# US 10,119,081 B2 · Supercritical reactor systems and processes for petroleum upgrading

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,119,081 B2
- Document ID: US10119081B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/894,409
- Filed: 2018-02-12
- Published: 2018-06-14
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-15
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi; Abdullah T. Alabdulhadi; Mohammad A. Al-Abdullah
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119081B2

## CPC

- C10G 31/08: by treating with water
- B01J 3/008: {Processes carried out under supercritical conditions}
- B01J 3/02: Feed or outlet devices therefor
- C10G 11/10: with stationary catalyst bed
- C10G 49/18: in the presence of hydrogen-generating compounds, e.g. ammonia, water, hydrogen sulfide
- C10G 51/026: {only catalytic cracking steps}
- C10G 65/02: plural serial stages only
- C10G 65/10: including only cracking steps
- C10G 65/12: including cracking steps and other hydrotreatment steps
- C10G 75/00: Inhibiting corrosion or fouling in apparatus for treatment or conversion of hydrocarbon oils, in general (C10G7/10, C10G9/16 take precedence)
- C10G 75/04: by addition of antifouling agents
- C10G 2300/70: Catalyst aspects
- C10G 2300/703: Activation
- C10G 2300/805: Water
- C10G 2300/807: Steam
- Y02P 20/54: using solvents, e.g. supercritical solvents or ionic liquids
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Supercritical upgrading reactors and reactor systems for upgrading a petroleum-based compositions comprising one or more catalyst layers and, in some embodiments, one or more purging fluid inlets, where one or more catalyst layers at least partially sift and convert heavy hydrocarbon fractions to light hydrocarbon fractions to produce an upgraded supercritical reactor product. In some embodiments, upgrading reactor systems comprise one or more supercritical upgrading reactors and one or more supercritical standby reactors alternating functions such that a supercritical upgrading reactor is converted to a supercritical standby reactor and the supercritical standby reactor is converted to a supercritical upgrading reactor, where the supercritical upgrading reactor upgrades a combined feed stream while a supercritical standby reactor delivers a cleaning fluid into the supercritical standby reactor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for upgrading a petroleum-based composition comprising:
combining a supercritical water stream with a pressurized, heated petroleum-based composition in a mixing device to create a combined feed stream;
introducing the combined feed stream into an upgrading reactor system comprising at least one downflow supercritical upgrading reactor operating at a temperature greater than a critical temperature of water and a pressure greater than a critical pressure of water,
where the downflow supercritical upgrading reactor comprises a first catalyst layer and a second catalyst layer, the second catalyst layer disposed vertically below the first catalyst layer in the downflow supercritical upgrading reactor,
where the first catalyst layer comprises a catalyst having a first void volume ratio and the second catalyst layer comprises a catalyst having a second void volume ratio, and
where the second void volume ratio differs from the first void volume ratio;
passing the combined feed stream through the first catalyst layer and the second catalyst layer, where light hydrocarbons in the combined feed stream at least partially flow through the first catalyst layer and the second catalyst layer while heavy hydrocarbons in the combined feed stream are at least partially sifted in voids of the first catalyst layer, voids of the second catalyst layer, or both;
at least partially converting the sifted heavy hydrocarbons to light hydrocarbons in the first catalyst layer or the second catalyst layer in the presence of the supercritical water; and
passing upgraded product comprising light hydrocarbons and the converted light hydrocarbons out of the downflow supercritical upgrading reactor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, where the second void volume ratio is less than the first void volume ratio.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, where the catalyst of the first catalyst layer, the second catalyst layer, or both comprises a heterogeneous porous metal alloy, the heterogeneous porous metal alloy comprising nickel, molybdenum, chromium, iron, and tungsten.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The process of claim 3, where the heterogeneous porous metal alloy comprises mesh.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4, where the heterogeneous porous metal alloy comprises 55 to 60 wt % nickel.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, where the downflow supercritical upgrading reactor includes one or more purging fluid inlets disposed on one or more side locations of the downflow supercritical upgrading reactor proximate the first catalyst layer, the second catalyst layer, or both.

### Claim 7

A process for upgrading a petroleum-based composition comprising:
combining a supercritical water stream with a pressurized, heated petroleum-based composition in a mixing device to create a combined feed stream,
introducing the combined feed stream into an upgrading reactor system comprising at least one supercritical upgrading reactor operating at a temperature greater than a critical temperature of water and a pressure greater than a critical pressure of water,
where the supercritical upgrading reactor comprises a first catalyst layer and a second catalyst layer, the second catalyst layer disposed vertically below the first catalyst layer in the supercritical upgrading reactor
where the first catalyst layer comprises a catalyst having a first void volume ratio and the second catalyst layer comprises a catalyst having a second void volume ratio, and
where the second void volume ratio is less than the first void volume ratio,
passing the combined feed stream through the first catalyst layer and the second catalyst layer, where light hydrocarbons in the combined feed stream at least partially flow through the first catalyst layer and the second catalyst layer while heavy hydrocarbons in the combined feed stream are at least partially sifted in voids of the first catalyst layer, voids of the second catalyst layer, or both;
at least partially converting the sifted heavy hydrocarbons to light hydrocarbons in the first catalyst layer or the second catalyst layer in the presence of the supercritical water; and
passing upgraded product comprising light hydrocarbons and the converted light hydrocarbons out of the supercritical upgrading reactor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, where the catalyst of the first catalyst layer, the second catalyst layer, or both comprises a heterogeneous porous metal alloy, the heterogeneous porous metal alloy comprising nickel, molybdenum, chromium, iron, and tungsten.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8, where the heterogeneous porous metal alloy comprises mesh.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The process of claim 9, where the heterogeneous porous metal alloy comprises 55 to 60 wt % nickel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, where the supercritical upgrading reactor includes one or more purging fluid inlets disposed on one or more side locations of the supercritical upgrading reactor proximate the first catalyst layer, the second catalyst layer, or both.