 is connected to the middle of the first conductive tube 220a to provide current to the first conductive tube 220a. Due to the resistance of the first conductive tube 220a, applying current to the first conductive tube 220a via the positive conductor 124 will cause the temperature of the first conductive tube 220a to increase, thereby heating the Figure 2A The first portion 202a of the hydrocarbon fluid enters the first conductive tube 220a on the left side. The first portion 202a of the hydrocarbon fluid reacts in the first conductive tube 220a to form a product stream 204.

[0043] like Figure 2B As shown, the ground connection 140 is electrically connected to the left and right sides of the second conductive tube 220b. In addition, the negative conductor 126 is connected to the middle of the second conductive tube 220b to provide a Figure 2A The circuit of the first conductive tube 220a and the positive conductor 124 shown in FIG. Figure 2BDue to the resistance of the second conductive tube 220b, applying current through the circuit formed by the positive conductor 124, the first conductive tube 220a, the second conductive tube 220b and the negative conductor 126 will cause the temperature of the second conductive tube 220b to increase, thereby heating the Figure 2B The second portion 202b of the hydrocarbon fluid enters the second conductive tube 220b on the left side. The second portion 202b of the hydrocarbon fluid reacts in the second conductive tube 220b to form a product stream 204.

[0044] Will refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B Further defining the heating device 100 according to the embodiments disclosed and described herein, Figure 3A and Figure 3B is a perspective view of a heating device 100 according to one or more embodiments. Figure 3A As shown, the first conductive tube 220a and the conductive tube 220b are each fluidly connected to Figure 3A The feed channel 210 on the left, wherein a first portion 202a of the hydrocarbon fluid (not shown) enters the first conductive tube 220a, and a second portion 202b of the hydrocarbon fluid (not shown) enters the second conductive tube 220b. Similarly, the first conductive tube 220a and the second conductive tube 220b are fluidly connected to the product channel 214, where the product stream 204 (not shown) leaves the first conductive tube 220a and the second conductive tube 220b. The positive conductor 124 is electrically connected to the first conductive tube 220a to provide current to the first conductive tube 220a, thereby causing the temperature of the first conductive tube 220a to increase due to its resistance. The first current bridge connector 118a and the second current bridge connector 118b electrically connect the first conductive tube 220a and the second conductive tube 220b, thereby allowing current to flow more easily between the first conductive tube 220a and the second conductive tube 220b. It should be understood that the first current bridge connector 118a and the second current bridge connector 118b may exist in Figure 2A and Figure 2B In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , however, this will not be visible in the side view. Figure 3A , the ground connection 140 is electrically connected to the first current bridge connection 118a and the second current bridge connection 118b. The second conductive tube 220b is electrically connected to the negative conductor 126, thereby completing the circuit between the positive conductor 124, the first conductive tube 220a, the first current bridge connection 118a, the second current bridge connection 118b, the second conductive tube 220b and the negative conductor 126.

[0045] like Figure 3B As shown, the plurality of first conductive tubes 220a and the plurality of conductive tubes 220b are each fluidly connected to Figure 3BThe feed channel 210 on the left side, wherein the first portion 202a of the hydrocarbon fluid enters a plurality of first conductive tubes 220a, and the second portion 202b of the hydrocarbon fluid enters a plurality of second conductive tubes 220b. Similarly, the plurality of first conductive tubes 220a and the plurality of second conductive tubes 220b are fluidly connected to a product channel 214, where the product stream 204 leaves the plurality of first conductive tubes 220a and the plurality of second conductive tubes 220b. A plurality of positive conductors 124 are electrically connected to the plurality of first conductive tubes 220a to provide current to the plurality of first conductive tubes 220a, thereby causing the temperature of the plurality of first conductive tubes 220a to increase due to their resistance. A plurality of first current bridge connectors 118a and a plurality of second current bridge connectors 118b electrically connect the plurality of first conductive tubes 220a and the plurality of second conductive tubes 220b, thereby allowing current to flow more easily between the plurality of first conductive tubes 220a and the plurality of second conductive tubes 220b. The ground connection 140 is electrically connected to the plurality of first current bridge connections 118a and the plurality of second current bridge connections 118b. The plurality of second conductive tubes 220b are electrically connected to the plurality of negative conductors 126, thereby completing the circuit between the plurality of positive conductors 124, the plurality of first conductive tubes 220a, the plurality of first current bridge connections 118a, the plurality of second current bridge connections 118b, the plurality of second conductive tubes 220b, and the plurality of negative conductors 126.

