Method of producing hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics

A method of producing hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics from naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) comprising the steps of:

• i. feeding naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) and liquified petroleum gases, LPG (101a and 101b) into reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) to yield a mixture (102 or 102a);
• wherein the naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) and the LPG (101a and 101b) have an initial temperature of below 100° C. prior to the step (i) and wherein the mixture (102 or 102a) achieves a temperature in the range between 350° C. to 500° C. in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300);
• ii. channeling the mixture (102 or 102a) obtained from the step (i) into heater (201a) to raise the temperature of the mixture (102 or 102a) to at most 550° C.;
• iii. directing the mixture (102 or 102a) obtained from the step (ii) into reactor (202a) to initiate and complete aromatization process and to produce hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics;
• iv. channeling effluent (103 or 103a) obtained from the step (iii) into the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) for reducing its temperature to below 100° C. before it is transferred to a cooling tank (203), wherein the temperature of the effluent (103 or 103a) is reduced by transferring the heat to the incoming mixture (102 or 102a);
• v. cooling the effluent (106 or 106a) obtained from the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) in the step (iv) in the cooling tank (203) by using either air and/or water to a temperature below 40° C.;
• vi. introducing cooled effluent (107) obtained from the step (v) into first stage separator (204) wherein hydrogen, methane and ethan are separated from the cooled effluent (107), wherein the separation is carried out at a temperature below 40° C. and at a pressure ranging between 5 to 30 bars;
• vii. transferring the remaining liquid (109) obtained from the first stage separator (204) in the step (vi) into second stage separator (206) via evaporator (205), wherein the remaining liquid (109) includes LPG and wherein the LPG is partly boiled off in the evaporator (205);
• viii. separating the remaining liquid (109) in the second stage separator (206) to yield LPG (101b), wherein the separation is carried out at temperatures and pressures above the temperatures and the pressures in the first stage separator (204);
• and
• ix. directing the effluent (110) obtained from the second stage separator (206) in the step (viii) into stabilizer (207) to separate off gas, LPG (101c) and reformate, wherein the reformate is the hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics and wherein the hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics have a research (RON) of at least 100,
• wherein the mixture (102 or 102a) achieves a temperature in the range between 350° C. to 500° C. in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) in the step (i) by way of heat exchange from the effluents (103 or 103a) to the mixture (102 or 102a) in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300), wherein the heater (201a) generate waste heat that is recycled into air preheater (208a) to raise the temperature of air from around 30° C. to at least 100° C. by way of heat exchange from the waste heat to the incoming air that is eventually used along with fuel as heating source to run the heater (201a) and wherein the LPG (101b) is recycled back into the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) without using a compressor.

A method of producing hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics from naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) comprising the steps of:

• i. feeding naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) and liquified petroleum gases, LPG (101a and 101b) into reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) to yield a mixture (102 or 102a);
• wherein the naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) and the LPG (101a and 101b) have an initial temperature of below 100° C. prior to the step (i) and wherein the mixture (102 or 102a) achieves a temperature in the range between 350° C. to 500° C. in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300);
• ii. channeling the mixture (102 or 102a) obtained from the step (i) into first heater (201a) to raise the temperature of the mixture (102 or 102a) to at most 550° C.;
• iii directing the mixture (102 or 102a) obtained from the step (ii) into first reactor (202a) to initiate aromatization process and to produce hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics;
• iv. channeling effluent (103 or 103a) obtained from the step (iii) into second heater (201b) to raise the temperature of the effluent (103 or 103a) to at most 550° C.;
• v. directing the effluent (103 or 103a) obtained from the step (iv) into second reactor (202b) to complete aromatization process and to produce hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics;
• vi. channeling effluent (104 or 104a) obtained from the step (v) into the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) for reducing its temperature to below 100° C. before it is transferred to a cooling tank (203), wherein the temperature of the effluent (104 or 104a) is reduced by transferring the heat to the incoming mixture (102 or 102a);
• vii. cooling the effluent (106 or 106a) obtained from the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) in the step (vi) in the cooling tank (203) by using either air and/or water to a temperature below 40° C.;
• viii. introducing cooled effluent (107) obtained from the step (vii) into first stage separator (204) wherein hydrogen, methane and ethane. are separated from the cooled effluent (107), wherein the separation is carried out at a temperature below 40° C. and at a pressure ranging between 5 to 30 bars;
• ix. transferring the remaining liquid (109) obtained from the first stage separator (204) in the step (viii) into second stage separator (206) via evaporator (205), wherein the remaining liquid (109) includes LPG and wherein the LPG is partly boiled off in the evaporator (205);
• x. separating the remaining liquid (109) in the second stage separator (206) to yield LPG (101b), wherein the separation is carried out at temperatures and pressures above the temperatures and the pressures in the first stage separator (204);
• and
• xi directing the effluent (110) obtained from the second stage separator (206) in the step (x) into stabilizer (207) to separate off gas, LPG (101c) and reformate, wherein the reformate is the hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics and wherein the hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics have a research octane number (RON) of at least 100, preferably RON of at least 102,
• wherein the mixture (102 or 102a) achieves a temperature in the range between 350° C. to 500° C. in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) in the step (i) by way of heat exchange from the effluents (104 or 104a) to the mixture (102 or 102a) in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300), wherein the heaters (201a and 201b) generate waste heat that is recycled into air preheaters (208a and 208b) to raise the temperature of air from around 30° C. to at least 100° C. by way of heat exchange from the waste heat to the incoming air that is eventually used along with fuel as heating source to run the heaters (201a and 201b) and wherein the LPG (101b) is recycled back into the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) without using a compressor.

