Integrated Crude-to-Chemicals Process Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional petroleum refinery configurations are optimized for producing transportation fuels rather than chemical feedstocks, making it inefficient to convert crude oil into chemical-grade hydrocarbons like olefins and aromatics, which are valuable for steam cracking processes.
Innovation Solution
An integrated process configuration that strategically selects and sequences conventional oil refining units such as atmospheric distillation, vacuum distillation, fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, coking, and hydrotreating to convert a significant portion of crude oil into fractions suitable for steam cracking, maximizing the production of chemical feedstocks like aliphatic gases, naphtha, and gas oil, and integrating these units with a steam cracking facility for synergistic benefits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional refinery configurations are used to convert crude oil to transportation fuels, then fuel production is optimized, but chemical feedstock production is minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes operational parameters of conventional refining units (atmospheric distillation, vacuum distillation, fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, coking, and hydrotreating) to optimize for chemical feedstock production rather than fuel production. By adjusting temperature, pressure, and residence time parameters, the process converts over 50% of crude oil to steam cracking feedstocks including naphtha and gas oil, achieving more than double the chemical feedstock yield compared to conventional refinery operations.
2Quantity of substance
If naphtha is converted by catalytic reformer to high octane fuel, then transportation fuel quality is improved, but chemical feedstock availability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts naphtha and other light fractions from the conventional fuel production pathway and redirects them to steam cracking units for chemical feedstock production. By taking out naphtha before it enters catalytic reformers designed for fuel production, the process maximizes chemical feedstock availability while maintaining economic viability through the high differential value between crude oil and chemical products.
3Manufacturing precision
If refinery units are configured for fuel production, then fuel output is maximized, but chemical-grade product quality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes conventional refining units multi-functional by configuring them to produce both transportation fuels and chemical feedstocks from the same crude oil feed. The atmospheric distillation, vacuum distillation, fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, coking, and hydrotreating units are operated under specific conditions to simultaneously generate fuel products and chemical-grade naphtha, gas oil, and other steam cracking feedstocks, eliminating the need for separate dedicated chemical production facilities.
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 achieves over 50% conversion of crude oil to steam cracking feedstocks, producing high-value chemical-grade hydrocarbons like ethylene, propylene, and aromatics, while reducing the need for naphtha and providing economic synergies by recycling hydrogen and pyrolysis fuel oil, enhancing the overall efficiency and value of the steam cracking process.
Implementation Method 1
separating the crude oil to a gas fraction, a liquid fraction, and a first residuum fraction in an atmospheric distillation unit
Implementation Method 2
separating the first residuum to a lighter fraction, called vacuum gas oil fraction, and a second residuum, called vacuum residuum fraction, in a vacuum distillation unit
Implementation Method 3
converting the vacuum gas oil fraction to a cracked gas fraction, a cracked liquid fraction, and a higher boiling fraction in a fluid catalytic cracking unit
Implementation Method 4
converting the vacuum gas oil fraction to a cracked gas fraction, a cracked liquid fraction, and a higher boiling fraction in a hydrocracking unit
Implementation Method 5
converting the vacuum residuum fraction to a coker gas oil fraction and a solid fraction, called coke, in a delayed coking unit
Implementation Method 6
removing sulfur compounds, and optionally other contaminates, from the liquid fraction, from the cracked liquid fraction, from the coker gas oil fraction, or from a combination of these streams
Implementation Method 7
converting feedstock products from the feed preparation facility into hydrocarbon products in a steam cracking facility
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated process comprising to convert crude oil, comprising: converting crude oil (10) in a feed preparation facility (800) by separating the crude oil to a gas fraction (101), liquid fraction (102), and first residuum fraction in an atmospheric distillation unit (100); separating the 1st residuum to a vacuum gas oil fraction (202) and a second residuum (201) in a vacuum distillation unit (200); converting the vacuum gas oil fraction to a CU gas fraction (301,401), a CU liquid fraction (302), and an CU higher boiling fraction (303,402) in a cracking unit (300,400); and processing the second residuum fraction to DCU gas oil/lighter fraction (501) in a coking unit (500); and steam cracking at least one of the gas fraction (101), liquid fraction (102), CU gas fraction (301,401), and DCU gas oil/lighter fraction (501) to the hydrocarbon products (920).