[0046] The present disclosure also relates to a method of upgrading a hydrocarbon fluid using the heating apparatus described herein. The method may use any of the heating apparatus previously described in the present disclosure.

[0047] The method of upgrading the hydrocarbon fluid 202 includes introducing the hydrocarbon fluid 202 into the fluid inlet 212 of the feed channel 210, and introducing the hydrocarbon fluid 202 into the pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b. In embodiments, the hydrocarbon fluid 202 may include 60% to 99% by weight, 60% to 95% by weight, 60% to 85% by weight, 60% to 80% by weight, 60% to 75% by weight, 60% to 70% by weight, 60% to 65% by weight, 65% to 99% by weight, 65% to 95% by weight, 65% to 85% by weight, 65% to 80% by weight, 65% to 75% by weight, 65% to 70% by weight, 70% to 9 ... % to 95 wt%, 70 wt% to 85 wt%, 70 wt% to 80 wt%, 70 wt% to 75 wt%, 75 wt% to 99 wt%, 75 wt% to 95 wt%, 75 wt% to 85 wt%, 75 wt% to 80 wt%, 80 wt% to 99 wt%, 80 wt% to 95 wt%, 80 wt% to 85 wt%, 85 wt% to 99 wt%, 85 wt% to 95 wt%, 85 wt% to 90 wt%, 90 wt% to 95 wt%, or 95 wt% to 99 wt% of paraffinic hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbon fluid 202 can be a gas, a liquid, or a combination of both. In embodiments, paraffinic hydrocarbons can include acyclic saturated hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, or a combination thereof.

[0048] Introducing the hydrocarbon fluid 202 into the pair of conductive tubes 220a, 220b includes introducing a first portion 202a of the hydrocarbon fluid into the inlet 211 of the first conductive tube 220a, and introducing a second portion 202b of the hydrocarbon fluid into the inlet 211 of the second conductive tube 220b. It should be understood that similar flows will occur using additional pairs of conductive tubes. In embodiments, the method may include additional pairs of conductive tubes as described above.

[0049] The method further includes applying a DC current 130 to the first conductive tube 220a to heat the first portion 202a of the hydrocarbon fluid in the first conductive tube 220a to a reaction temperature to form a first product stream 204. The method further includes applying a DC current 130 to the second conductive tube 220b to heat the second portion 202b of the hydrocarbon fluid in the second conductive tube 220b to a reaction temperature to form a second product stream 204. In embodiments, heating the first portion 202a of the hydrocarbon fluid and heating the second portion 202b of the hydrocarbon fluid comprises heating to 600°C to 900°C, 600°C to 850°C, 600°C to 800°C, 600°C to 750°C, 600°C to 700°C, 600°C to 650°C, 650°C to 900°C, 650°C to 850°C, 650°C to 800°C, 650°C to 750°C, 650°C to 700°C, 700°C to 900°C, 700°C to 850°C, 700°C to 800°C, 700°C to 750°C, 750°C to 900°C, 750°C to 850°C, 750°C to 800°C, 800°C to 900°C, 800°C to 850°C or 850°C to 900°C.

[0050] In an embodiment, the method may additionally include sending DC current 130 from the DC current voltage source 120 to the first conductive tube 220a through the positive conductor 124, and sending DC current 130 from the first conductive tube 220a to the second conductive tube 220b. The method may also include sending DC current 130 from the second conductive tube 220b to the DC current voltage source 120 through the negative conductor 126.

