Coupled Reactor for Heavy Oil Hydrocracking and Coke Gasification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heavy oil upgrading processes face challenges such as low yield and quality of light oil products due to high carbon residue, high energy consumption, and limitations in catalyst regeneration, particularly in hydrogenation and decarbonization methods like catalytic cracking and delayed coking.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus integrating pressurized hydrocracking of heavy oil and coke gasification using a coupled reactor with a cracking section and a gasification section, where heavy oil is contacted with a hydrogenation catalyst and coke powder to produce light oil-gas and coke, and the coke is regenerated in a gasification reaction to produce syngas, which is recycled to enhance the hydrocracking process, improving yield and quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If catalytic cracking is used for heavy oil decarbonization, then cracking efficiency is improved, but catalyst deactivation and coke generation occur rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a circulation system where spent catalyst is continuously regenerated in a separate regenerator unit and returned to the reactor. This allows the catalyst to be discarded (regenerated) and recovered (returned to service), maintaining high cracking efficiency while preventing permanent deactivation. The circulation loop ensures catalyst stability through continuous regeneration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the cracking system into separate functional units: a reactor for cracking, a regenerator for catalyst regeneration, and circulation systems connecting them. This segmentation allows independent optimization of cracking efficiency in the reactor and catalyst stability in the regenerator, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
2Reliability
If conventional coking method is used to regenerate catalyst, then catalyst regeneration is achieved, but large amount of external heat is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the regenerator with the main cracking system, creating an integrated process where the regenerator is thermally coupled to the reactor. The heat generated during catalyst regeneration is directly utilized for the cracking reaction, eliminating the need for separate external heat sources and reducing overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the exothermic heat from catalyst regeneration to self-supply the endothermic heat required for cracking. The regenerator essentially serves itself by providing the thermal energy needed for the main process, reducing external energy input requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If delayed coking process is used, then feedstock adaptability is improved, but solid coke by-product is generated in large amount
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a circulation system where coke deposited on catalyst is continuously removed through regeneration in a separate unit. The spent catalyst carrying coke is sent to the regenerator, where coke is burned off and the regenerated catalyst is returned to service. This continuous discarding (removal) and recovering (return) of catalyst prevents accumulated coke by-product while maintaining feedstock adaptability.
4Productivity
If heavy oil is directly hydrocracked, then hydrogenation is achieved, but large amount of hydrogen is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different treatment strategies to different components of heavy oil through the circulating catalyst system. The catalyst provides localized active sites for hydrogenation reactions, enabling efficient hydrogenation of specific reactive components while leaving less reactive components for later processing stages, thereby reducing overall hydrogen consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary cracking and partial hydrogenation in the first reactor before the oil enters the second reactor. This preliminary action breaks down large heavy molecules into smaller, more manageable fragments that require less hydrogen for complete hydrogenation, thereby reducing total hydrogen consumption while maintaining hydrogenation efficiency.
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 the yield and quality of light oil products, reduces energy consumption, and simplifies the process by integrating material and energy supply among reactions, avoiding complex multi-reactor systems and high energy costs.
Implementation Method 1
the heavy oil feedstock is contacted with a coke powder in a fluidized state to carry out a pressurized catalytic cracking reaction under catalysis of the hydrogenation catalyst to generate light oil-gas and coke
Implementation Method 2
carrying out a gasification reaction with a gasification agent to generate syngas and regenerate the coke powder
Implementation Method 3
the heavy oil feedstock is contacted with a coke powder in a fluidized state
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for integrating pressurized hydrocracking of heavy oil and coke gasification. A coupled reactor having a cracking section and a gasification section is used in the method: a heavy oil feedstock and a hydrogenation catalyst are fed into a cracking section, to generate light oil-gas and coke; the coke is carried by the coke powder into the gasification section, to generate syngas; a regenerated coke powder is returned to the cracking section; the syngas enters the cracking section and merges with light oil-gas, and enters a gas-solid separator, to separate out first-stage solid particles and second-stage particles in sequence, and a purified oil-gas product is collected; oil-gas fractionation of the purified oil-gas product is performed, and a light oil product and a syngas product are collected. Yield and quality of the light oil can be improved by the method.