Integrated Crude Oil Upgrading via Coking and Hydroprocessing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for upgrading and desulfurizing crude oil face challenges with catalyst deactivation due to contaminants like organic nickel, organic vanadium, and poly nuclear aromatic compounds, leading to reduced on-stream factor and increased processing costs in hydroprocessing units.
Innovation Solution
An integrated process that combines hydroprocessing and coking, involving fractionation, thermal cracking, and gasification to produce hydrogen, which is recycled for hydroprocessing, while using adsorbent materials to enhance the separation and quality of hydrocarbon streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If hydroprocessing is used to desulfurize crude oil, then sulfur content is reduced, but catalyst deactivation occurs due to metal contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The process segments the crude oil feedstock into different boiling point ranges (light, medium, heavy fractions) and processes each fraction separately. This allows the hydroprocessing unit to handle lighter fractions with lower metal content while sending heavier fractions to coking, thereby reducing catalyst deactivation while still achieving sulfur removal from the overall feedstock
Solution Approach 2:
The process extracts and removes metal-containing contaminants through the coking process which converts heavy fractions into coke, gas, and liquid products. The coke acts as a sink for metals and sulfur, effectively extracting these harmful components from the feedstock before hydroprocessing of the remaining lighter fractions
2Object-affected harmful factors
If fixed-bed reactor units are used for hydroprocessing, then desulfurization is achieved, but frequent catalyst replacement is required due to metal deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The process performs preliminary action by removing heavy fractions and metal-containing components through coking before the hydroprocessing step. This pre-treatment prevents metals from reaching the hydroprocessing catalyst, eliminating the need for frequent catalyst replacement and maintaining high on-stream factors
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated process enables continuous operation by maintaining steady-state hydroprocessing of lighter fractions while simultaneously operating the coking unit to continuously remove heavy fractions and metals. This continuous separation and treatment approach maximizes the on-stream factor of the hydroprocessing unit
3Productivity
If heavy crude oils with high metals and sulfur content are processed, then more valuable liquid and gas products are produced, but processing costs increase due to catalyst deactivation
Solution Approach 1:
The process converts the harmful high-metal and high-sulfur heavy crude oil fractions into beneficial coke, gas, and liquid products through coking. The metals and sulfur that would otherwise deactivate catalysts and increase processing costs are transformed into saleable coke products and combustible gas, turning a liability into an asset
Solution Approach 2:
The process changes the physical and chemical parameters of the feedstock by separating it into different boiling point ranges and processing each range appropriately. Heavy fractions are converted to coke and gas through thermal cracking, while lighter fractions undergo hydroprocessing, optimizing the value of each product stream while minimizing catalyst deactivation costs
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 effectively upgrades and desulfurizes crude oil, increasing the on-stream factor, reducing catalyst deactivation, and lowering processing costs by converting heavy hydrocarbons into lighter, higher-value products with reduced sulfur and nitrogen content.
Implementation Method 1
fractionating both the liquid hydrocarbon feedstock and coker thermally cracked hydrocarbon products in a fractionating zone to separate commingled hydrocarbons into a hydrocarbon distillates stream and a coker recycle stream
Implementation Method 2
Delayed coking utilizes thermal decomposition of heavy liquid hydrocarbons to produce coke, gas and liquid product streams of varying boiling ranges
Implementation Method 3
hydrocracking processes break the carbon-carbon bonds in feed molecules into simpler molecules (e.g., light hydrocarbons) having higher average volatility and economic value. Additionally, hydrocracking processes typically improve the quality of the hydrocarbon feedstock by increasing the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio
Implementation Method 4
hydrocracking processes typically improve the quality of the hydrocarbon feedstock by increasing the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio and by removing organo-sulfur and organo-nitrogen compounds
Implementation Method 5
hydrocracking processes typically improve the quality of the hydrocarbon feedstock by increasing the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio and by removing organo-sulfur and organo-nitrogen compounds
Implementation Method 6
gasifying at least a portion of the recovered coke in the presence of an oxygen-containing gas to produce hydrogen
Implementation Method 7
In certain embodiments, adsorbent material is added to the fractionating zone or the coker recycle stream prior to thermal cracking
Data Source
AI summary
The processes and systems herein integrate hydroprocessing and coking in a manner to effectively upgrade/desulfurize crude oil feedstocks. An initial liquid hydrocarbon feedstock, such as crude oil, is upgraded by fractionating both the hydrocarbon feedstock and coker thermally cracked hydrocarbon products in a fractionating zone. A coker recycle stream is thermally cracked to produce coker thermally cracked hydrocarbon products that are passed to the fractionating zone. The hydrocarbon distillates are hydroprocessed under conditions effective for desulfurization and conversion into lighter hydrocarbon distillates to produce a hydroprocessed liquid hydrocarbon effluent, such as a bottomless synthetic crude oil.