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US 10,787,612 B2Granted
Device and method for processing hydrocarbon feedstocks
AssigneeNexCrude Technologies, Inc.
InventorsGerald F. Swiss, Robert P W Miller, Ross Alan Falconer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are methods and modular devices for processing hydrocarbon feedstocks. In particular, the methods and modular devices disclosed herein provide for increasing the amounts of light fractions obtainable from a hydrocarbon feedstock.
Claims27
A device comprising a distillation module suitable for distilling a hydrocarbon feedstock into a liquid component and a gaseous component, a first communication channel, and a plurality of condensation modules aligned sequentially along said first communication channel so as to define upstream and downstream condensation modules
- wherein the gaseous component of said distillation module is in communication with each of said condensation modules via said first communication channel, said device further comprises:
- a) a heating element to heat said feedstock in said distillation module,
- b) a second communication channel positioned to move hydrocarbons from either
- i) the terminal end of the first communication channel to one or more of the condensation modules;
- ii) or one of the downstream condensation modules to one or more upstream condensation modules;
- c) an optional pump or blower to move the hydrocarbons through said second communication channel to one or more condensation module(s);
- d) introducing means connected to said second communication channel so that hydrocarbons transported therein can be introduced into one or more of said condensation module(s) under conditions such that at least a portion of the hydrocarbon condensate in said module(s) is cracked;
- and
- e) collection means for recovering said condensate from one or more condensation modules.
6 more elements
A method that comprises:
- a) heating a hydrocarbon feedstock in a distillation module at a first temperature and pressure selected to provide vaporization of at least a portion of said feedstock so as to produce distillate vapor in a gas cap having multiple fractions wherein said vapors collect in the gas cap of said distillation module and further wherein said heating is conducted while optionally sparging said feedstock so as to reduce the boiling point of said distillates to be recovered;
- b) allowing at least a portion of hydrocarbon vapors to traverse through a first communication channel that is in communication with a plurality of condensation modules comprising first and last condensation modules wherein said first communication channel has a first temperature at the end proximate the distillation module and a second and lower temperature at the end distal to the last condensation module so that a portion of the hydrocarbon vapors will condense throughout most if not all of the first communication channel and then collect in the condensation modules;
- c) collecting the condensate from each condensation module so as to provide condensates that are separate from one another and from the initial feedstock;
- d) generating a hydrocarbon flow through a second communication channel wherein said second communication channel is capable of transporting hydrocarbons from either
- i) the terminal end of the first communication channel to one or more of the condensation modules;
- ii) or one of the downstream condensation modules to one or more upstream condensation modules;
- e) introducing the hydrocarbons from the second communication channel into one or more of the condensation modules under conditions where cracking of at least a portion of the hydrocarbon condensate in said modules occurs;
- and
- f) continuing said method until a desired amount of light liquid hydrocarbon fractions is recovered.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.