Hydroconversion-Distillation of Heavy Crude Oils
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refineries face challenges in processing heavy and extra-heavy crude oils due to their design for lighter crude oils, leading to operational limitations and increased costs, as conventional refining schemes are not optimized for these heavier feeds.
Innovation Solution
A process involving desalting and separation of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils, followed by catalytic hydrotreatment of the light fraction and catalytic hydroconversion of the heavy fraction, with subsequent distillation to produce fractions that can be processed in conventional refining schemes, utilizing nickel-molybdenum or cobalt-molybdenum catalysts and multiple fixed-bed reactors with specific metal concentrations and support materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional refining schemes are used for heavy and extra-heavy crude oils, then the existing refinery infrastructure can be utilized, but the processing efficiency is poor and operational limitations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The refining process is divided into multiple distinct stages: catalytic hydroconversion of heavy fraction, hydrotreatment of light fraction, and distillation separation. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized for its specific function, enabling efficient processing of heavy crude oils while maintaining compatibility with existing refinery infrastructure designed for lighter crudes.
Solution Approach 2:
The heavy fraction undergoes catalytic hydroconversion before entering the conventional distillation train, and the light fraction receives hydrotreatment preprocessing. These preliminary actions convert the heavy crude into forms that are compatible with downstream conventional refining processes, thereby improving overall productivity without requiring complete infrastructure overhaul.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple processing stages are added to handle heavy crude fractions, then the ability to process heavy oils improves, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The process merges catalytic hydroconversion of heavy fraction, hydrotreatment of light fraction, and distillation into an integrated flow scheme. By combining these operations in a coordinated sequence and using a combined process effluent stream, the system achieves heavy crude processing capability while managing complexity through unified process design rather than separate isolated units.
Solution Approach 2:
The distillation unit serves dual functions: separating the combined effluent from both hydroconversion and hydrotreatment streams, and producing distillate fractions suitable for conventional refining. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized equipment, thereby limiting complexity increase while maintaining adaptability to heavy crude processing.
3Quantity of substance
If heavy and extra-heavy crude oils are processed, then the availability of feedstock increases, but impurity removal becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The process extracts and removes impurities through dedicated treatment stages: catalytic hydroconversion eliminates contaminants from the heavy fraction, while hydrotreatment removes impurities from the light fraction. This targeted extraction approach effectively handles the higher impurity content in heavy and extra-heavy crudes, enabling increased feedstock availability without compromising product quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The process converts the harmful effect of high impurity content in heavy crude into a benefit by using the impurities as indicators for optimized treatment conditions. The catalytic hydroconversion and hydrotreatment stages are specifically configured to address the unique impurity profile of heavy crudes, transforming the challenge of impurity removal into an opportunity for enhanced process effectiveness and increased feedstock utilization.
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 removes impurities, increases API gravity, and enhances the yield of valuable distillate fractions, allowing existing refineries to process heavier crudes with reduced pollution and operating costs, while maintaining the integrity of downstream processes.
Implementation Method 1
catalytic hydrotreatment of the light fraction and catalytic hydroconversion of the heavy fraction, utilizing nickel-molybdenum or cobalt-molybdenum catalysts
Implementation Method 2
distillation of the hydrotreated fraction to obtain distilled fractions
Data Source
AI summary
A process for hydroconversion-distillation of heavy and/or extra-heavy crude oils, which comprises four stages:1) desalting and separation of the feedstock;2) catalytic hydrotreating of light fraction (optional);3) catalytic hydroconversion of heavy fraction, and4) distillation of hydrotreated productsto provide products that can be processed in conventional refining schemes designed to operate with light and intermediate crude oils.