Asphaltene Stabilization in Petroleum Feedstocks

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Asphaltenes in petroleum feedstocks cause fouling, precipitation, and equipment issues due to their instability, leading to increased operational and maintenance costs, equipment failures, and reduced efficiency in refining and processing.

Innovation Solution

Adding an effective amount of biological source oil, such as algae oil, or a chemical additive, like alkylphenol-based resins, to the petroleum feedstock to stabilize asphaltenes, either separately or in combination, to prevent precipitation and agglomeration, thereby improving their stability and reducing fouling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If asphaltenes are present in petroleum feedstocks, then the feedstock contains valuable components, but asphaltenes precipitate and cause fouling under varying temperature, pressure, or blending conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveasphaltene contentVSAvoidasphaltene stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces asphaltenic feedstock as an intermediary substance that acts as a stabilizing agent. This feedstock contains high concentrations of asphaltenes (30-80 wt%) and is blended with problematic petroleum feedstocks to prevent asphaltene precipitation. The asphaltenic feedstock serves as a mediator that maintains asphaltene solubility through shared structural characteristics and colloidal stability mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the compositional parameters of the petroleum feedstock by blending it with asphaltenic feedstock. This alters the overall asphaltene concentration, aromaticity, and colloidal balance of the mixture. By adjusting the blend ratio, the system maintains asphaltenes in solution under varying temperature, pressure, and blending conditions through parameter optimization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If asphaltenes precipitate from solution, then they can be separated, but they cause fouling, plugging, and equipment failures in production and processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveasphaltene separationVSAvoidfouling and deposits

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-stabilizing asphaltenes through blending with asphaltenic feedstock before they can precipitate and cause harmful effects. This preventive approach maintains asphaltenes in a dissolved state throughout production and processing operations, countacting the tendency to aggregate and deposit on equipment surfaces before fouling can occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Adaptability or versatility

If blending incompatible feedstocks is done, then production flexibility increases, but asphaltenes come out of solution and cause problems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeedstock blending flexibilityVSAvoidasphaltene solubility

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the asphaltenic feedstock serve multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a blending component to maintain production flexibility, a stabilizing agent to prevent asphaltene precipitation, and a compositional modifier to adjust feedstock properties. This multi-functional approach allows incompatible feedstocks to be blended while maintaining asphaltene solubility through the universal stabilizing effect of the asphaltenic feedstock.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The stabilization of asphaltenes in petroleum feedstocks using biological source oils and chemical additives effectively prevents fouling and equipment issues, enhancing the stability and reducing operational costs by maintaining asphaltenes in solution, even under varying conditions.

Implementation Method 1

Asphaltenes exist in the form of colloidal dispersions stabilized by other components in the crude oil or other petroleum feedstock, and they may also exist as soluble species

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSolvation: Solvation

Implementation Method 2

Asphaltenes exist in the form of colloidal dispersions stabilized by other components in the crude oil

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectColloidal dispersion: Colloid

Data Source

PatentUS9523054B2Asphaltene stabilization in petroleum feedstocks by blending with biological source oil and/or chemical additive

Publication Date: 2016.12.20 BAKER HUGHES CO

AI summary

Biological source oils, including, but not limited to, algae oil, stabilize the presence of asphaltenes in petroleum feedstocks, such as crude oil, to help avoid or prevent problematic issues caused by the asphaltenes, such as sludges, plugging, deposits, fouling and/or corrosion in the production, transferring and processing of the petroleum feedstocks. Chemical additives such as phenol-based resins, and reaction products or combinations of long chain alpha-olefins and/or small chain aldehydes and/or long chain alkyl phenate sulfides and/or metal oxide-based colloidal hydrocarbon-based nanodispersions, may also stabilize the presence of asphaltenes in petroleum feedstocks. By “stabilizing” is meant keeping the asphaltenes in solution in the petroleum feedstocks.