Permutable Reactor System for Crude Oil Hydrotreating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hydrotreating processes for heavy oil fractions and whole crude oil face challenges due to deactivation by minor concentrations of contaminants like organic nickel and vanadium compounds, leading to reduced catalyst activity and increased operating costs, as well as premature shutdowns due to coke deposition in HDS reactors.
Innovation Solution
A permutable reactor system is employed, allowing for flexible alignment of reactors and flow permutations between HDM and HDS sections, enabling catalyst rejuvenation or replacement while maintaining process continuity, thus extending catalyst life and increasing sulfur removal efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sequential HDM and HDS reactors are used, then the process can remove sulfur and metals from crude oil, but the catalysts become deactivated by metal compounds and coke precursors, requiring frequent shutdowns for catalyst replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the reactor system permutable, allowing the sequence of reactors to be dynamically changed. Instead of a fixed sequential arrangement, the reactors can be reconfigured to different permutations, enabling the system to adapt its structure during operation to maintain catalyst activity and extend on-stream cycle length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses preliminary action by strategically positioning reactors with different catalyst types (HDM and HDS) in specific sequences before processing the crude oil. The system pre-arranges the reactor permutation to optimize catalyst protection, placing catalysts in positions where they will experience the most favorable feed composition at the start of each cycle.
2Productivity
If catalysts are positioned at the inlet of sequential reactors to handle high metal concentrations, then initial sulfur removal is effective, but catalyst deactivation occurs prematurely due to high concentrations of deactivating metal compounds
Solution Approach 1:
The permutable reactor system allows dynamic reconfiguration of reactor sequences. By changing the permutation of reactors over time, the system can shift which reactor receives the crude oil feed first, thereby distributing the burden of handling high metal concentrations across different catalysts and preventing any single catalyst from deactivating prematurely.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic action by cyclically changing the reactor permutation. Instead of maintaining a fixed sequence, the reactors are periodically reconfigured to different arrangements, allowing catalysts to experience varying feed compositions over time and preventing sustained exposure to high concentrations of deactivating compounds.
3Device complexity
If the reactor system is constricted in a sequential fashion, then the process structure is simple, but the unit must be shut down to replace or regenerate spent catalysts, reducing on-stream cycle length
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamics into the reactor configuration by making it permutable. While the physical reactor structure remains relatively simple, the operational configuration is dynamic, allowing the system to change its sequence arrangement without physical reconfiguration or shutdown. This enables continuous operation while maintaining simple hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the concept of flexibility to the reactor system's operational structure. The permutable reactor arrangement allows the system to flexibly change its configuration sequence without rigid constraints, enabling smooth transitions between different reactor permutations and avoiding the need for shutdowns associated with fixed sequential systems.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional fixed sequential reactors are used, then catalyst replacement is straightforward, but the catalysts at the outlet of final reactors are not fully utilized, reducing overall process efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The permutable reactor system dynamically redistributes the feedstock flow across different catalysts by changing reactor sequences. This ensures that catalysts at the outlet positions in one permutation can become inlet positions in subsequent permutations, fully utilizing their capacity to handle high metal concentrations before being replaced or regenerated.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies discarding and recovering by strategically managing catalyst positions through permutation changes. Catalysts are moved through different positions in the sequence, maximizing their useful life before replacement. The permutable arrangement allows the system to recover full value from each catalyst before it is discarded or sent for regeneration.
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 significantly increases catalyst utilization, prolongs on-stream time, and enhances the desulfurization of whole crude oil, reducing hydrogen consumption and operating costs by optimizing catalyst activity and extending the cycle length.
Implementation Method 1
introducing crude oil into an HDM section to remove contaminants, thereby creating an HDS feed stream
Implementation Method 2
feeding the HDS feed stream to an HDS section such that at least a portion of the sulfur components within the HDS feed stream are removed
Implementation Method 3
catalytic hydrotreating process that includes permutable reactors
Data Source
AI summary
A continuous process for upgrading sour crude oil by treating the sour crude oil in a two step process that includes a hydro-demetallization section and a hydro-desulfurization section, both of which are constructed in a permutable fashion so as to optimize the operating conditions and catalyst lifespan to produce a high value crude oil having low sulfur and low organometallic impurities.