Flexible production of gasoline and jet fuel in alkylation reactor

A system for flexible production of gasoline and jet fuel, the system comprising:

• an alkylation reaction zone comprising one or more reactors for reacting C4 olefins, C5 olefins, C6 olefins, C4-C5 olefins, or C4-C6 olefins with isoparaffins in the presence of sulfuric acid alkylation catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon effluent and a spent acid stream;
• a flow line for providing C4 olefins to the alkylation reaction zone;
• a flow line for providing C5 olefins to the alkylation reaction zone;
• a flow line for providing fresh acid alkylation catalyst to the alkylation reaction zone;
• a deisobutanizer for separating the hydrocarbon effluent into an isobutane fraction, a n-butane fraction, and a C5+ fraction;
• a deisopentanizer for separating the C5+ fraction into an isopentane fraction and a C6+ fraction;
• a splitter for separating the C6+ fraction into a light alkylate overhead fraction and a heavy alkylate bottoms fraction;
• a flow system for recycling the isobutane fraction to the alkylation reaction zone, recovering the isobutane fraction as an isobutane product, and both recycling a portion of the isobutane fraction to the alkylation reaction zone and recovering a portion of the isobutane fraction as an isobutane product;
• a flow system for recycling the isopentane fraction to the alkylation reaction zone, recovering the isopentane fraction as an isopentane product, and both recycling a portion of the isopentane fraction to the alkylation reaction zone and recovering a portion of the isopentane fraction as an isopentane product;
• and
• a control system configured to adjust a flow rate of each of the C4 olefins, C5 olefins, the recycle isobutane fraction, and the isopentane recycle fraction to the alkylation reaction zone to selectively increase or decrease a ratio of gasoline to jet fuel range hydrocarbons produced in the alkylation reaction zone.

A system for flexible production of gasoline and jet fuel, including operating the process in a gasoline production mode, a jet fuel production mode, and a co-production mode, the system comprising:

• an alkylation reaction zone comprising:
• a C4 alkylation reactor for reacting isobutane and butenes in the presence of sulfuric acid alkylation catalyst to produce a first alkylation effluent and a spent acid stream;
• a C5 alkylation reactor for reacting isopentane and pentenes in the presence of sulfuric acid alkylation catalyst to produce a second alkylation effluent and a second spent acid stream;
• a flow line for providing the isobutane and the butenes to the C4 alkylation reactor;
• a flow line for providing the isopentane and the pentenes to the C5 alkylation reactor;
• a flow line for providing fresh acid alkylation catalyst to the alkylation reaction zone;
• a deisobutanizer for separating the first hydrocarbon effluent and the second hydrocarbon effluent into an isobutane fraction, a n-butane fraction, and a C5+ fraction;
• a deisopentanizer for separating the C5+ fraction into an isopentane fraction and a C6+ fraction;
• an alkylate splitter for separating the C6+ fraction into a light alkylate overhead fraction and a heavy alkylate bottoms fraction;
• a flow system for recycling the isobutane fraction to both of the C4 alkylation reactor and the C5 alkylation reactor when operating in the gasoline production mode, and recovering the isobutane fraction when operating the jet fuel production mode, and feeding the isobutane fraction to the C4 alkylation reactor when operating in the co-production mode;
• a flow system for bypassing the deisopentanizer and the splitter when operating in the gasoline production mode, and feeding the isopentane fraction to both of the C4 and C5 alkylation reactors when operating the jet fuel production mode, and feeding the isopentane fraction to the C5 alkylation reactor when operating in the co-production mode;
• and
• a control system configured to adjust a flow rate of the isobutane and the butenes to the C4 alkylation reactor to the C4 alkylation reactor, a flow rate of the isopentane and the pentenes to the C5 alkylation reactor, a flow rate of the C4 recycled isobutane fraction to the C4 alkylation reactor, a flow rate of the C5 recycled isobutane fraction to the C5 alkylation reactor, and a flow rate of the recycled isopentane fraction to the C5 alkylation reactor to selectively operate in the gasoline production mode, the jet fuel production mode, or a co-production mode.