Solid Accumulation Hydroconversion Reactor with Hot Gas Stripping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hydrocracking processes for heavy oils face challenges in the separation and recycling of catalysts and the recovery of high-boiling products, leading to inefficient conversion and plant complexity, with issues such as coke formation and catalyst deactivation.
Innovation Solution
A solid accumulation hydroconversion reactor combined with a hot gas stripping section allows for direct removal of solids and high-boiling products in a vapour phase, maintaining catalyst and non-converted residue within the reaction system to prevent deactivation and simplify the process by eliminating separate recycling and separation steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional hydrocracking processes are used with separate recycling and separation steps, then catalyst separation and high-boiling product recovery are achieved, but plant complexity increases and conversion efficiency decreases due to coke formation and catalyst deactivation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the hydrocracking reactor and the stripping section into a single integrated unit. The stripping section is positioned inside or directly connected to the reactor, allowing simultaneous hydrocracking and product stripping. This eliminates the need for separate recycling and separation steps, reducing plant complexity while maintaining high conversion efficiency by continuously removing products and preventing catalyst deactivation
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated reactor-stripping unit performs multiple functions simultaneously: hydrocracking of heavy oils, separation of conversion products, removal of high-boiling products, and prevention of coke formation. The stripping section serves both as a separation device and as a means to maintain catalyst activity, eliminating the need for separate catalyst recycling operations
2Productivity
If high-severity hydrocracking is applied to achieve total conversion, then productivity increases, but catalyst consumption increases and catalyst deactivation accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous stripping of conversion products from the reaction liquid prevents catalyst deactivation by removing products that would otherwise accumulate and cause coking. The stripping section operates continuously alongside the hydrocracking reaction, maintaining catalyst activity throughout the process and enabling sustained high-severity operation without increased catalyst consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of high-severity hydrocracking (which accelerates catalyst deactivation) into a benefit by simultaneously applying continuous stripping. The stripping action removes the harmful byproducts of high-severity cracking, allowing the process to operate at high conversion rates without the expected increase in catalyst consumption
3Reliability
If separate recycling sections are used for catalyst recovery, then catalyst activity is maintained, but process complexity and operation difficulty increase due to additional separation steps
Solution Approach 1:
The catalyst recycling function is merged with the hydrocracking reactor operation. The stripping section, which is an integral part of the reactor system, simultaneously performs product separation and catalyst protection functions. This eliminates the need for separate recycling sections while maintaining catalyst activity through continuous stripping of conversion products
4Quantity of substance
If high-boiling products are recovered by vacuum distillation, then product recovery is achieved, but coke formation increases and catalyst activity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters of product recovery from vacuum distillation (high temperature, low pressure) to gas stripping (moderate temperature, atmospheric or near-atmospheric pressure). The stripping section uses a gas stream to strip conversion products from the reaction liquid at temperatures that prevent coking, while still achieving complete recovery of high-boiling 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 approach enables high-severity hydrocracking with reduced catalyst consumption, efficient removal of solids and high-boiling products, and continuous plant operation, minimizing coke formation and maintaining catalyst activity, thus achieving total conversion to distillates.
Implementation Method 1
a hot gas stripping section of the reaction liquid, designed in relation to the type of reactor adopted, for the direct and continuous removal of the conversion products, including high-boiling products
Implementation Method 2
the complete and high-productivity conversion of crude oils, heavy crude oils, bitumens from tar sands, distillation residues, heavy distillation cuts, deasphalted distillation residues, synthetic oils from Fischer-Tropsch processes, vegetable oils, oils deriving from coke and oil shales, oils obtained from the thermodecomposition of waste products, polymers, biomasses, to distilled products with the use of hydrogenation catalysts or catalytic compositions
Implementation Method 3
a solid accumulation hydroconversion reactor in which the solids deriving from and generated by the feedstock treated (metals in the form of sulphides and coke) are accumulated, up to very high levels
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a system for the hydroconversion of heavy oils essentially consisting of a solid accumulation reactor and a stripping section of the products of hydroconversion outside or inside the reactor itself.