[0051] In an embodiment, applying a DC current 130 to the conductive tube 220 may provide greater than 50%, 50% to 95%, 50% to 85%, 50% to 80%, 50% to 75%, 50% to 70%, 50% to 65%, 50% to 60%, 50% to 55%, 55% to 95%, 55% to 85%, 55% to 80%, 55% to 75%, 55% to 70%, 55% to 65%, 55% to 60%, 60% to 95%, 60% to 95%, 60% to 65%, 60% to 65%, 60% to 60 ...65%, 60% to 60%, 60% to 95%, 60% to 65%, 60% to 65%, 60% to 60%, 60% to 60%, 60% to 95%, 60% to 65%, 60% to 65%, 60% to 60%, 60% to 60%, 60% to 95%, 60% to 65%, 60% to 65%, 60% to 65%, 60% to 60%, 60% to %, 85% to 80%, 60% to 75%, 60% to 70%, 60% to 65%, 65% to 95%, 65% to 85%, 65% to 80%, 65% to 75%, 65% to 70%, 70% to 95%, 70% to 85%, 70% to 80%, 70% to 75%, 75% to 95%, 75% to 85%, 75% to 80%, 80% to 95%, 80% to 85%, 85% to 95%, 85% to 90%, or 90% to 95% of the total heat load. Specifically, in embodiments, applying the DC current 130 to the first conductive tube 220a can provide greater than 50% of the total heat load in the front half of the first conductive tube 220a. Similarly, in embodiments, applying a DC current to the second conductive tube 220b may provide greater than 50%, 50% to 95%, 50% to 85%, 50% to 80%, 50% to 75%, 50% to 70%, 50% to 65%, 50% to 60%, 50% to 55%, 55% to 95%, 55% to 85%, 55% to 80%, 55% to 75%, 55% to 70%, 55% to 65%, 55% to 60%, 60% to 95%, 60% to 85%, 60% to 80%, 60% to 75%, 60% to 70%, 60% to 65%, 65% to 95%, 65% to 85%, 65% to 80%, 65% to 75%, 65% to 70%, 70% to 95%, 70% to 85%, 70% to 80%, 70% to 75%, 75% to 95%, 75% to 85%, 75% to 80%, 80% to 95%, 80% to 85%, 85% to 95%, 85% to 90% or 90% to 95% total heat load.

[0052] The method also includes introducing the first product stream 204 into the product channel 214 through the outlet 215 of the first conductive tube 220a, and introducing the second product stream 204 into the product channel 214 through the outlet 215 of the second conductive tube 220b. The first and second product streams 204 may include olefins, such as ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 2-butene, isobutylene, 1-pentene, 2-pentene, 2-methyl-1-butene, 3-methyl-1-butene, 2-methyl-2-butene, or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the first product stream 204 and the second product stream 204 may include greater than 20 weight %, greater than 25 weight %, greater than 30 weight %, greater than 35 weight % or greater than 40 weight % olefins. In embodiments, the first product stream 204 and the second product stream 204 may include 20 wt % to 100 wt %, 20 wt % to 95 wt %, 20 wt % to 90 wt %, 20 wt % to 85 wt %, 20 wt % to 80 wt %, 20 wt % to 75 wt %, 20 wt % to 70 wt %, 20 wt % to 65 wt %, 20 wt % to 60 wt %, 20 wt % to 55 wt %, 20 wt % to 50 wt %, 20 wt % to 45 wt %, 20 wt % to 40 wt %, 20 wt % to 30 wt %. 5 wt %, 20 wt % to 30 wt %, 20 wt % to 25 wt %, 25 wt % to 100 wt %, 25 wt % to 95 wt %, 25 wt % to 90 wt %, 25 wt % to 85 wt %, 25 wt % to 80 wt %, 25 wt % to 75 wt %, 25 wt % to 70 wt %, 25 wt % to 65 wt %, 25 wt % to 60 wt %, 25 wt % to 55 wt %, 25 wt % to 50 wt %, 25 wt % to 45 wt %, 25 wt % to 40 wt %, 25 wt % % to 35 wt%, 25 wt% to 30 wt%, 30 wt% to 100 wt%, 30 wt% to 95 wt%, 30 wt% to 90 wt%, 30 wt% to 85 wt%, 30 wt% to 80 wt%, 30 wt% to 75 wt%, 30 wt% to 70 wt%, 30 wt% to 65 wt%, 30 wt% to 60 wt%, 30 wt% to 55 wt%, 30 wt% to 50 wt%, 30 wt% to 45 wt%, 30 wt% to 40 wt%, 30 wt% to 35 wt%, 35 wt% to 35 wt%, % to 100 wt %, 35 wt % to 95 wt %, 35 wt % to 90 wt %, 35 wt % to 85 wt %, 35 wt % to 80 wt %, 35 wt % to 75 wt %, 35 wt % to 70 wt %, 35 wt % to 65 wt %, 35 wt % to 60 wt %, 35 wt % to 55 wt %, 35 wt % to 50 wt %, 35 wt % to 45 wt %, 35 wt % to 40 wt %, 40 wt % to 100 wt %, 40 wt % to 95 wt %, 40 wt % to 90 wt %,40% to 85% by weight, 40% to 80% by weight, 40% to 75% by weight, 40% to 70% by weight, 40% to 65% by weight, 40% to 60% by weight, 40% to 55% by weight, 40% to 50% by weight, 40% to 45% by weight, 45% to 100% by weight, 45% to 95% by weight, 45% to 90% by weight, 45% to 85% by weight, 45% to 80% by weight, 45% to 75% by weight, 45% to 70% by weight, 45% to 65% by weight, 45% to 60% by weight, 45% to 55% by weight %, 45% to 50% by weight, 50% to 100% by weight, 50% to 95% by weight, 50% to 90% by weight, 50% to 85% by weight, 50% to 80% by weight, 50% to 75% by weight, 50% to 70% by weight, 50% to 65% by weight, 50% to 60% by weight, 50% to 55% by weight, 55% to 100% by weight, 55% to 95% by weight, 55% to 90% by weight, 55% to 85% by weight, 55% to 80% by weight, 55% to 75% by weight, 55% to 70% by weight, 55% to 65% by weight %, 55% to 60% by weight, 60% to 100% by weight, 60% to 95% by weight, 60% to 90% by weight, 60% to 85% by weight, 60% to 80% by weight, 60% to 75% by weight, 60% to 70% by weight, 60% to 65% by weight, 65% to 100% by weight, 65% to 95% by weight, 65% to 90% by weight, 65% to 85% by weight, 65% to 80% by weight, 65% to 75% by weight, 65% to 70% by weight, 70% to 100% by weight, 70% to 95% by weight, 70% to 9 %, 0%, 70% to 85%, 70% to 80%, 70% to 75%, 75% to 100%, 75% to 95%, 75% to 90%, 75% to 85%, 75% to 80%, 80% to 100%, 80% to 95%, 80% to 90%, 80% to 85%, 85% to 100%, 85% to 95%, 85% to 90%, 90% to 100%, 90% to 95%, or 95% to 100% olefins.

