Oil-Soluble Liquid Catalyst for Heavy Oil Hydrocracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heavy oils, particularly vacuum gas oil and vacuum resid, are difficult to convert into valuable lighter products due to high asphaltene and metal content, leading to catalyst deactivation and excessive coke formation, limiting their use in refinery processes.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a tubular slurry hydrocracking reactor with an oil-soluble liquid catalyst comprising Ni and Mo organometallic compounds, which converts heavy oils into lighter hydrocarbons by sulfiding the catalyst to form nanocrystallites, separating and recycling aromatic-rich Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil, and hydrotreating to produce premium quality products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional catalysts are used for heavy oil conversion, then conversion of heavy oils to lighter products is achieved, but catalyst deactivation occurs due to high metal and asphaltene content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the catalyst by converting conventional solid catalysts into oil-soluble liquid catalysts using organometallic compounds. This parameter change allows the catalyst to remain dispersed in the heavy oil feedstock, preventing deactivation by metals and asphaltenes while maintaining high conversion activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces organometallic compounds as intermediary substances that transfer catalytic activity from traditional solid catalysts to the liquid phase. These organometallic intermediaries dissolve in the heavy oil, providing catalytic function without the mechanical deactivation issues of solid catalysts in high-metal feeds.
2Productivity
If thermal cracking is used to convert heavy oils, then lighter products are produced, but excessive coke formation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal cracking (heat-driven mechanical process) with catalytic cracking using oil-soluble organometallic catalysts. This substitution introduces chemical catalysis that lowers activation energy and directs reaction pathways, achieving comparable light product yields with significantly reduced coke formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of heavy oil composition (high asphaltene and metal content that causes coke) into a benefit by using these components as the medium for dissolving and distributing the organometallic catalyst, thereby achieving uniform catalysis throughout the feedstock while minimizing coke.
3Productivity
If solid catalysts are used in slurry hydrocracking, then heavy oil conversion is achieved, but catalyst separation and recycling becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the hydraulic principle of solubility, where the organometallic catalysts dissolve in the liquid heavy oil phase, eliminating the need for complex solid-liquid separation equipment. The catalyst remains in solution throughout processing and can be recovered through simple evaporation or distillation of the solvent.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent simplifies catalyst recovery by using volatile organic solvents that can be easily evaporated or distilled from the product stream, allowing straightforward recovery and recycling of the organometallic catalyst without complex separation trains required for solid catalyst systems.
4Adaptability or versatility
If vacuum resid is used as feedstock, then maximum utilization of crude oil is achieved, but the feed has little commercial value due to high CCR and metals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the processing parameters by using oil-soluble liquid catalysts instead of conventional solid catalysts, enabling vacuum resid (typically unusable due to high CCR and metals) to be converted efficiently into valuable lighter products with high commercial value.
Solution Approach 2:
The organometallic catalyst system provides multi-functionality by simultaneously handling the challenges of high metal content, high asphaltene content, and high Conradson Carbon Residue in vacuum resid, making this previously problematic feedstock suitable for production of high-value light products.
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 upgrades heavy oils into premium quality lighter hydrocarbons with low coke production, reducing catalyst deactivation and enabling the recycling of valuable fractions, thus enhancing the utilization of heavy oils in refinery processes.
Implementation Method 1
sulfiding the catalyst to form nanocrystallites
Implementation Method 2
tubular slurry hydrocracking reactor with an oil-soluble liquid catalyst... converts heavy oils into lighter hydrocarbons
Implementation Method 3
transferred to a hydrocyclone separator and separating it into a liquid portion and a solid portion
Implementation Method 4
transferred to a vacuum distillation column to obtain a first overhead fraction, a second side fraction and a bottoms fraction
Implementation Method 5
heating a mixture comprising of heavy oil feed, Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO) recycle feed stream, hydrogen and an oil soluble liquid catalyst in a heater
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a process for hydro cracking of heavy oils. More particularly, this invention relates to a catalytic process for converting heavy oils, such as vacuum gas oil (VGO) and VGO containing a high proportion of vacuum resid (VR) to middle distillate products.