Low-Sulfur Fuel Oil Blends With Sequential Aromatic Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of producing low sulfur marine bunker fuel oil compositions that meet IMO 2020 specifications while maintaining initial compatibility and longer-term stability, particularly due to asphaltene precipitation issues when blending high sulfur fuel oils with low sulfur distillates.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the selection and blending of slurry oils with specific aromatic content ranges and a resid with a paraffinic content to create a low sulfur marine bunker fuel oil, ensuring the aromatic content of the blend is incrementally reduced to stabilize and promote compatibility between high aromatic distillates and high paraffinic resids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If high sulfur fuel oils are blended with low sulfur distillates to meet IMO 2020 sulfur requirements, then sulfur content is reduced to less than 0.5% by weight, but asphaltene precipitation occurs causing compatibility and stability problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses aromatic compounds as intermediary substances to mediate between high sulfur fuel oils and low sulfur distillates. These aromatic intermediaries prevent asphaltene precipitation by maintaining solubility during blending, thereby resolving the contradiction between reducing sulfur content and maintaining blend stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the aromatic content parameter of the blend to prevent asphaltene precipitation. By controlling and adjusting the aromatic content within specific ranges, the patent maintains compatibility between high sulfur and low sulfur components while achieving the required sulfur content reduction.
2Quantity of substance
If high aromatic distillates are blended with high paraffinic resids to create low sulfur fuel oil, then sulfur content is reduced, but initial compatibility and longer-term stability are compromised due to asphaltene precipitation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the aromatic content of the distillate component within a specific range (at least about 30% by weight). This parameter control ensures that the blend maintains both initial compatibility and longer-term stability while achieving the required sulfur content reduction to less than 0.5% by weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by specifying particular properties for different blend components - high aromatic content for distillates and high paraffinic content for resids. This differentiated component specification allows the blend to achieve both low sulfur content and improved stability.
3Quantity of substance
If refiners dilute high sulfur fuel oils with low sulfur distillates to meet IMO 2020 specifications, then sulfur content compliance is achieved, but asphaltene precipitation remains problematic affecting fuel quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs aromatic compounds as intermediary substances that prevent asphaltene precipitation during the dilution process. These intermediaries bridge the compatibility gap between high sulfur and low sulfur components, allowing refiners to achieve sulfur content compliance while eliminating the harmful effect of asphaltene precipitation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of blending high sulfur and low sulfur components (which causes asphaltene precipitation) into a beneficial outcome by controlling aromatic content. The aromatic compounds, which could otherwise contribute to instability, are used strategically to prevent precipitation and ensure blend stability.
Data Source
AI summary
Low sulfur fuel oil blend compositions and methods of making such blend compositions to increase the stability and compatibility of LSFO blends having paraffinic resids that are blended with distillates and/or cracked stocks of higher asphaltenes and/or aromatics content. In one or more embodiments, distillates and/or cracked stocks that incrementally reduce the initial aromaticity of the distillate or cracked stock with the highest aromaticity are sequentially blended prior to resid addition. Such incremental reduction and sequential blending have been found to provide a resulting low sulfur fuel oil blend that is both compatible and stable.