Low sulfur fuel oil blends for paraffinic resid stability and associated methods
OwnerMatthew T. Woodchick, V. Elijah Mullins +1inventors
InventorsMatthew T. Woodchick, V. Elijah Mullins, Peg Broughton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Low sulfur fuel oil blend compositions and methods of making such blend compositions to increase the stability and compatibility of LSFO blends having paraffinic resids that are blended with distillates and/or cracked stocks of higher asphaltenes and/or aromatics content. In one or more embodiments, distillates and/or cracked stocks that incrementally reduce the initial aromaticity of the distillate or cracked stock with the highest aromaticity are sequentially blended prior to resid addition. Such incremental reduction and sequential blending have been found to provide a resulting low sulfur fuel oil blend that is both compatible and stable.
Claims27
A method for creating a stable asphaltene containing residuum based marine fuel oil blend, the method comprising:
- determining a first selection of one or more of an asphaltene containing residuum to define one of a plurality of blend components;
- determining a second selection of one or more of a high aromatic distillate, a hydrocarbon fraction, or a cracked stock to define one of the plurality of blend components;
- determining a third selection of one or more of an intermediate aromatic distillate, a hydrocarbon fraction, or a cracked stock with an aromaticity greater than the first selection and less than the second selection to define one of the plurality of blend components;
- determining a sequence of addition for each one of a plurality of blend components into a blend tank;
- adding each one of the plurality of blend components to the blend tank at a specified time based on the sequence of addition until each of the one of the plurality of blend components have been added to the blend tank;
- and
- mixing each added blend component in the blend tank for a specified period of time prior to addition of a next one of the plurality blend components, each added blended component to define a stable asphaltene containing residuum based marine fuel oil blend.
A method for creating a stable asphaltene containing residuum based marine fuel oil blend, the method comprising:
- providing a first blend component having a first aromatic content to a blend tank, the first blend component comprising one or more of a high aromatic distillate, a hydrocarbon fraction, or a cracked stock;
- providing a second blend component having a second aromatic content lower than the first aromatic content to the blend tank to form a mixture, the second blend component comprising one or more of an intermediate aromatic distillate, a hydrocarbon fraction, or a cracked stock;
- and
- after forming the mixture, providing an asphaltene containing residuum to the blend tank to form the stable asphaltene containing residuum based marine fuel oil blend, the asphaltene containing residuum having an aromatic content less than the first aromatic content of the first blend component and the second aromatic content of the second blend component.
A method to provide a resid based fuel via blending for marine fuel oil applications, the method comprising:
- determining, via a controller and based on signals from a corresponding sensor, one or more characteristics of one or more fuel blend components;
- determining, via the controller, a combination of the one or more fuel blend components, based on the one or more characteristics, to meet a fuel blend specification;
- determining, via the controller, a sequence of addition for the combination of the one or more fuel blend components such that an aromaticity of each successive addition has an aromaticity less than an aromaticity of a prior addition or a mixture of prior additions;
- transferring the one or more fuel blend components in the sequence of addition to a blend tank;
- and
- mixing, after each addition of the one or more fuel blend components, the added fuel blend components for a specified length of time to provide a marine fuel oil.
A system for blending a residuum containing marine fuel oil, the system comprising:
- a source of one or more blend components, at least one of one or more blend components including residuum;
- a blend tank configured to mix the one or more blend components, the blend tank including:
- an inlet configured to receive each of the one or more blend components;
- and
- an outlet connected to and in fluid communication with a pipeline for discharge;
- a controller configured to:
- receive signals indicating a position of one or more valves associated with each of the one or more blend components and the blend tank;
- and
- transmit signals to adjust the position of one or more of:
- the one or more valves associated with the one or more blend components;
- and
- the one or more valves associated with the blend tank according to a sequence of addition of the blend components to produce a blended fuel based on an international marine organization (IMO) fuel specification.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.