Pitch Hydrocracking Reactor for Residuum Upgrading
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing hydrocracking processes for upgrading petroleum feedstocks, such as asphaltenic pitch, face challenges in converting pitch into valuable products due to high production costs, seasonal demand, and quality issues, leading to pitch being considered a low-value or undesirable byproduct.
Innovation Solution
A process involving hydrocracking a heavy oil feedstock in an ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor, followed by solvent deasphalting and feeding the pitch, hydrogen, and spent catalyst to a pitch hydrocracking reactor under specific temperature and pressure conditions to convert pitch into distillate hydrocarbons, thereby reducing pitch production and increasing conversion efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If reaction severity is increased to increase residuum conversion, then conversion efficiency improves, but pitch production increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful byproduct pitch into a valuable feedstock by introducing a pitch hydrocracking reactor that processes pitch alongside spent catalyst and hydrogen to produce distillate hydrocarbons. This transforms the waste disposal problem into an additional revenue stream and improves overall process efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by introducing a dedicated pitch hydrocracking reactor with specific temperature and pressure conditions optimized for pitch conversion. This allows the system to handle pitch as a separate stream with appropriate processing conditions, preventing pitch accumulation while maintaining high residuum conversion.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pitch is converted to fuel oil using lighter cutter stock, then pitch utilization improves, but the process requires very high volume of lighter cutter stock
Solution Approach 1:
The pitch hydrocracking reactor uses spent catalyst from the ebullated bed reactor to catalyze pitch conversion, eliminating the need for external catalyst inputs. The system essentially uses its own spent catalyst to process its own byproduct, creating a self-sufficient loop that reduces external material requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the conversion approach from blending with lighter cutter stock to hydrocracking with hydrogen and spent catalyst. This fundamental parameter change transforms pitch into distillate hydrocarbons directly, eliminating the need for large volumes of lighter cutter stock while producing higher value products.
3Ease of manufacture
If spent catalyst is discarded after ebullated bed hydrocracking, then catalyst management simplifies, but catalyst resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the useful life of the spent catalyst by continuously utilizing it in the pitch hydrocracking reactor. Instead of discarding the catalyst after single-use in the ebullated bed reactor, the system maintains continuous catalytic activity by deploying the spent catalyst to convert pitch, thereby eliminating waste and maximizing resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the catalyst application from single-use to multi-use by adjusting the operational parameters to suit pitch hydrocracking conditions. The spent catalyst from ebullated bed hydrocracking is repurposed for pitch conversion with appropriate temperature and pressure adjustments, extending its functional lifecycle.
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 reduces pitch production, enhances residuum hydrocarbon conversion rates, and eliminates the need for external units, achieving high conversion efficiencies with minimal additional catalyst requirements, thus addressing the value and quality issues of pitch in existing processes.
Implementation Method 1
hydrocracking a heavy oil feedstock in a hydrocracking reaction system comprising one or more hydrocracking reaction stages comprising an ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor
Implementation Method 2
solvent deasphalting at least one of the two or more hydrocarbon fractions to produce a deasphalted oil fraction and a pitch
Implementation Method 3
contacting the pitch, hydrogen, and the spent or partially spent catalyst stream in the pitch hydrocracking reactor at reaction conditions of temperature and pressure sufficient to convert at least a portion of the pitch to distillate hydrocarbons
Implementation Method 4
contacting the pitch, hydrogen, and the spent or partially spent catalyst stream in the pitch hydrocracking reactor
Data Source
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AI summary
A process for upgrading residuum hydrocarbons including: feeding pitch, hydrogen, and a partially spent catalyst recovered from a hydrocracking reactor to an ebullated bed pitch hydrocracking reactor; contacting the pitch, hydrogen, and the catalyst in the ebullated bed pitch hydrocracking reactor at reaction conditions of temperature and pressure sufficient to convert at least a portion of the pitch to distillate hydrocarbons; and separating the distillate hydrocarbons from the catalyst. In some embodiments, the process may include selecting the ebullated bed pitch hydrocracking reactor reaction conditions to be at or below the level where sediment formation would otherwise become excessive and prevent continuity of operations.