[0053] In an embodiment, one or more of the conductive tubes 220 in the conductive tube pairs 220a, 220b may have multiple heating zones, wherein each heating zone operates at a different temperature. Figure 4A , the conductive tube 220 includes an inlet 211 through which the hydrocarbon fluid 202 enters the conductive tube 220 and an outlet 215 through which the product stream 204 exits the conductive tube. Located between the inlet 211 of the conductive tube 220 and the outlet 215 of the conductive tube 220 is a conductor that conducts current to or from the conductive tube 220. It should be understood that the conductor can be the positive conductor 124 or the negative conductor 126 described previously, and in Figure 4A Marked as 124 / 126. Figure 4A In the illustrated embodiment, the first heating zone 221 is positioned to the left of the conductor 124 / 126, and the second heating zone 222 is positioned to the right of the conductor 124 / 126. The temperature in the first heating zone 221 is different from the temperature in the second heating zone 222. The temperature difference between the first heating zone 221 and the second heating zone 222 can be achieved by having different resistances in the first heating zone 221 and the second heating zone 222. For example, the portion of the conductive tube 220 including the first heating zone 221 can be made of a material having a different resistivity than the portion of the conductive tube 220 including the second heating zone 222. For another example, the portion of the conductive tube 220 including the first heating zone 221 can have a different cross-section or wall thickness than the portion of the conductive tube 220 including the second heating zone 222. In this way, by transmitting current through the conductor 124 / 126, the temperature in the first heating zone 221 can be higher or lower than the temperature in the second heating zone.

