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OwnerJames B. MacArthur, James J. Colyar +1inventors
InventorsJames B. MacArthur, James J. Colyar, John E. Duddy
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This invention utilizes a novel method and set of operating conditions to efficiently and economically process a potentially very fouling hydrocarbon feedstock. A multi-stage catalytic process for the upgrading of coal pyrolysis oils is developed. Coal Pyrolysis Oils are highly aromatic, olefinic, unstable, contain objectionable sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen contaminants, and,may contain coal solids which will plug fixed-bed reactors. The pyrolysis oil is fed with hydrogen to a multi-stage ebullated-bed hydrotreater and hydrocracker containing a hydrogenation or hydrocracking catalyst to first stabilize the feed at low temperature and is then fed to downstream reactor(s) at higher temperatures to further treat and hydrocrack the pyrolysis oils to a more valuable syncrude or to finished distillate products. The relatively high heat of reaction is used to provide the energy necessary to increase the temperature of the subsequent stage thus eliminating the need for additional external heat input. A refined heavy oil product stream is recycled to the fresh feed to minimize feedstock fouling of heat exchangers and feed heaters.
A process of processing coal pyrolysis oils containing at least 15% wt of compounds boiling below 360° C. and less than 40% wt boiling at least at 520° C. said coal pyrolysis oil also containing less than 20% wt of particles of coal having a size of less than 1 mm, and at least 1% wt of oxygenated compounds (calculated as oxygen), said process comprising:
The process of claim one wherein steps a-c result in the conversion of the 343° C.+ material in said coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of greater than 30 wt %.
The process of claim one wherein steps a-c result in the conversion of the 343° C.+ material in said coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of greater than 50 wt %.
The process of claim one wherein steps a-c result in the conversion of the 343° C.+ material in said coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of greater than 75 wt %.
The process of claim one wherein steps a-c result in the conversion of the 343° C.+ material in said coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of greater than 90 wt %.
The process of claim one wherein steps a-c result in the conversion of the 343° C.+ material in said coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of greater than 95 wt %.
The process of claim one wherein steps a-c result in the reduction of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen contaminants in said coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of greater than 70%.
The process of claim one wherein steps a-c result in the reduction of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen contaminants in said coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of greater than 90%.
The process of claim one wherein steps a-c result in the reduction of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen contaminants in said coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of greater than 95%.
A process of processing coal pyrolysis oils containing at least 15% wt of compounds boiling below 360° C. and less than 40% wt boiling at least at 520° C. said coal pyrolysis oil also containing less than 20% wt of particles of coal having a size of less than 1 mm, and at least 1% wt of oxygenated compounds (calculated as oxygen), said coal pyrolysis oil being obtained from a process for treating coal, said process comprising:
The process of claim one wherein the first ebullated-bed reactor from step b) is operated at 360° C.-420° C., and 69-275 bars hydrogen partial pressure and at a feed rate of 0.5-2.0 volume of feed/hr/settled volume of catalyst in the reactor.
The process of claim one wherein the second ebullated-bed reactor from step c) is operated at a temperature of 400-440° C. 69-275 bars hydrogen partial pressure, and a feed rate of 0.2-2.0 volume of feed/hr/settled volume of catalyst in the reactor.
The process of claim one wherein a separate heavy oil product stream nominally boiling above 343° C.+ is recycled and blended with the hydrogen stream and coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of step a).
The process of claim one wherein after separation including at least an atmospheric distillation of the effluent from the last ebullated-bed reactor, at least part of the atmospheric residuum is recycled to the process in step b) as blended with the hydrogen stream and coal pyrolysis oil of step a).
The process of claim one wherein the spent catalyst from the ebullated-bed in step b) is cascaded to and used in the ebullated-bed reactor of step c).
The process of claim one wherein a separate phenolics stream is combined and processed with the hydrogen stream and coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of step a).
The process of claim one in which the combined stream from step a) is first processed in an interstage separator prior to step b) to remove heteroatom gases (H2O, H2S, NH3, CO2), light hydrocarbon gases, and to provide a lower volumetric liquid feedstock for stage two.
The process of claim one wherein a separate stream, selected from a group consisting of:
The process of claim 23 wherein said heavy wax stream from Fischer-Tropsch processing of synthesis gases, which may contain solids such as catalyst fines, is combined and processed with the hydrogen stream and coal pyrolysis oil feedstock of step a) at a concentration of 3 wt % to 30 wt % of the coal pyrolysis oil feedstock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.