Integrated Hydrocracking Hydrotreating Diesel Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mild hydrocracking processes produce diesel that does not meet stringent sulfur and nitrogen content regulations, requiring additional processing steps and increased operational costs due to inefficiencies in hydrogen separation and recycling.
Innovation Solution
Integrating a hydrotreating unit with the hydrocracking unit, using a common recycle gas compressor and a warm separator to optimize hydrogen partial pressure and reduce reheating needs, while adding make-up hydrogen to the hydrocracking unit to enhance catalyst efficiency and product quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mild hydrocracking is used to produce diesel, then diesel yield is improved, but sulfur and nitrogen content in the diesel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines hydrocracking and hydrotreating functions into a single integrated reactor system with dual catalyst beds. The hydrocracking catalyst bed performs cracking to produce diesel, while the hydrotreating catalyst bed simultaneously removes sulfur and nitrogen contaminants, eliminating the need for separate processing units and achieving both high diesel yield and low contaminant levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated reactor system performs multiple functions within a single unit: hydrocracking to produce diesel, hydrotreating to remove sulfur and nitrogen, and hydrogen recycling. This multi-functional approach allows the system to simultaneously optimize diesel production while meeting stringent sulfur and nitrogen specifications.
2Manufacturing precision
If separate hydrocracking and hydrotreating units are used, then product quality is improved, but capital and operating costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate hydrocracking and hydrotreating units into a single integrated reactor system. This consolidation maintains product quality by ensuring thorough contaminant removal while reducing capital costs through shared infrastructure and operating costs through streamlined operations and hydrogen recycling.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system performs multiple processing functions within one unit, eliminating the need for separate hydrocracking and hydrotreating plants. This reduces overall device complexity while maintaining the ability to produce high-quality diesel meeting stringent specifications.
3Loss of energy
If hydrogen is recycled from hydrotreating effluent, then hydrogen utilization is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines hydrogen recycling into the integrated reactor system, where hydrogen from the hydrotreating effluent is separated and fed back to the hydrocracking section. This internal recycling loop improves hydrogen utilization efficiency while the integration keeps the overall system complexity manageable compared to separate units with independent recycling systems.
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 enhances diesel production efficiency, reduces capital and operating costs by improving hydrogen utilization and product quality, meeting stringent low sulfur diesel specifications without the need for extensive additional processing.
Implementation Method 1
Hydrocracking refers to a process in which hydrocarbons crack in the presence of hydrogen and catalyst to lower molecular weight hydrocarbons
Implementation Method 2
The diesel stream is hydrotreated in the presence of a hydrotreating hydrogen stream and hydrotreating catalyst to provide a hydrotreating effluent stream
Data Source
AI summary
A process is disclosed for hydrocracking hydrocarbon feed in a hydrocracking unit and hydrotreating a diesel product from the hydrocracking unit in a hydrotreating unit. The hydrocracking unit and the hydrotreating unit shares the same recycle gas compressor. A warm separator separates recycle gas and hydrocarbons from diesel in the hydrotreating effluent, so fraction of the diesel is relatively simple. The warm separator also keeps the diesel product separate from the more sulfurous diesel in the hydrocracking effluent, and still retains heat needed for fractionation of lighter components from the low sulfur diesel product.