[0054] If, during the process of converting the hydrocarbon fluid 202 into the product stream 204, it is necessary to quickly heat the hydrocarbon fluid 202 to the reaction temperature and then maintain the temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid 202 at the reaction temperature for a period of time to complete the reaction of the hydrocarbon fluid 202 to the product stream 204, it may be desirable to have multiple heating zones 221, 222 in the conductive tube 220. In such cases, it may be desirable that the temperature in the first heating zone 221 is higher than the temperature in the second heating zone 222. This temperature difference between the first heating zone 221 and the second heating zone 222 can be achieved by making the resistivity of the material of the first heating zone 221 lower than the resistivity of the material of the second heating zone 222. In addition, the cross-section or wall thickness of the first heating zone 221 can provide a higher overall resistance in the first heating zone 221 than in the second heating zone 222. It should also be understood that the use of varying cross-sections or wall thicknesses within the first heating zone 221 can also provide a temperature gradient within the first heating zone 221 itself. Similarly, the use of varying cross-sections or wall thicknesses within the second heating zone 222 can also provide a temperature gradient within the second heating zone 222 itself.

[0055] As described above, the use of temperature differences in the first heating zone 221 and the second heating zone 222 and the temperature gradient within the first heating zone 221 and the second heating zone 222 can allow for fine tuning and good control of the heating within the conductive tube 220. For example, a heating program to produce a desired product stream 204 from a given hydrocarbon fluid 202 can be obtained using reaction kinetics and simulations known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and then an electrically heated reactor using paired conductive tubes 220 as disclosed and described herein can be manufactured using various materials for the tubes, various tube cross-sections, and various tube wall thicknesses to most closely approximate the heating program simulated using reaction kinetics. In addition, it is easier to control the temperature of the tubes using electrical current than with the multiple burners currently used, which can run hot or cold depending on gas flow, proximity to walls, components, and other burners, etc.

[0056] FIG. 4A to FIG. 5B Several possible geometries of the conductive tube 220 according to the embodiments disclosed and described herein are shown. It should be understood that FIG. 4A to FIG. 5B The geometric shapes shown are exemplary only and are not meant to be limiting of the present invention; many other geometric shapes may be used within the scope of the present disclosure. FIG. 4A to FIG. 5B As shown, each conductive tube 220 may include a straight and / or curved tube, such as a U-shaped tube, a W-shaped tube, a plurality of U-shaped tubes, and a plurality of W-shaped tubes. Figure 4A It is a U-shaped tube having a first heating zone 221 on the left side of the conductive tube 220 and a second heating zone 222 on the right side of the conductive tube 220 . Figure 4B The double U-shaped tube has two tubes 221a and 221b in the first heating zone 221. The use of the double U-shaped tube allows a certain volume of hydrocarbon fluid 202 in the first heating zone 221 to be separated into the two tubes 221a and 221b, which can increase the heating rate of the hydrocarbon fluid 202 in the first heating zone 221 by increasing the contact area between the hydrocarbon fluid 202 and the heated tube wall.

[0057] Figure 5A is a W-shaped conductive tube 220, wherein the total volume of the hydrocarbon fluid 202 in the W-shaped conductive tube 220 is greater than Figure 4A The volume of hydrocarbon fluid 202 in the U-shaped conductive tube 220 is shown. Therefore, Figure 5A The volume of the first heating zone 221 of the W-shaped conductive tube 220 is also larger than Figure 4A The volume of the first heating zone 221 of the U-shaped conductive tube 220 is shown. Figure 5BA double W-shaped conductive tube 220 is shown, in which a certain volume of hydrocarbon fluid 202 in the first heating zone 221 is separated into two tubes 221a and 221b. The use of the double W-shaped conductive tube 220 can allow a certain volume of hydrocarbon fluid 202 in the first heating zone 221 to be separated into two tubes 221a and 221b, which can increase the heating rate of the hydrocarbon fluid 202 in the first heating zone 221 by increasing the contact area between the hydrocarbon fluid 202 and the heated tube wall. FIG. 4A to FIG. 5B It shows how to tailor the conductive tube to match the simulation reaction program based on kinetics and simulation.

[0058] By using the configuration disclosed above, more than 50% of the electric heat can be generated in the first heating zone 221, such as 50% to 85% of the electric heat, 55% to 85% of the electric heat, 60% to 85% of the electric heat, 65% to 85% of the electric heat, 70% to 85% of the electric heat, 75% to 85% of the electric heat, 80% to 85% of the electric heat, 55% to 80% of the electric heat, 60% to 80% of the electric heat, 65% to 85% of the electric heat, 0% electric heating, 70% to 80% electric heating, 75% to 80% electric heating, 55% to 75% electric heating, 60% to 75% electric heating, 65% to 75% electric heating, 70% to 75% electric heating, 55% to 70% electric heating, 60% to 70% electric heating, 65% to 70% electric heating, 55% to 65% electric heating, 60% to 65% electric heating or 55% to 60% electric heating.

