Hydrodesulfurization Unit Revamp for Biorefinery HDO Isomerization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing diesel fuel from biological sources, such as FAME, face issues with low calorific value, poor cold properties, and stability, leading to increased production costs and environmental concerns, necessitating the development of higher-quality biological diesel components to meet regulatory requirements.
Innovation Solution
The HDO/ISO process transforms existing hydrodesulfurization units into biorefineries capable of producing high-quality hydrocarbon fractions through hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization of triglycerides and fatty acid esters, resulting in diesel fuel with improved properties and reduced emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional methods (transesterification) are used to produce diesel fuel from vegetable oils, then the process is simple and well-established, but the product has low calorific value, poor cold properties, and stability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental chemical reaction parameters from transesterification to hydrodeoxygenation, operating at different temperatures (200-400°C), pressures (30-100 bar), and using different catalysts (nickel-based, cobalt-molybdenum) to transform the chemical structure of triglycerides into hydrocarbons with superior fuel properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical mechanism of transesterification with a catalytic hydrodeoxygenation process that uses hydrogen gas and metal catalysts to directly convert triglycerides into hydrocarbon fuels, substituting one chemical system with a more effective one
2Reliability
If deep hydrogenation is used to convert vegetable oils into hydrocarbon fractions, then the calorific value and cold properties improve, but the process complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing hydrodesulfurization units multi-functional by adapting them to process biological feedstocks, allowing the same equipment to handle both conventional petroleum refining and biofuel production, thereby reducing the need for dedicated new infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies operating parameters of existing units, including temperature (200-400°C), pressure (30-100 bar), and catalyst selection (nickel-based, cobalt-molybdenum), to enable hydrodeoxygenation of triglycerides while utilizing existing process infrastructure
3Ease of manufacture
If existing hydrodesulfurization plants are revamped into biorefineries, then the investment costs are reduced, but the equipment must be adapted for new processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables existing hydrodesulfurization units to perform multiple functions by adapting them to process biological feedstocks, allowing the same equipment to handle both conventional petroleum refining and biofuel production, thereby reducing the need for dedicated new infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the adaptation process into manageable segments: feedstock preparation, catalytic conversion, product separation, and quality adjustment, allowing systematic modification of existing units without complete redesign
4Ease of manufacture
If FAME is produced from vegetable oils, then the process is well-established, but environmental concerns and regulatory requirements demand higher quality biological diesel components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental chemical reaction parameters from transesterification to hydrodeoxygenation, operating at different temperatures (200-400°C), pressures (30-100 bar), and using different catalysts (nickel-based, cobalt-molybdenum) to transform the chemical structure of triglycerides into hydrocarbons with superior fuel properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful oxygen content in triglycerides into beneficial water and carbon dioxide through hydrodeoxygenation, eliminating the oxygen that causes stability and emission problems in FAME while producing cleaner-burning hydrocarbon fuels
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 enables the production of high-quality diesel fuel with enhanced octane index, cold properties, and calorific value, while minimizing equipment modifications and costs, and reduces emissions by recycling H2S, thus meeting future regulatory standards for renewable energy sources.
Implementation Method 1
production unit of hydrocarbon fractions from mixtures of a biological origin containing fatty acid esters by means of their hydrodeoxygenation
Implementation Method 2
production unit of hydrocarbon fractions from mixtures of a biological origin containing fatty acid esters by means of their hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization
Implementation Method 3
an acid gas treatment unit downstream of the reactor, containing an absorbent (B) for H2S
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for revamping a conventional refinery of mineral oils into a biorefinery, characterized by a production scheme which allows the treatment of raw materials of a biological origin (vegetable oils, animal fats, exhausted cooking oils) for the production of biofuels, prevalently high-quality biodiesel.This method allows the re-use of existing plants, allowing, in particular, the revamping of a refinery containing a system comprising two hydrodesulfurization units, U1 and U2, into a biorefinery containing a production unit of hydrocarbon fractions from mixtures of a biological origin containing fatty acid esters by means of their hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization, wherein each of the hydrodesulfurization units U1 and U2 comprises:a hydrodesulfurization reactor, (A1) for the unit U1 and (A2) for the unit U2, wherein said reactor contains a hydrodesulfurization catalyst;one or more heat exchangers between the feedstock and effluent of the reactor;a heating system of the feedstock upstream of the reactor;an acid gas treatment unit downstream of the reactor, containing an absorbent (B) for H2S, said unit being called T1 in the unit U1 and T2 in the unit U2, and wherein said method comprises:installing a line L between the units U1 and U2 which connects them in series;installing a recycling line of the product for the unit U1 and possibly for the unit U2, substituting the hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the reactor A1 with a hydrodeoxygenation catalyst;substituting the hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the reactor A2 with an isomerization catalyst;installing a by-pass line of the acid gas treatment unit T2 of the unit U2; substituting the absorbent (B) in the acid gas treatment unit T1 with a specific absorbent for CO2 and H2S.The operative configuration obtained with the method, object of the present invention, also leads to a substantial reduction in emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere, with respect to the original operative mode.The invention also relates to the transformation unit of mixtures of a biological origin obtained with said conversion method and particularly hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization processes.