A method of producing hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics from naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) comprising the steps of:

• i. feeding naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) and liquified petroleum gases, LPG (101a and 101b) into reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) to yield a mixture (102 or 102a);
• wherein the naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) and the LPG (101a and 101b) have an initial temperature of below 100° C. prior to the step (i) and wherein the mixture (102 or 102a) achieves a temperature in the range between 350° C. to 500° C. in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300);
• ii. channeling the mixture (102 or 102a) obtained from the step (i) into first heater (201a) to raise the temperature of the mixture (102 or 102a) to at most 550° C.;
• iii. directing the mixture (102 or 102a) obtained from the step (ii) into first reactor (202a) to initiate aromatization process and to produce hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics;
• iv. channeling effluent (103 or 103a) obtained from the step (iii) into second heater (201b) to raise the temperature of the effluent (103 or 103a) to at most 550° C.;
• v. directing the effluent (103 or 103a) obtained from the step (iv) into second reactor (202b) to continue aromatization process and to produce hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics;
• vi. channeling effluent (104 or 104a) obtained from the step (v) into third heater (201c) to raise the temperature of the effluent (104 or 104a) to at most 550° C.;
• vii. directing the effluent (104 or 104a) obtained from the step (vi) into third reactor (202c) to complete aromatization process and to produce hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics;
• viii. channeling effluent (105 or 105a) obtained from the step (vii) into the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) for reducing its temperature to below 100° C. before it is transferred to a cooling tank (203), wherein the temperature of the effluent (105 or 105a) is reduced by transferring the heat to the incoming mixture (102 or 102a);
• ix. cooling the effluent (106 or 106a) obtained from the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) in the step (viii) in the cooling tank (203) by using either air and/or water to a temperature below 40° C.;
• x introducing cooled effluent (107) obtained from the step (ix) into first stage separator (204) wherein hydrogen, methane and ethane are separated from the cooled effluent (107), wherein the separation is carried out at a temperature below 40° C. and at a pressure ranging between 5 to 30 bars;
• xi. transferring the remaining liquid (109) obtained from the first stage separator (204) in the step (x) into second stage separator (206) via evaporator (205), wherein the remaining liquid (109) includes LPG and wherein the LPG is partly boiled off in the evaporator (205);
• xii. separating the remaining liquid (109) in the second stage separator (206) to yield LPG (101b), wherein the separation is carried out at temperatures and pressures above the temperatures and the pressures in the first stage separator (204);
• and
• xiii. directing the effluent (110) obtained from the second stage separator (206) in the step (xii) into stabilizer (207) to separate off gas, LPG (101c) and reformate, wherein the reformate is the hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics and wherein the hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics have a research octane (RON) of at least 100,
• wherein the mixture (102 or 102a) achieves a temperature in the range between 350° C. to 500° C. in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) in the step (i) by way of heat exchange from the effluents (105 or 105a) to the mixture (102 or 102a) in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300), wherein the heaters (201a, 201b and 201c) generate waste heat that is recycled into air preheaters (208a, 208b and 208c) to raise the temperature of air from around 30° C. to at least 100° C. by way of heat exchange from the waste heat to the incoming air that eventually used along with fuel as heating source to run the heaters (201a, 201b and 201c) and wherein the LPG (101b) is recycled back into the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) without using a compressor.