Colloidal Molybdenum Sulfide Catalyst for Heavy Oil Hydrocracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current catalytic hydrocracking processes for heavy oils face challenges with catalyst fouling and deactivation, leading to high costs and inefficiencies due to the need for extensive processing and high catalyst usage, especially when dealing with high-boiling, high-sulfur, and high-metal content feedstocks like heavy oil and coal.
Innovation Solution
The use of colloidally or molecularly dispersed molybdenum sulfide catalysts, concentrated within the heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks through a system of gas-liquid two-phase hydrocracking reactors with interstage pressure differential separators, allowing for increased catalyst concentration and efficiency without the need for additional catalyst or complex separation steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional catalytic hydrocracking processes are used for heavy oil, then hydrocracking can be performed, but catalyst fouling and deactivation occur rapidly, increasing maintenance costs and reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the catalyst from the conventional fixed-bed reactor configuration and introduces it as a mobile phase dispersed within the liquid hydrocarbon stream. This extraction allows the catalyst to be carried through the reactor with the feedstock, preventing fouling of fixed catalyst beds and enabling continuous operation without catalyst deactivation issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a mobile catalyst carrier system where the catalyst is suspended in the liquid hydrocarbon phase. This intermediary approach allows the catalyst to be transported through the reactor without direct contact with high-temperature surfaces that cause fouling, while still maintaining catalytic activity for hydrocracking.
2Productivity
If high catalyst concentration is used to maintain conversion levels, then hydrocracking efficiency improves, but processing costs increase due to catalyst replacement and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous catalyst action by dispersing the catalyst throughout the liquid feedstock stream. The catalyst remains active and dispersed throughout the reactor, continuously catalyzing hydrocracking reactions without requiring periodic replacement or maintenance, thereby eliminating catalyst consumption costs while maintaining high reaction rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile catalyst system is self-sustaining as the catalyst is carried through the reactor by the liquid stream and continues to catalyze reactions without deactivation or fouling. The system requires no external catalyst replenishment or maintenance interventions, making the catalyst effectively self-service and eliminating associated costs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If extensive processing steps are implemented to handle high-boiling, high-sulfur, high-metal feedstocks, then feedstock quality can be improved, but device complexity and processing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal catalyst system that can handle diverse feedstocks with varying compositions (high-boiling, high-sulfur, high-metal content). The mobile catalyst dispersed in the liquid phase provides consistent catalytic activity across different feedstock types, eliminating the need for separate processing systems for different feedstock qualities and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and distribution parameters of the catalyst from fixed-bed to mobile dispersed phase. This parameter change allows the catalyst to operate effectively across a wider range of feedstock conditions without requiring changes in processing equipment or methodology, thereby increasing adaptability while maintaining simple processing.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional fixed-bed catalyst systems are used, then catalyst can be easily contained, but catalyst fouling occurs and requires frequent replacement, increasing operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the catalyst from the fixed-bed configuration and introduces it as a mobile phase dispersed within the liquid hydrocarbon stream. This extraction allows the catalyst to be carried through the reactor with the feedstock, preventing fouling of fixed catalyst beds and enabling continuous operation without catalyst deactivation issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a mobile catalyst carrier system where the catalyst is suspended in the liquid hydrocarbon phase. This intermediary approach allows the catalyst to be transported through the reactor without direct contact with high-temperature surfaces that cause fouling, while still maintaining catalytic activity for hydrocracking.
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 enhances reactor throughput, reaction rates, and conversion levels of asphaltenes and lower quality materials, reduces equipment fouling, and enables processing of a wider range of lower quality feedstocks, all while minimizing catalyst usage and processing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a hydrocarbon-soluble molybdenum salt that decomposes in the heavy oil during hydroprocessing to form, in situ, a hydroprocessing catalyst, namely molybdenum sulfide
Implementation Method 2
a hydrocarbon-soluble molybdenum salt that decomposes in the heavy oil during hydroprocessing to form, in situ, a hydroprocessing catalyst, namely molybdenum sulfide
Implementation Method 3
converting it to lighter, lower boiling petroleum fractions
Data Source
AI summary
Systems for hydrocracking a heavy oil feedstock employ a colloidally or molecularly dispersed catalyst (e.g., molybdenum sulfide) which provide for concentration of the colloidally dispersed catalyst within the lower quality materials requiring additional hydrocracking. In addition to increased catalyst concentration, the inventive systems and methods provide increased reactor throughput, increased reaction rate, and of course higher conversion of asphaltenes and lower quality materials. Increased conversion levels of asphaltenes and lower quality materials also reduces equipment fouling, enables the reactor to process a wider range of lower quality feedstocks, and can lead to more efficient use of a supported catalyst if used in combination with the colloidal or molecular catalyst.