Slurry Phase Hydrocracking Unit for Heavy Fuel Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current processes for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks are inefficient and complex, requiring multiple standalone units and resulting in high operating complexity and capital requirements, while also failing to maximize the production of high-quality, low-sulfur transportation fuels.
Innovation Solution
A simplified refinery flow scheme incorporating a slurry phase hydrocracking unit that integrates hydroconversion and hydroprocessing reactors, eliminating the need for standalone hydrocracking, fluid catalytic cracking, and coking units, allowing for the direct conversion of heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks into lighter, high-value products with deep desulfurization capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple standalone processing units (hydrocracker, FCC, coking, hydrotreater) are used to upgrade heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks, then the production of light, high-quality, low-sulfur transportation fuels is improved, but the operating complexity and capital requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines hydrocracking and hydrotreating functions into a single slurry phase hydrocracking unit. The hydrocracking reactor performs cracking of heavy hydrocarbons while the integrated hydrotreater simultaneously removes sulfur and other impurities, eliminating the need for separate standalone units and reducing overall process complexity while maintaining high fuel production capability
Solution Approach 2:
The slurry phase hydrocracking unit is designed to perform multiple functions: hydrocracking of vacuum residue and vacuum gas oil, hydrotreating for sulfur removal, and production of multiple product streams (diesel, kerosene, naphtha). This multi-functional approach replaces several specialized units with a single versatile processing unit
2Productivity
If traditional standalone hydrocracking and fluid catalytic cracking units are used, then heavy hydrocarbon conversion is achieved, but the operating complexity and capital requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the hydrocracking reactor and hydrotreater into a single integrated slurry phase hydrocracking unit, reducing the number of capital-intensive standalone units required while maintaining effective heavy hydrocarbon conversion capability
3Object-affected harmful factors
If separate hydrocracking and hydroprocessing units are used, then deep desulfurization is achieved, but the device complexity and operating complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The slurry phase hydrocracking unit integrates the hydrocracking reactor with a hydrotreater, allowing simultaneous cracking and sulfur removal in one unit. This eliminates the need for separate hydroprocessing units while achieving deep desulfurization of the produced fuels
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated unit performs both hydrocracking and hydrotreating functions, making it capable of both converting heavy hydrocarbons and removing sulfur impurities, thereby achieving deep desulfurization without requiring separate dedicated hydroprocessing units
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 achieves higher carbon retention and liquid product yields, reducing the need for separate processing units, increasing transportation fuel production, and lowering capital requirements by integrating hydrocracking and hydrotreating steps within the slurry phase hydrocracking unit, thereby simplifying refinery operations and enhancing economic efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Slurry-phase hydrocracking converts any hydrogen and carbon containing feedstock derived from mineral oils, synthetic oils, coal, biological processes, and the like, hydrocarbon residues
Implementation Method 2
crack the vacuum residue into lighter products
Implementation Method 3
deep desulfurization capabilities
Data Source
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AI summary
A refinery built around a slurry phase hydrocracking process unit, such as a Veba Combi-Cracker (VCC), is simpler, produces more liquid product as transportation fuels and has much higher net cash margin than a refinery built around a coker or other bottoms upgrading processes. The VCC unit replaces one or more processing steps normally included in refineries as separate and distinct processing units including heavy distillate/gas oil cracking and optionally bottoms upgrading and deep desulfurization of diesel and gasoline range cuts. The refinery design is especially suited for heavy crude upgrading and can be tuned to provide a wide range of gasoline to distillate production ratios. The refinery design is "bottomless" in the sense that it produces no heavy fuel oil or asphalt as product and no solid fuel (e.g., petroleum coke).