Delayed Thermal Cracking System for Liquid Tar Production
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Delayed coking systems in petroleum refineries face bottlenecks due to long cycle times, mechanical issues, and environmental challenges, primarily caused by the hydraulic cutting operation which produces significant wastewater and volatile organic compounds, and results in coke production of low value.
Innovation Solution
A thermal cracking process that converts heavy hydrocarbon materials into a pumpable tar liquid instead of solid coke, eliminating the need for steam-out, quenching, draining, unheading, and hydraulic cutting procedures by using a hydrocarbon cooling and diluent material to cool and dilute the tar, preventing solidification and allowing for a reduced cycle time of 6-10 hours.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If hydraulic cutting operation is used to remove coke from the drum, then the coke product can be obtained, but significant wastewater and volatile organic compounds are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state parameter of the tar material by controlling cooling rate and temperature, transforming it from a solid coke mass to a liquid state that can be pumped out directly, thereby eliminating the need for hydraulic cutting and associated wastewater generation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the harmful hydraulic cutting operation and its associated wastewater generation from the process by using an alternative cooling method that produces liquid tar instead of solid coke requiring mechanical removal
2Reliability
If long cycle times are used for steam-out, quenching, draining, unheading, and hydraulic cutting procedures, then complete coke removal can be achieved, but refinery throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention enables continuous operation by eliminating the intermittent hydraulic cutting and drum unheading operations, allowing the drum to remain sealed and operational throughout the cycle, thereby increasing refinery throughput while maintaining complete product removal
Solution Approach 2:
The invention removes the time-consuming hydraulic cutting and drum unheading operations from the cycle, extracting only the essential cooling and condensation steps, which reduces the overall cycle time and increases productivity
3Quantity of substance
If hydraulic cutting operation is performed, then solid coke can be removed from the drum, but equipment costs and mechanical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the complex hydraulic cutting mechanical system with a simpler thermal field-based approach using controlled cooling and condensation, eliminating the need for hydraulic tools, high-pressure pumps, and associated mechanical equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex hydraulic cutting equipment and associated mechanical systems from the process, retaining only the essential thermal processing components for cooling and condensing the tar material
4Quantity of substance
If drum unheading is performed for hydraulic cutting, then coke can be removed, but drum damage and VOC release occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the drum unheading operation from the process, maintaining the drum sealed throughout the cycle, thereby preventing drum damage and VOC release while still achieving complete coke removal through controlled cooling and condensation
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 increases refinery throughput, eliminates wastewater production, reduces equipment costs, prevents drum damage, and avoids VOC release, replacing solid coke with a higher-value liquid product suitable for paving or fuel use.
Implementation Method 1
a hydrocarbon cooling and diluent material is delivered into the coking drum while rotating a mixer in the coking drum, which mixes the hydrocarbon cooling and diluent material with the tar material to cool and dilute the tar material
Implementation Method 2
rotating a mixer in the coking drum, which mixes the hydrocarbon cooling and diluent material with the tar material
Implementation Method 3
The hot feed material from the coker heater typically flows into the bottom of the live coking drum. Some of the heavy feed material vaporizes in the heater such that the material entering the bottom of the coking drum is a vapor/liquid mixture. The vapor portion of the mixture undergoes mild cracking in the coker heater and experiences further cracking as it passes upwardly through the coking drum. The hot liquid material undergoes intensive thermal cracking and polymerization as it remains in the coking drum such that the liquid material is converted to cracked vapor and petroleum coke.
Data Source
AI summary
A delayed thermal cracking process, system, and apparatus for heavy (i.e., high boiling point) coker feed materials which eliminates the production of a solid coke product and replaces the coke product with a higher value, pumpable tar liquid material which can be used as an asphalt paving material, as a fuel oil, or for other purposes. A hydrocarbon cooling and diluting material is added to and mixed with the tar material in the coking drum after the fill cycle to produce the liquid tar product and eliminate the steam-out, quenching, draining, unheading, hydraulic cutting, reheading, pressure testing, and warm-up procedures previously required in delayed coking systems, and to also eliminate the environmental issues and costs associated therewith.