Integrated MTO and Pyrolysis Process for Light Olefin Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing light olefins, such as ethylene and propylene, from hydrocarbon feed materials are inefficient, and integrating oxygenate to olefin conversion systems with hydrocarbon pyrolysis systems has been hindered by the disparate nature of feed materials and compositional differences in reaction products.
Innovation Solution
An integrated process that involves passing an oxygenate feed to an oxygenate-to-olefin reactor with a molecular sieve catalyst, separating and hydrogenating the effluent streams, cracking hydrocarbon streams, co-fractionating the resulting gas streams, and conditioning them to produce ethylene and propylene products, allowing for the recycling and processing of C4 hydrocarbons to enhance light olefin production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an oxygenate to olefin conversion system is integrated with a hydrocarbon pyrolysis system, then light olefin production efficiency is improved, but the complexity of the process increases due to disparate feed materials and compositional differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines an oxygenate to olefin conversion system with a hydrocarbon pyrolysis system into an integrated process. The effluent streams from both systems are merged and processed together through shared separation and conditioning units, allowing simultaneous production from different feed sources while reducing overall process complexity through resource sharing
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system employs universal processing units that can handle effluent streams from both oxygenate conversion and hydrocarbon pyrolysis. The separation and conditioning equipment is designed to process mixed streams containing products from both reaction systems, making the equipment multi-functional and adaptable to varying feed compositions
2Productivity
If separate processing of oxygenate and hydrocarbon streams is used, then process simplicity is maintained, but economies of scale are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the processing streams from oxygenate conversion and hydrocarbon pyrolysis into a unified separation and conditioning system. This allows the facilities to operate at larger scales with improved efficiency, while the shared infrastructure reduces the total number of separate units required compared to fully independent processing systems
3Use of energy by moving object
If compression requirements for hydrocarbon pyrolysis are maintained separately, then operational simplicity is preserved, but energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the compression requirements of both oxygenate conversion and hydrocarbon pyrolysis systems into a shared compression facility. The effluent streams are compressed together in integrated compression units, reducing total energy consumption by eliminating duplicate compression equipment and optimizing compressor operation at higher capacity levels
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 integrated process maximizes the production of light olefins, decouples the compression requirements of hydrocarbon pyrolysis systems, and achieves economies of scale by utilizing the olefin cracking reactor to treat heavier and lighter fractions from both systems, resulting in increased yields of ethylene and propylene.
Implementation Method 1
contact the oxygenate feed with a molecular sieve catalyst and to convert oxygenate to light olefins
Implementation Method 2
cracking the first stream containing C4 and higher hydrocarbons to form a first cracked gas effluent stream containing light olefins
Implementation Method 3
selectively hydrogenating and then cracking the first stream containing C4 and higher hydrocarbons
Implementation Method 4
separating the effluent stream into a first light olefins stream separate from a first stream containing C4 and higher hydrocarbons
Data Source
AI summary
1-butene is recovered as a purified product from an MTO synthesis and especially from an integrated MTO synthesis and hydrocarbon pyrolysis system in which the MTO system and its complementary olefin cracking reactor are combined with a hydrocarbon pyrolysis reactor in a way that facilitates the flexible production and recovery of olefins and other petrochemical products, particularly butene-1 and MTBE.