Ebullating Bed Hydrocracking for Low Sediment Fuel Oils
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current processes for converting heavy petroleum fractions into fuel oils, such as bunker oil, struggle to achieve low sediment content after ageing, which is essential for marine fuel standards, as they often result in sediment levels exceeding 0.1% by weight, leading to issues like clogged engines and catalytic bed clogging.
Innovation Solution
A process involving hydrocracking in an ebullating bed followed by a maturation and separation stage to convert potential sediments into existing sediments, reducing sediment content to less than or equal to 0.1% by weight, includes a hydrocracking stage with a supported catalyst, separation of light and heavy fractions, maturation of the heavy fraction at controlled temperatures and pressures, and subsequent sediment separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hydrocracking is carried out under severe conditions leading to high conversion rate, then the conversion of heavy feedstocks to distillates is improved, but the sediment content in the residual cut increases
Solution Approach 1:
The process is divided into multiple sequential stages: hydrocracking stage, separation stage, maturation stage, and sediment separation stage. Each stage performs a specific function, allowing the system to achieve high conversion while controlling sediment content through staged processing rather than a single operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The maturation stage is introduced as a preliminary action before final sediment separation. This stage converts potential sediments into existing sediments under controlled conditions (temperature 50-350°C, pressure <20 MPa), preparing the heavy fraction for more effective sediment removal in the subsequent separation stage.
2Productivity
If the sediment content in the residual cut is high, then the conversion efficiency is improved, but the fuel oil stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The process extracts and removes sediments from the heavy fraction through dedicated separation stages. By taking out sediments (both existing and potential) from the fuel oil stream, the system maintains high conversion efficiency while ensuring fuel oil stability meets specifications (sediment content after ageing ≤0.1%).
Solution Approach 2:
The maturation stage converts potentially harmful potential sediments into existing sediments, which are then more easily separable. This transformation turns a stability problem into a manageable separation problem, allowing the system to maintain conversion efficiency while producing stable fuel oil.
3Manufacturing precision
If a multi-stage process is implemented to reduce sediment content, then the fuel oil quality is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex task of sediment removal is segmented into distinct functional stages: hydrocracking, separation, maturation, and sediment separation. Each stage is relatively simple in itself but contributes to the overall quality improvement, making the complex process more manageable and systematic.
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 effectively reduces sediment content in heavy fractions to meet marine fuel standards, preventing engine clogging and ensuring stable fuel oils with sediment content after ageing of less than 0.1% by weight, enabling the use of heavy fractions as fuel oil bases, including bunker oil.
Implementation Method 1
a) a stage of hydrocracking the feedstock in the presence of hydrogen in at least one reactor containing a supported catalyst in an ebullating bed
Implementation Method 2
a stage of hydrocracking the feedstock in the presence of hydrogen in at least one reactor containing a supported catalyst in an ebullating bed
Implementation Method 3
c) a stage of maturation of the heavy fraction originating from the separation stage b) making it possible to convert a part of the potential sediments to existing sediments, carried out for a duration comprised between 1 and 1500 minutes, at a temperature comprised between 50 and 350° C., and at a pressure of less than 20 MPa
Implementation Method 4
b) a stage of separating the effluent obtained at the end of stage a) into at least one light hydrocarbon fraction containing fuel bases and a heavy fraction containing compounds boiling at at least 350° C.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a process for converting a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock containing at least one hydrocarbon fraction having a sulphur content of at least 0.1% by weight, an initial boiling temperature of at least 340° C. and a final boiling temperature of at least 440° C., making it possible to obtain a heavy fraction having a sediment content after ageing of less than or equal to 0.1% by weight, said process comprising the following stages: a) a stage of hydrocracking the feedstock in the presence of hydrogen in at least one reactor containing a supported catalyst in an ebullating bed, b) a stage of separating the effluent obtained at the end of stage a), c) a stage of maturation of the heavy fraction originating from the separation stage b), d) a stage of separating the sediments from the heavy fraction originating from the maturation stage c) to obtain said heavy fraction.