# US 2014/0197071 A1 · Field enhanced separation of hydrocarbon fractions

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- Number: US 2014/0197071 A1
- Document ID: US20140197071A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/132,206
- Filed: 2013-12-18
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-16
- Assignees: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
- Applicants: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
- Inventors: Krista M. Prentice; Jason M. McMullan; Michel Daage; Gregory J. DeMartin; John Stephen Szobota; Ronald M. Gould; Anastasios Ioannis Skoulidas; Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar; Patrick Loring Hanks; Charles Lambert Baker, JR.; Lei Zhang; X B. Cox, III
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197071A1

## CPC

- C10G 65/12: including cracking steps and other hydrotreatment steps
- C10G 67/02: plural serial stages only
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES

## Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for using field enhanced separations to produce multiple fractions from a petroleum input. A liquid thermal diffusion and/or electric field separation is used to produce the fractions. The fractions can then be used to form multiple outputs that share a first feature while being different with regard to a second feature. For example, a first fraction from the plurality of fractions can have a desired value for a first property such as viscosity index. Two or more additional fractions from the plurality of fractions can then be blended together to make a blended fraction or output. The blended fraction can have a value for the first property that is substantially similar to the value for the first fraction. However, for a second property, the first fraction and the blended fraction can have distinct values. As a result, multiple output fractions can be formed that share a first feature but differ in a second feature.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for processing a feedstock, comprising:
treating a feedstock with a T5 boiling point of at least 350° C., the feedstock comprising a recycled portion, in one or more hydroprocessing stages under effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a hydroprocessed effluent;
passing at least a portion of the hydroprocessed effluent into a gap between a first surface and a second surface in a thermal diffusion separator;
performing thermal diffusion separation by maintaining the at least a portion of the hydroprocessed effluent in the gap with a temperature differential between the first surface and the second surface of at least 5° C. for a residence time;
withdrawing a plurality of fractions from the thermal diffusion separator including a first fraction having a viscosity index of at least 80, a second fraction having a viscosity index less than the first fraction and less than 90, and a third fraction having a viscosity index less than the second fraction; and
recycling at least a portion of the second fraction to form the recycled portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein withdrawing a plurality of fractions from the thermal diffusion separator further comprises withdrawing a fourth fraction having a viscosity index less than the first fraction and greater than the third fraction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the recycled portion comprises at least a portion of the fourth fraction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising separating the hydroprocessed effluent to form at least a liquid effluent, wherein at least a portion of the liquid effluent is passed into the gap between the first surface and the second surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first effective hydroprocessing conditions comprise at least one of hydrotreating conditions and hydrocracking conditions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more hydroprocessing stages comprise at least one hydrotreating stage and at least one catalytic dewaxing stage.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second separated fraction has a first value for a first property and a second value for a second property, the method further comprising:
blending at least a portion of the first separated fraction and at least a portion of the third separated fraction to form a blended fraction, the blended fraction having a third value for the first property that differs from the first value by 2.5% or less and a fourth value for the second property that differs from the second value by at least 5.0%.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein withdrawing a plurality of fractions from the thermal diffusion separator includes withdrawing the first separated fraction, a fourth separated fraction, and a fifth separated fraction, the first separated fraction having a first value for a first property and a second value for a second property, the method further comprising:
blending at least a portion of the fourth separated fraction and at least a portion of the fifth separated fraction to form a blended fraction, the blended fraction having a third value for the first property that differs from the first value by 2.5% or less and a fourth value for the second property that differs from the second value by at least 5.0%.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the fourth separated fraction has a viscosity index that is greater than the first separated fraction.

### Claim 10

A method for processing a feedstock, comprising:
treating a feedstock with a T5 boiling point of at least 350° C. in one or more first hydroprocessing stages under effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a first hydroprocessed effluent;
passing a first portion of the first hydroprocessed effluent into a gap between a first surface and a second surface in a thermal diffusion separator;
performing thermal diffusion separation by maintaining the first portion of the first hydroprocessed effluent portion in the gap with a temperature differential between the first surface and the second surface of at least 5° C. for a residence time;
withdrawing a plurality of fractions from the thermal diffusion separator including a first separated fraction and a second separated fraction, the second separated fraction having a viscosity index of at least 80; and
treating a second portion of the first hydroprocessed effluent and the second separated fraction in one or more second hydroprocessing stages under second effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a second hydroprocessed effluent.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein withdrawing a plurality of fractions further comprises withdrawing a third separated fraction, the third separated fraction being treated in one or more third hydroprocessing stages under third effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a distillate fuel product.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the third effective hydroprocessing conditions comprise hydrotreating conditions.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the second effective hydroprocessing conditions comprise hydrotreating conditions, hydrocracking conditions, or catalytic dewaxing conditions.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more second hydroprocessing stages comprise at least one hydrotreating stage followed by at least one hydrocracking stage.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more second hydroprocessing stages comprise at least one hydrotreating stage followed by at least one catalytic dewaxing stage.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more second hydroprocessing stages comprise at least one hydrocracking stage followed, at least one catalytic dewaxing stage, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein treating a second portion of the first hydroprocessed effluent and the second separated fraction in one or more second hydroprocessing stages comprises bypassing at least one of the one or more second hydroprocessing stages with at least a portion of the second separated fraction, at least a portion of the second portion of the first hydroprocessed effluent, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
passing at least a portion of the second hydroprocessed effluent into a second gap in a second thermal diffusion separator; and
withdrawing a plurality of fractions from the second thermal diffusion separator.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein withdrawing a plurality of fractions from the thermal diffusion separator includes withdrawing the first separated fraction, the second separated fraction, and a third separated fraction, the first separated fraction having a first value for a first property and a second value for a second property, the method further comprising:
blending at least a portion of the second separated fraction and at least a portion of the third separated fraction to form a blended fraction, the blended fraction having a third value for the first property that differs from the first value by 2.5% or less and a fourth value for the second property that differs from the second value by at least 5.0%.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein withdrawing a plurality of fractions from the thermal diffusion separator includes withdrawing the first separated fraction, a third separated fraction, and a fourth separated fraction, the first separated fraction having a first value for a first property and a second value for a second property, the method further comprising:
blending at least a portion of the third separated fraction and at least a portion of the fourth separated fraction to form a blended fraction, the blended fraction having a third value for the first property that differs from the first value by 2.5% or less and a fourth value for the second property that differs from the second value by at least 5.0%.