Carbon-neutral eco-refinery utilizing internal thermal energy

A method of operating a hydrocarbon processing facility comprising the steps of:

• (a) obtaining a source of import electricity from an electrical utility grid;
• (b) converting said import electricity to heat by means of ohmic conversion;
• (c) storing said heat as thermal energy within a heat storage means, wherein said heat storage means comprises at least a thermal battery;
• and
• (d) using said thermal energy as a heat source to power the operation of a plurality of hydrocarbon processing units;
• wherein said thermal energy is distributed between said heat storage means and said hydrocarbon processing units by means of a heat transfer fluid (HTF);
• wherein said supply of thermal energy is provided to any one of said hydrocarbon processing units by means of a heated heat transfer fluid (HTF) that is maintained in thermal communication with said hydrocarbon processing units and the thermal battery by means of a plurality heat exchangers associated with a plurality of HTF transfer loops bearing said heat transfer fluid, optionally with the aid of a plurality of pumps;
• wherein said heat transfer fluid (HTF) is a material that is chemically stable, liquid and flowable over the operating temperature ranges of any one of the said processing units;
• and
• wherein said hydrocarbon processing facility is a conventional petroleum processing facility that has been retrofitted to operate as a carbon neutral facility by means of replacing hydrocarbon burning equipment selected from furnaces, heat generators, internal combustion engines, electric power generators, steam generators, and any process equipment that releases carbon oxides to the environment during their operation with a carbon neutral energy source providing the equivalent supply of electricity and thermal energy by means of a carbon neutral process providing said supply of electricity and thermal energy derived from a source of green energy.

A method of operating a hydrocarbon processing facility comprising the steps of:

• (a) obtaining a source of import electricity from an electrical utility grid;
• (b) converting said import electricity to heat by means of ohmic conversion;
• (c) storing said heat as thermal energy within a heat storage means, wherein said heat storage means comprises at least a heat transfer fluid (HTF) and thermal battery;
• and
• (d) using said thermal energy as a heat source to power the operation of a plurality of hydrocarbon processing units, wherein said supply of thermal energy is provided to any one of said hydrocarbon processing units by means of a heated heat transfer fluid (HTF) that is maintained in thermal communication with said hydrocarbon processing units and the thermal battery by means of a plurality of heat exchangers associated with a plurality of HTF transfer loops bearing said heat transfer fluid, optionally with the aid of a plurality of pumps;
• wherein said heat transfer fluid (HTF) is a material that is chemically stable, liquid and flowable over the operating temperature ranges of any one of the said processing units.