Butane-Enriched Diluent Blending for Heavy Crude Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
The petroleum industry faces challenges in efficiently transporting and processing heavy petroleum streams like bitumen and heavy crude due to their high viscosity and density, which requires substantial amounts of diluents like natural gas condensates and refined naphtha, leading to supply and cost issues.
Innovation Solution
The method involves blending low-density hydrocarbons (LDH) with diluent streams in a controlled manner to optimize physical properties such as viscosity and density, ensuring compliance with pre-defined limits for LDH content, volatility, and density, thereby expanding the supply of diluents and improving transportation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If heavy petroleum streams are diluted with natural gas condensates or refined naphtha, then the viscosity and density are reduced for pipeline transport, but the supply of diluent becomes limited and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the diluent by blending low-density hydrocarbons (C1-C4) with conventional diluents. This modifies the physical properties (density, viscosity) of the diluent itself, allowing it to more effectively reduce the viscosity of heavy petroleum streams while using smaller volumes, thereby addressing both transportability and diluent supply limitations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite diluent system by combining conventional diluents (natural gas condensates or refined naphtha) with low-density hydrocarbons. This composite diluent leverages the solvency of the conventional component and the density-reducing properties of the low-density component, achieving superior dilution efficiency with reduced overall volume requirements
2Stability of the object's composition
If refined naphtha is used as diluent, then consistency is improved, but opportunity cost increases due to cannibalization of fuel inventory
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the density parameter of the diluent by incorporating low-density hydrocarbons, which enhances the diluent's ability to reduce heavy stream viscosity. This parameter change allows for reduced diluent volumes while maintaining consistency, thereby reducing the opportunity cost of using refined naphtha without sacrificing compositional stability
3Productivity
If blend ratios are increased to improve flow properties, then transportation efficiency is enhanced, but the amount of diluent required increases supply demands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the density and viscosity parameters of the diluent by adding low-density hydrocarbons, which increases the dilution efficiency per unit volume. This allows achieving the same flow property improvements at lower blend ratios, thereby enhancing transportation efficiency while reducing overall diluent volume requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent effectively creates a enhanced version of conventional diluents by incorporating low-density hydrocarbons. This 'improved copy' of the diluent provides superior performance in reducing heavy stream viscosity, allowing lower blend ratios to achieve the same transportation efficiency gains
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
This approach allows for the controlled production and distribution of LDH-enriched diluents, enhancing the flow rates and reducing the pressure requirements for hydrocarbon transport, which leads to lower costs and increased operational efficiency while maintaining regulatory compliance.
Implementation Method 1
blending low-density hydrocarbons (LDH) with diluent streams in a controlled manner to optimize physical properties such as viscosity and density
Implementation Method 2
injecting LDH into the diluent stream at a pressure greater than diluent stream pressure
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a method for enriching diluents with butane so as not to violate pre-defined limits for liquid hydrocarbon fuels with respect to density, volatility and low density hydrocarbon content.