CCR Reformers Sulfur Kerosene Additives Coke Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Continuous catalyst regeneration (CCR) reformers face challenges in producing sufficient catalyst coke due to low octane severities and ethanol blending, leading to regenerator outages, poor catalyst performance, and uneconomical operations, as they are designed to operate at high severity conditions which are no longer feasible with current environmental and market demands.
Innovation Solution
The use of specifically selected coke precursor compounds, such as sulfur kerosene additives, in the processing of naphtha in CCR reformers to enhance coke production and maintain steady state white burn operations, ensuring optimal catalyst reactivation and unit productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If CCR reformers operate at low octane severities due to ethanol blending and market demands, then reformate octane is reduced to meet environmental regulations, but catalyst coke production drops below the 3.0-7.0 wt% range required for steady state regenerator operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the feedstock by introducing distillate additives containing specific coke precursor compounds (aromatics, naphthenes, and sulfur compounds). This modifies the feed properties to enhance coke formation at lower severity conditions, resolving the contradiction between meeting environmental/octane requirements and maintaining sufficient coke production for regenerator operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The distillate additive serves as an intermediary substance that mediates between the low-severity reforming conditions and the regenerator's coke requirements. The additive contains coke precursor compounds that act as a bridge, providing the necessary coke to the catalyst without requiring high severity operating conditions, thus enabling steady state regenerator operations while maintaining low octane severity processing.
2Reliability
If regenerator operations are discontinued to protect equipment from damage, then equipment safety is improved, but catalyst reactivation becomes inadequate and unit productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adding distillate additives containing coke precursors to the feedstock before reforming. This ensures that sufficient coke is present on the catalyst before regenerator operations begin, allowing steady state white burn operations to proceed without equipment damage. The preliminary coke formation enables continuous regenerator operation, maintaining both equipment safety and high unit productivity.
3Loss of substance
If naphtha feeds are processed at low severity to minimize gasoline octane give away, then octane loss is reduced, but spent catalyst coke production falls to much less than 3 wt% which is insufficient for continuous regenerator operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the feed composition parameters by incorporating distillate additives with specific coke precursor compounds (aromatics, naphthenes, sulfur compounds). This allows the reformer to operate at low severity conditions with minimal octane give away while the additive compensates for insufficient natural coke formation, ensuring adequate spent catalyst coke (3.0-7.0 wt%) for continuous regenerator operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The distillate additive acts as an intermediary that provides the missing coke component to the low-severity reforming process. It bridges the gap between low severity operation (which minimizes octane loss) and the regenerator's requirement for sufficient coke, enabling both low octane give away and adequate coke production simultaneously.
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 addition of sulfur kerosene compounds allows for the production of sufficient catalyst coke, enabling continuous regenerator operations and maintaining catalyst activity, thus improving reformer productivity and profitability by sustaining steady state white burn operations.
Implementation Method 1
The use of a sulfur kerosene compound additives enhance coke make in continuous catalyst regeneration (CCR) reformers
Implementation Method 2
the processing of naphtha in a catalytic reformer
Implementation Method 3
sustaining steady state white burn operations
Data Source
AI summary
Optimizing low coke naphtha reforming continues to pose significant challenges for oil refining companies in the operation of continuous catalytic regenerative reforming units for economic production of hydrogen, LPG and reformate. A novel processing scheme is hereby disclosed wherein multiple additives are used to increase spent catalyst coke to ensure operating the regenerators in steady state white burn operations. In previous disclosures novel additives sulfur and kerosene were identified as separately imparting enhanced rates of coke formation on the catalysts even at very mild severity catalytic reforming operations. To further accelerate spent catalyst coke formation and derive benefits from synergistic use of sulfur and kerosene, it is suggested that both sulfur and kerosene be used as additives in combination or in series with sulfur added first followed by kerosene and vice versa.