Partial Deoxygenation of Bio-Crude for Plug-Free Co-Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bio-crude oils produced by thermal decomposition, such as pyrolysis or hydrothermal liquefaction, are not miscible with vegetable oils and/or fatty materials, leading to reactor plugging during co-processing in hydroprocessing units like hydrotreating reactors.
Innovation Solution
A process involving stabilization and partial deoxygenation of bio-crude oil to reduce oxygen content to 2-10 wt%, followed by mixing with vegetable oil and/or fatty materials, ensuring miscibility and preventing reactor plugging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If bio-crude oil is directly mixed with vegetable oil for co-processing, then the process complexity is reduced, but reactor plugging occurs due to immiscibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing stabilization and partial deoxygenation of bio-crude oil before mixing with vegetable oil. This pre-treatment reduces the oxygen content to 2-10 wt%, which improves miscibility and prevents reactor plugging, thereby resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and operational reliability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If bio-crude oil undergoes full deoxygenation to achieve complete miscibility, then miscibility with vegetable oil is improved, but aromatic content is reduced leading to heavy end formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing only partial deoxygenation (reducing oxygen to 2-10 wt%) rather than complete deoxygenation. This partial treatment achieves sufficient miscibility for co-processing while preserving aromatic compounds, thus avoiding heavy end formation and balancing miscibility requirements with aromatic content preservation.
3Temperature
If vegetable oil is used as cooling medium in HDO reactor, then the cooling function is improved, but reactor plugging occurs due to immiscibility with bio-crude oil
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by stabilizing and partially deoxygenating the bio-crude oil before it enters the HDO reactor. This pre-treatment ensures miscibility between the bio-crude oil and vegetable oil cooling medium, allowing the vegetable oil to function effectively as a cooling agent without causing reactor plugging.
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
Enables efficient co-processing of bio-crude and vegetable oils without reactor plugging, enhancing diesel production and reducing heavy end formation, while maintaining desirable aromatic content for better fuel quality.
Implementation Method 1
supplying the stabilized bio-crude oil feed to a hydrodeoxygenation or deoxygenation (HDO/DO) step in a HDO/DO reactor, for producing a partly deoxygenated (partly upgraded) bio-crude oil feed
Implementation Method 2
a thermal decomposition unit for producing a bio-crude oil feed stream from a solid feed stream, such as by pyrolysis
Data Source
AI summary
Process and plant for producing a hydrocarbon feed, comprising: providing a bio-crude oil feed comprising more than 10 wt % oxygen (O); supplying the bio-crude oil feed to a stabilization step in a stabilization reactor for producing a stabilized bio-crude oil feed comprising less O than said bio-crude oil feed; supplying the bio-crude oil feed or the optionally stabilized bio-crude oil feed to a hydrodoxygenation or deoxygenation (HDO/DO) step in a HDO/DO reactor, for producing a partly deoxygenated bio-crude oil feed comprising 2-10 wt % O; providing a vegetable oil and/or a fatty material feed; combining the partly deoxygenated bio-crude oil feed with the vegetable oil and/or a fatty material feed, for producing said hydrocarbon feed. The hydrocarbon feed may be further hydroprocessed into a hydrocarbon fuel.