Integrated Hydroprocessing and Coking for Crude-to-Chemicals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processes for converting whole crudes to petrochemicals face challenges such as increased capital costs and reduced profitability due to the removal of high-boiling compounds, which can only be sold as low-value fuel oil. Additionally, converting vacuum residue without forming detrimental heavy polynuclear aromatics (HPNAs) is a significant challenge.
Innovation Solution
The process involves separating whole crude into light, medium, and high boiling fractions, processing the high boiling fraction in a delayed coking unit to produce a delayed coking liquid product and petroleum coke, and then destructively hydrogenating the medium boiling fraction and the delayed coking liquid product to produce a hydrotreated effluent. This effluent, along with the light boiling fraction, is fed to a steam cracker to convert hydrocarbons into light olefins and pyrolysis oil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-boiling compounds are removed before sending to steam cracker, then operational issues and coke formation are reduced, but capital cost increases and profitability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes high-boiling compounds (asphaltenes and resins) from the crude oil feedstock before it enters the steam cracker. This is achieved through a dedicated removal process that separates these problematic components, preventing them from causing operational issues and coke formation in the steam cracker while allowing the lighter fractions to be processed efficiently
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary treatment of the crude oil by removing high-boiling compounds before the steam cracking process. This pre-processing step prepares the feedstock by eliminating substances that would otherwise cause operational problems, ensuring smoother steam cracker operation without requiring complex modifications to the cracking unit itself
2Object-generated harmful factors
If high-boiling compounds are removed before steam cracking, then coke formation is reduced, but profitability decreases due to low-value fuel oil sales
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fate of high-boiling compounds by converting them into valuable products through chemical transformation. Instead of simply removing and selling them as low-value fuel oil, the process converts asphaltenes and resins into high-value aromatics and other petrochemicals, fundamentally changing their value proposition and eliminating the energy value loss
3Reliability
If vacuum residue is converted without forming HPNAs, then steam cracker furnace performance is maintained, but conversion efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful high-boiling compounds (asphaltenes and resins) into beneficial products. By transforming these substances that would normally cause furnace problems into valuable aromatics and petrochemical feedstocks, the process simultaneously improves vacuum residue conversion efficiency and maintains steam cracker furnace performance, turning a potential harm into a benefit
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 process enhances the conversion of whole crude to petrochemicals, such as light olefins and aromatics, while minimizing the formation of HPNAs and reducing capital costs by utilizing the high boiling compounds to produce valuable coke and lighter hydrocarbons.
Implementation Method 1
processing the high boiling fraction in a delayed coking unit to producing a delayed coking liquid product and petroleum coke
Implementation Method 2
destructively hydrogenating the medium boiling fraction and the delayed coking liquid product to produce a hydrotreated effluent
Implementation Method 3
feeding the hydrotreated effluent and the light boiling fraction to a steam cracker to convert hydrocarbons therein into one or more light olefins and a pyrolysis oil
Data Source
AI summary
Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.