Deasphalting Unit Throughput via Membrane Feed Preparation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solvent deasphalting processes are costly, require significant equipment and energy, and struggle to handle increasing demands for higher quality and production volumes of deasphalted oil, especially when processing heavy residual hydrocarbons with high asphaltene content.
Innovation Solution
The process involves ultrafiltration of a vacuum resid-containing feedstream using a membrane separations unit to produce a permeate product with reduced asphaltene content, which is then used in a solvent deasphalting unit, enhancing the quality and production rate of deasphalted oil without the need for extensive equipment modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional solvent deasphalting processes are used to process heavy residual hydrocarbons, then asphaltenes are removed from the resid stream, but the process requires significant equipment, energy expenditure, and valuable solvents while being costly to install and operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing ultrafiltration membrane separation on the vacuum resid feedstream before it enters the solvent deasphalting unit. This pre-treatment removes high molecular weight multi-ring asphaltene components and reduces viscosity in advance, preparing a better-suited feedstream that requires less complex processing and fewer equipment modifications in the subsequent deasphalting step.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical mixing and settling system with a membrane separation system. Instead of using traditional mechanical means for asphaltene removal, the invention employs ultrafiltration membranes that selectively separate asphaltene components based on size and molecular weight, reducing the need for extensive mechanical equipment and energy-intensive mixing operations.
2Productivity
If existing solvent deasphalting units are used to meet increasing demand for higher quality and production volumes of deasphalted oil, then production capacity is maintained, but the units are difficult to upgrade and require expensive equipment replacement or modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane separation unit is installed upstream of the existing solvent deasphalting unit to pre-treat the feedstream. This preliminary action improves the quality of the feed entering the deasphalting unit, allowing existing equipment to operate more efficiently and produce higher volumes of quality deasphalted oil without requiring expensive modifications or replacement of the core deasphalting equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane separation unit serves multiple functions: it removes asphaltenes, reduces viscosity, and prepares the feedstream for optimal deasphalting performance. This multi-functional approach allows a single additional unit to address multiple limitations of existing deasphalting units, enabling them to handle higher production volumes and improved feedstocks without specialized modifications.
3Reliability
If solvent deasphalting processes use valuable low boiling point alkane-based solvents for extraction, then asphaltenes are precipitated and removed, but solvent loss occurs and significant energy is required to fractionate and recover solvent components
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrafiltration membrane separation is performed before the solvent extraction step, preliminarily removing a significant portion of asphaltene components from the feedstream. This reduces the asphaltene load that must be handled by the solvent deasphalting unit, thereby reducing the amount of solvent required for effective precipitation and minimizing solvent loss through carryover in the asphaltene-rich bottoms stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane separation process extracts and removes high molecular weight asphaltene components from the vacuum resid feedstream before solvent deasphalting. This preliminary extraction of asphaltenes reduces the burden on the solvent extraction step, allowing for more efficient solvent utilization and reduced solvent loss in the subsequent deasphalting process.
4Adaptability or versatility
If deasphalting units process vacuum resid with high viscosity and high asphaltene content, then residual feedstock is utilized, but the units become hydraulically limited and cannot handle required production rates
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane separation unit performs preliminary action by reducing the viscosity and asphaltene content of the vacuum resid feedstream before it enters the deasphalting unit. This pre-treatment allows the deasphalting unit to handle higher production rates without becoming hydraulically limited, as the feedstream has already been optimized for easier processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The ultrafiltration membrane separation changes the physical parameters of the feedstream by reducing viscosity and molecular weight distribution through selective separation. These parameter changes transform the vacuum resid into a feedstream with improved flow characteristics and reduced asphaltene content, enabling the deasphalting unit to operate at higher production rates without hydraulic limitations.
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 results in a significant reduction of Conradson Carbon Residue (CCR) content and viscosity in the permeate, allowing for increased deasphalted oil production rates and improved product quality, while minimizing the need for additional equipment or solvent usage, thus optimizing existing deasphalting unit capacity.
Implementation Method 1
conducting a vacuum resid-containing stream comprised of at least a portion of the vacuum resid stream to a membrane separations unit wherein the vacuum resid-containing stream contacts a first side of at least one porous membrane element
Implementation Method 2
retrieving a permeate product stream from the second side of the porous membrane element, wherein the permeate product stream is comprised of selective materials which pass through the porous membrane element
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a process for improving a deasphalting unit process by producing an improved feedstream for the deasphalting process via ultrafiltration of a vacuum resid-containing feedstream. In particular, the present invention produces an improved quality feedstream to a solvent deasphalting process which results in improved deasphalted oil (DAO) production rates and/or higher quality deasphalted oils. The present invention can be particularly beneficial when used in conjunction with an existing deasphalting equipment to result in improved deasphalted oil (DAO) production rates and/or higher quality deasphalted oils from the existing deasphalting equipment without the need for significant equipment modifications to the existing deasphalting unit.