# US 10,870,800 B2 · Coker-fractionator unit and process for operating same

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

- Number: US 10,870,800 B2
- Document ID: US10870800B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/963,364
- Filed: 2018-04-26
- Published: 2018-11-01
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-26
- Assignees: Suncar Energy Inc.
- Applicants: Suncor Energy Inc.
- Inventors: Mingxing Gu; Michael Goulding; Jin Jiang Zhang; Hieu Tran
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870800B2

## CPC

- C10G 11/18: according to the "fluidised-bed" technique
- C10G 9/002: {Cooling of cracked gases}
- C10G 9/005: {Coking (in order to produce liquid products mainly)}
- C10G 2300/1044: Heavy gasoline or naphtha having a boiling range of about 100 - 180 °C
- C10G 2300/805: Water
- 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

## Abstract

A process for operating a thermal or catalytic cracking unit is described. The process entails generating a product that includes cracked hydrocarbon vapor and solid coke-particles from a heavy hydrocarbon input. The product is communicated towards a fractionator and a quench liquid is introduced into the product for creating a two-phase flow of cracked hydrocarbon vapor and the quench liquid with solid coke-particles entrained in the quench liquid. The two-phase flow is introduced into the fractionator and the cracked hydrocarbon vapor are separated from the quench liquid and the solid coke-particles entrained therein by gravity separation. The two-phase flow can reduce or remove the requirement of a wash zone within the fractionator. A recirculation loop is included in a wash-zone circulation system. The recirculation loop bypasses one or more spray headers of the wash zone and returns to a first end of the wash-zone circulation system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for operating a coker-fractionator unit comprising steps of:
a) generating a coker product that comprises a cracked hydrocarbon vapor and solid coke-particles;
b) introducing a quench liquid into the coker product such that a two-phase flow is generated comprising the cracked hydrocarbon vapor and the quench liquid, wherein at least some of the solid coke-particles become entrained in the quench liquid;
c) providing the two-phase flow into a fractionator;
d) separating by gravity the cracked hydrocarbon vapor from the quench liquid and the solid coke-particles entrained therein; and
e) decreasing or stopping a wash zone spray within the fractionator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 further comprising a step e) of separating desired hydrocarbon products from the cracked hydrocarbon vapor by boiling-point separation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the coker product is generated in a coker drum, the process further comprising a step f) of increasing pressure in the coker drum.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the step b) further comprises introducing the quench liquid at a rate of between about 800 barrels per hour and about 1400 barrels per hour.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4, wherein the step b) further comprises introducing the quench liquid at a rate of between about 1000 barrels per hour and about 1300 barrels per hour.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the step b) further comprises introducing the quench liquid based upon a two-phase ratio that is a quench liquid volume rate relative to a feed throughput volume rate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The process of claim 6, wherein the two-phase ratio is about 1:6.7.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The process of claim 6, wherein the two-phase ratio is about 1:8.2.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The process of claim 6, wherein the two-phase ratio is about 1:5.5.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the step b) further comprises introducing the quench liquid based upon a two-phase volume percentage of a feed throughput volume rate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, wherein the two-phase volume percentage is between about 13.5% to about 16.5% of the feed throughput volume rate.