[0059] It should be understood that each conductive tube 220a, 220b in a pair of conductive tubes 220 may independently have a first heating zone 221 and a second heating zone 222, regardless of the number of conductive tube pairs. In a pair of conductive tubes 220, the first heating zone 221 and the second heating zone 222 in each conductive tube 220a and 220b may be individually designed and may be the same as or different from any other first heating zone 221 and second heating zone 222 in any other conductive tube 220a and 220b in a pair of conductive tubes 220.

[0060] Example

[0061] According to the above embodiment, a method for upgrading hydrocarbons is calculated using a cracking pipe with a single constant heat flux along the entire length of the pipe and a conductive pipe with a dual heating zone, which consists of a higher heating zone in the inlet part of the pipe and a subsequent zone with lower heat flux.

[0062] The single heating zone cracking pipe had an inner diameter of 3", a wall thickness of 0.355", a length of 40.5m and a resistivity of 1.494μΩ-m at 900°C. It was assumed that temperature varied with resistivity. The pipe was connected to a 132V DC potential at one end of the pipe channel and to a 0V DC potential at the other end of the channel. The total current (Io) was 4892 amps. This configuration had a uniform heat generation rate throughout the pipe. The hydrocarbon fluid was then passed through the conventional cracking pipe at a flow rate of 793.7Kg / hr with an inlet temperature of 675°C. The hydrocarbon fluid comprised 80 wt% ethane and 20 wt% steam.

[0063] The conductive tube with dual-zone heat flux has an inner diameter of 3", a length of 40.5m and a resistivity of 1.494μΩ-m at 900°C. The temperature is assumed to vary with the resistivity. A DC potential difference of 122V is applied to the tube pair electrically connected in series at a position of 17.5m from the inlet. The wall thickness of the first conductive tube is 0.5", and the wall thickness of the remaining conductive tubes is 0.3". The hydrocarbon fluid is then passed through a conventional cracking pipeline at a flow rate of 793.7Kg / hr with an inlet temperature of 675°C. The hydrocarbon fluid includes 80 wt% ethane and 20 wt% steam. The potential field, DC current, process flow and cracking reaction are simulated using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model using Fluent V.19.4. The electrical heat generated in the first 50% of the conductive tube volume accounts for 73% of the total heat of the conductive tube length. The calculated temperature and pressure fields are then applied to a one-dimensional kinetic model to further confirm the cracking performance.

[0064] Figure 6 is a graphical depiction of ethylene yield as a function of cracking for a simulation system based on reaction kinetics; it represents how the yield achieved by the system disclosed and described herein varies with cracking temperature at a constant hydrocarbon residence time. Specifically, curve 1 shows ethylene yield, curve 2 shows C2H4 selectivity, and curve 3 shows C2H6 selectivity. For the above examples, Figure 6 The asterisk on the graph highlights the inflection point of curve 1 at maximum ethylene yield and corresponding favorable reaction temperature. As will be shown in the summary of results of this example below, the heat load configuration and potential arrangement in the conductive tube, favorable reaction temperature and higher process yield were achieved.

[0065] The results are summarized in Table 1 and Figure 7 and Figure 8 For the single heating zone cracking tube and the dual heating zone conductive tube, the process pressure drop over the length of the tube is about 7.5 pounds per square inch differential (psid). Figure 7 The predicted process gas temperature distributions are compared, where Curve 1 is a single heating zone cracking pipe and Curve 2 is a dual heating zone (an example of multiple heating zones) conductive pipe of the present disclosure, where the latter shows the process gas temperature closest to the favorable reaction temperature. Figure 8 The ethylene dry mass fraction along the length of the pipe is compared, where Curve 1 is a single heating zone cracking pipe and Curve 2 is a dual heating zone conductive pipe of the present disclosure. It is observed that the dual heating zone conductive pipe increases the temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid more quickly than the single zone cracking pipe and then maintains the temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid within a narrow range after the initial heating. As shown in Table 1 below, it was determined that the dual zone conductive pipe produced an outflow ethylene mass fraction of 52.8 wt% (dry) and the single zone cracking pipe produced an outflow ethylene mass fraction of 49.2 wt% (dry).

