Hydrotreating Renewable Feedstock with Diluent
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The hydrotreating process for renewable feedstocks faces limitations due to low hydrogen solubility, requiring excessive hydrogen gas and resulting in inefficiencies and increased operating costs, particularly when producing high-purity hydrocarbon products like bio-naphtha and phase change materials.
Innovation Solution
A two-phase hydrotreating process involving dilution of renewable feedstocks with n-paraffin to enhance hydrogen solubility, followed by multiple reactor stages with catalyst beds and sulfiding agents to maintain dissolved hydrogen levels, reducing the need for excessive hydrogen gas and optimizing product purity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a large excess amount of hydrogen gas is fed to mitigate low hydrogen solubility, then sufficient hydrogen is available for the reaction, but unused hydrogen gas increases and operating costs increase due to compression requirements
Solution Approach 1:
A diluent is introduced as an intermediary substance to enhance hydrogen solubility in the renewable feedstock. The diluent acts as a mediator that facilitates hydrogen dissolution without being consumed in the reaction, allowing sufficient hydrogen availability while minimizing excess hydrogen and associated compression costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical-chemical parameters of the feedstock are modified by adding a diluent, which changes the solubility characteristics of the system. This parameter change enables better hydrogen dissolution at the given temperature and pressure conditions, eliminating the need for excessive hydrogen feeding.
2Quantity of substance
If hydrogen gas is fed in large excess to ensure sufficient hydrogen for reaction, then the reaction can proceed, but hydrogen gas loss increases requiring compression and reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The diluent serves as a carrier medium that enables efficient hydrogen transfer to the renewable feedstock. By using the diluent to solubilize hydrogen, the system achieves complete hydrogen utilization without excess, eliminating the need for hydrogen recovery and compression.
3Device complexity
If conventional hydrotreating process is used without dilution, then the process is simple, but hydrogen solubility is insufficient limiting the reaction efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The feedstock composition is modified by adding a diluent, which changes the physical properties of the mixture to enhance hydrogen solubility. This parameter change improves reaction efficiency while maintaining relatively simple process equipment, as the dilution is performed before the existing reactor system.
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 approach minimizes hydrogen gas loss, reduces operating costs, and produces high-purity hydrocarbon products, including bio-naphtha and phase change materials, while maintaining catalyst efficiency and reducing water vapor presence.
Implementation Method 1
contacting the diluted feedstock with hydrogen gas and sulfiding agent so that the hydrogen gas dissolves in the diluted feedstock to form a diluted feedstock enriched with dissolved hydrogen
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the diluted feedstock enriched with dissolved hydrogen to a reactor comprising a catalyst bed to form a reaction effluent enriched with dissolved hydrogen
Implementation Method 3
contacting the diluted feedstock with hydrogen gas and sulfiding agent
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a process for producing one or more of hydrocarbon products from a renewable feedstock comprising triglycerides, free fatty acids or combinations thereof. The process may comprise the steps of mixing the renewable feedstock with a diluent to form a diluted feedstock; supplying or providing hydrogen gas to the diluted feedstock so that the hydrogen gas may dissolve in the diluted feedstock to form a diluted feedstock enriched with dissolved hydrogen; and feeding the diluted feedstock enriched with dissolved hydrogen to at least a reactor having at least a reaction zone comprising at least a catalyst bed under predefined conditions, thereby producing a reaction effluent which can be further processed (e.g. by using one or more distillation units and one or more adsorption units) to form one or more of hydrocarbon products.