Non-Flashing Liquid Quench for Hydroconversion Reactor Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing diesel boiling range hydrocarbons from renewable feedstocks, such as plant and animal oils, face challenges in efficiently controlling temperature and optimizing hydrogen usage, leading to suboptimal catalyst performance and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A hydroconversion process involving hydrogenation, deoxygenation, and isomerization of renewable feedstocks, where a non-flashing liquid quench is introduced counter-currently to control temperature and recycle hydrogen, reducing the need for high pressures and enhancing hydrogen solubility, thereby improving reaction efficiency and throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high pressure is used to increase hydrogen solubility and reaction rate, then productivity improves, but device complexity and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the quench stream from vapor to liquid non-flashing phase, which fundamentally alters the temperature control mechanism. This allows the system to achieve effective temperature control without relying on high pressure, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid non-flashing quench stream acts as an intermediary substance that transfers heat from the exothermic reaction zone. By introducing this intermediate cooling medium, the system can control reaction temperature and maintain productivity without requiring high pressure conditions, thus reducing device complexity.
2Productivity
If temperature is not controlled in the reaction zone, then productivity increases, but catalyst performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control mechanism where the liquid non-flashing quench stream is introduced to actively control the temperature in the reaction zone. This temperature control feedback ensures that catalyst performance is maintained while allowing high throughput by preventing thermal runaway conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid quench stream serves as an intermediary cooling agent that selectively removes excess heat from the reaction zone without quenching the reaction itself. This mediated temperature control protects catalyst performance while maintaining high productivity.
3Ease of operation
If vapor quench is used to control temperature, then ease of operation improves, but loss of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the phase parameter of the quench stream from vapor to liquid non-flashing phase. This parameter change fundamentally improves energy efficiency by eliminating the energy loss associated with vapor condensation and heat evaporation, while maintaining ease of operation through simple liquid injection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of heat loss into a beneficial feature by using liquid non-flashing quench stream. Instead of losing energy through vaporization, the liquid phase directly absorbs heat without phase change energy losses, turning the quenching process into an energy-efficient temperature control mechanism.
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 produces isoparaffin-rich diesel and aviation fuels with improved cold flow properties, reduces operational costs by lowering pressure requirements, and increases material throughput while maintaining catalyst performance.
Implementation Method 1
A non-flashing liquid quench stream is introduced counter current to the flow in the deoxygenation zone to control the temperature in the reactor beds
Implementation Method 2
The process involves hydrogenation, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, and/or hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization in one or more reactors
Implementation Method 3
The process involves hydrogenation, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, and/or hydrodeoxygenation
Implementation Method 4
The process involves hydrogenation, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, and/or hydrodeoxygenation
Implementation Method 5
The process involves hydrogenation, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, and/or hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization in one or more reactors
Data Source
AI summary
A process has been developed for producing diesel boiling range fuel from renewable feedstocks such as plant oils and animal oils, fats, and greases. The process involves treating a renewable feedstock by hydrogenating and deoxygenating to provide a hydrocarbon fraction useful as a diesel or aviation boiling range fuel or fuel blending component. If desired, the hydrocarbon fraction can be isomerized to improve cold flow properties. A portion of the hydrogenated and deoxygenated feedstock is used as a non-flashing liquid quench stream to control the temperature of the hydrogenation and deoxygenation reactor.