[0066] Table 1: Summary of modeling results

[0067]

[0068] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Therefore, this specification is intended to cover modifications and variations of the described embodiments as long as these modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading a hydrocarbon fluid, the method comprising: introducing the hydrocarbon fluid into a fluid inlet of a feed channel; introducing a first portion of the hydrocarbon fluid into an inlet of a first conductive conduit; introducing a second portion of the hydrocarbon fluid into an inlet of a second conductive conduit; applying a DC current to the first conductive tube to heat the first portion of the hydrocarbon fluid within the first conductive tube to a first reaction temperature to form a first product stream; applying a DC current to the second conductive tube to heat the second portion of the hydrocarbon fluid within the second conductive tube to a second reaction temperature to form a second product stream; introducing the first product stream into a product channel through the outlet of the first conductive tube; as well as The second product stream is introduced into the product channel through the outlet of the second conductive tube. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive tube and the second conductive tube form a pair of conductive tubes, and the method comprises additional pairs of conductive tubes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method comprises 2 to 100 pairs of conductive tubes.

4. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the feed channel and the product channel are grounded.

5. The method according to any preceding claim, further comprising: Sending a DC current from a DC current voltage source to the first conductive tube through a positive conductor; Convert DC current to: From the inlet of the first conductive tube across the first current bridge connector to the inlet of the second conductive tube, From the outlet of the first conductive tube across the second current bridge connector to the outlet of the second conductive tube, or both; Convert DC current to: From the inlet of the first conductive tube across the feed channel to the inlet of the second conductive tube, From the outlet of the first conductive tube across the product channel to the outlet of the second conductive tube, or both; as well as A DC current is sent from the second conductive tube through the negative conductor to the DC current voltage source.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the positive conductor is electrically connected to a location of the first conductive tube between the inlet and the outlet, and the negative conductor is electrically connected to a location of the second conductive tube between the inlet and the outlet.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first conductive tube has the inlet fluidly connected to the feed channel and the outlet fluidly connected to the product channel; the second conductive tube has the inlet fluidly connected to the feed channel and the outlet fluidly connected to the product channel; The inlet of the first conductive tube and the inlet of the second conductive tube each have a voltage potential of 0; And the outlet of the first conductive tube and the outlet of the second conductive tube each have a 0 voltage potential.

8. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the first conductive tube and the second conductive tube have a resistivity of 1.0 μΩ·m to 4.0 μΩ·m at 900°C.

9. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the first and second conductive tubes each have an inner diameter of 1 inch to 6 inches, a wall thickness of 0.1 inches to 1.5 inches, and a length of 10 meters to 60 meters.

10. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the wall thickness of the first and second conductive tubes varies over the length of each of the first and second conductive tubes.

11. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the first conductive tube and the second conductive tube form a pair of conductive tubes, and the resistivity of the pair of conductive tubes varies over the length of the pair of conductive tubes.

12. The method of any preceding claim, wherein heating the first portion of the hydrocarbon fluid and heating the second portion of the hydrocarbon fluid comprises heating the first portion of the hydrocarbon fluid and the second portion of the hydrocarbon fluid to 600°C to 900°C.

13. A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the hydrocarbon fluid comprises from 60 wt% to 99 wt% paraffins; and the first product stream and the second product stream comprise greater than 40 wt% olefins.

14. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein: applying a DC current to the first conductive tube to provide a total heat load to the first conductive tube, wherein greater than 50% of the total heat load is provided in a front half of the first conductive tube; and Applying a DC current to the second conductive tube provides a total heat load to the second conductive tube, wherein greater than 50% of the total heat load is provided in a front half of the second conductive tube.

15. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein: applying a DC current to the first conductive tube to provide a total heat load to the first conductive tube, wherein 60% to 85% of the total heat load is provided in a front half of the first conductive tube; and Applying a DC current to the second conductive tube provides a total heat load to the second conductive tube, wherein 60% to 85% of the total heat load is provided in a front half of the second conductive tube.

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