Automatic Heavy Oil Four-Fraction Separation With Online Asphaltene Filtration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for separating four fractions of heavy oil are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to manual errors, with high solvent consumption and safety risks, and medium pressure liquid chromatography has not been successfully applied for this purpose.
Innovation Solution
An automatic separation apparatus and method using a filter disc and flow path switching valves for online separation of asphaltenes, saturates, aromatics, and resins, with a chromatographic column and a receiving apparatus for solvent removal and fraction collection, reducing manual steps and solvent use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual preparation and packing of alumina chromatography column is performed, then the separation process can be carried out, but the properties of alumina packing materials have large differences and short valid time, affecting separation effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical packing process with an automated column packing device that uses vibration and pressure control to uniformly pack alumina. The device applies mechanical vibration to the column during packing to ensure uniform particle distribution and eliminates human variability in the packing process, achieving consistent packing quality across different operations.
2Device complexity
If gravity and duplex ball are used for column separation, then the separation can be performed, but the elution speed is slow and uncontrollable, affecting repeatability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a high-pressure pump system to replace gravity-driven flow. The pump delivers solvent at controlled high pressure through the chromatography column, enabling rapid and controllable elution. The system includes pressure sensors and flow meters to monitor and regulate the elution process, ensuring repeatability while dramatically increasing productivity.
3Quantity of substance
If glass conical flasks of 150 mL-250 mL are used for receiving fractions, then the fractions can be collected, but the mass of the container exceeds 100 g causing large weighing error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin-walled receiving vessels made of lightweight material such as aluminum or thin-walled plastic instead of traditional thick glass flasks. These vessels maintain sufficient mechanical strength for collection while reducing mass to less than 10 g, thereby minimizing weighing errors when measuring small fraction masses (less than 1 g). The vessels are designed to be chemically resistant to the solvents used.
4Productivity
If large volume of volatile organic solvents is used for each sample, then the separation can be completed, but it brings potential dangers to operator health and safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a solvent recovery system that collects and recycles volatile organic solvents after they pass through the chromatography column. The system includes condensation traps and storage vessels for recovered solvents. Additionally, the apparatus operates within a closed fume hood system with forced ventilation to capture and remove any solvent vapors, protecting operator health while maintaining separation effectiveness.
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 apparatus achieves rapid, precise, and safe separation of heavy oil fractions with reduced manual errors and solvent consumption, enabling simultaneous processing of multiple samples and improving measurement accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
the alumina prepared in step (1) needs to be added to a glass adsorption column tube
Implementation Method 2
the column separation process is pressurized by the gravity and duplex ball, and the elution speed is slow and uncontrollable
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
An automatic heavy oil four-component separation apparatus and a separation method thereof. The separation apparatus comprises a solvent storage tank (1), a heavy oil four-component separation unit (100), and a receiving apparatus (9). The heavy oil four-component separation unit (100) comprises a filter disc (4), one end of which being communicated with the solvent storage tank (1), and the other end of the filter disc being communicated with the inlet of a pre-column flow path switching valve (5); and a chromatographic column (6), the inlet thereof being communicated with the outlet of the pre-column flow path switching valve (5), and the outlet of the chromatographic column being communicated with the inlet of a post-column flow path switching valve (8). The receiving apparatus (9) is communicated with the outlet of the post-column flow path switching valve (8). Asphaltene can be separated online by means of the filter disc (4), parallel flow distribution and preheating of a multi-path solvent can be achieved, and a multi-path eluent can be automatically received and the solvent can be quickly evaporated, so that the automatic and rapid separation of the heavy oil four-component is achieved, thereby saving time, reducing operation errors caused by labor, and improving the precision of separation and measurement.