Desolidification of Hydrocracking Slurry via Solvent Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hydrocracking and hydrotreating processes that use solid additives, the integration of spent additives with unconverted feedstock prevents further processing and results in the loss of value, leading to the material being processed as waste, along with the added cost of handling it as such.
Innovation Solution
A desolidification process is introduced to separate solids from the slurry stream by mixing it with a solvent, allowing for the extraction of spent additive solids and recovering unconverted feedstock, which can then be further processed into saleable products, eliminating the need for waste processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If solid additives are used in hydrocracking and hydrotreating processes, then the conversion of petroleum residue to distillate products is improved, but the spent additives integrate with unconverted feedstock to prevent further processing and cause value loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies extraction by introducing a solvent to selectively dissolve unconverted feedstock from the slurry, separating it from spent additive solids. This allows the valuable unconverted feedstock to be recovered and further processed, preventing value loss while maintaining the productivity benefits of using solid additives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of the system by controlling temperature and pressure conditions during solvent extraction. By maintaining specific temperature ranges and pressure levels, the process optimizes solvent solubility characteristics to effectively separate feedstock from solids, resolving the contradiction between maintaining conversion efficiency and preventing value loss.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If solid additives are used in the process, then coke precursor absorption is improved, but waste handling costs increase due to the need to process the slurry as waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts unconverted feedstock from the slurry using a solvent, separating it from spent additive solids that contain absorbed coke precursors. This separation eliminates the need to handle the entire slurry as waste, reducing waste processing complexity while preserving the harmful factor removal function of the additives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers valuable unconverted feedstock from the slurry through solvent extraction, preventing its disposal as waste. The spent additives, having fulfilled their function of absorbing coke precursors, can be separately handled or disposed of, reducing overall waste processing requirements while maintaining the benefit of coke precursor removal.
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
The desolidification process enables the recovery of unconverted feedstock and spent additives, preventing value loss and reducing processing costs by allowing the feedstock to be processed into saleable products, while also potentially recovering valuable materials from the spent additives.
Implementation Method 1
mixing it with a solvent, allowing for the extraction of spent additive solids and recovering unconverted feedstock
Implementation Method 2
A desolidification process is introduced to separate solids from the slurry stream
Data Source
AI summary
A desolidification process enables the isolation and extraction of solid additives from an unreacted petroleum residue stream. In a hydrocracking process that mixes a solid additive with a petroleum residue feedstock to convert the petroleum residue to higher-value distillates, the desolidification process enables the recovery of the unreacted petroleum residue for conversion to a saleable product. The desolidification process involves the mixture of one or more solvents with a slurry in which solids are integrated in the petroleum residue to generate a mixture having a decreased density and viscosity as compared to the slurry, which facilitates removal of the solids.