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US 2016/0097002 A1Published application
Thermal cracking of crudes and heavy feeds to produce olefins in pyrolysis reactor
AssigneeLummus Technology Inc.
InventorKandasamy Meenakshi Sundaram
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and processes for efficiently cracking of hydrocarbon mixtures, such as mixtures including compounds having a normal boiling temperature of greater than 450° C., 500° C., or even greater than 550° C., such as whole crudes for example, are disclosed.
Claims31
A process for thermally cracking a hydrocarbon mixture to produce olefins, the process comprising:
- heating a hydrocarbon mixture in a heater to vaporize a portion of the hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon mixture and form a heated hydrocarbon mixture;
- separating the heated hydrocarbon mixture, in a first separator, into a first vapor fraction and a first liquid fraction;
- heating the first liquid fraction in a convection zone of a pyrolysis reactor to vaporize a portion of the hydrocarbons in the first liquid fraction and form a second heated hydrocarbon mixture;
- separating the second heated hydrocarbon mixture, in a second separator, into a second vapor fraction and a second liquid fraction;
- mixing steam with the first vapor fraction, superheating the resulting mixture in the convection zone, and feeding the superheated mixture to a first radiant coil in a radiant zone of the pyrolysis reactor;
- and
- mixing steam with the second vapor fraction, superheating the resulting mixture in the convection zone, and feeding the superheated mixture to a second radiant coil in a radiant zone of the pyrolysis reactor.
4 more elements
The process of claim 14, further comprising recovering heat from the effluent, condensing at least a portion of the effluent, and/or separating the effluent into one or more fractions.
A system for thermally cracking a hydrocarbon mixture to produce olefins, the system comprising:
- a heater;
- a pyrolysis reactor comprising a radiant zone and a convection zone;
- a first indirect heat exchange coil for heating a hydrocarbon mixture in the heater forming a heated hydrocarbon mixture;
- a first separator for separating the heated hydrocarbon mixture into a first vapor fraction and a first liquid fraction;
- a second indirect heat exchange coil for heating the first liquid fraction in the convection zone forming a second heated hydrocarbon mixture;
- a second separator for separating the second heated hydrocarbon mixture into a second vapor fraction and a second liquid fraction;
- a third and fourth indirect heat exchange coils for superheating the first and second vapor fractions, respectively, in the convection zone;
- a first radiant coil in a radiant zone of the pyrolysis reactor for thermally cracking hydrocarbons in the superheated first vapor fraction;
- and
- a second radiant coil in a radiant zone of the pyrolysis reactor for thermally cracking hydrocarbons in the superheated second vapor fraction.
7 more elements
A process for thermally cracking a hydrocarbon mixture, comprising hydrocarbons boiling from naphtha range hydrocarbons to hydrocarbons boiling at a temperature greater than 550° C., to produce olefins, the process comprising:
- heating a hydrocarbon mixture in a convection zone of a pyrolysis reactor to vaporize a portion of the hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon mixture and form a heated hydrocarbon mixture;
- separating the heated hydrocarbon mixture, in a first separator, into a first vapor fraction comprising naphtha range hydrocarbons and a first liquid fraction;
- mixing the first liquid fraction with steam to form a first steam/oil mixture;
- heating the first steam/oil mixture in the convection zone of the pyrolysis reactor to vaporize a portion of the hydrocarbons in the first steam/oil mixture and form a second heated hydrocarbon mixture;
- separating the second heated hydrocarbon mixture, in a second separator, into a second vapor fraction comprising gas oil range hydrocarbons and a second liquid fraction;
- mixing steam with the first vapor fraction, superheating the resulting mixture in the convection zone, and feeding the superheated mixture to a first radiant coil in a radiant zone of the pyrolysis reactor;
- and
- mixing steam with the second vapor fraction, superheating the resulting mixture in the convection zone, and feeding the superheated mixture to a second radiant coil in a radiant zone of the pyrolysis reactor.
5 more elements
A system for cracking a hydrocarbon mixture to form olefins, the system comprising:
- a first heater comprising a radiant zone and a convection zone;
- one or more second heaters comprising a radiant zone and a convection zone;
- a first heating coil disposed in the convection zone of the first heater for partially vaporizing a mixed hydrocarbon feed;
- a first separation system for separating the partially vaporized mixed hydrocarbon feed into a first vapor fraction and a first liquid fraction;
- a second heating coil disposed in the convection zone of the first heater for partially vaporizing the first liquid fraction;
- a second separation system for separating the partially vaporized first liquid fraction into a second vapor fraction and a second liquid fraction;
- a third heating coil disposed in the convection zone of the first heater for partially vaporizing the second liquid fraction;
- a third separation system for separating the partially vaporized second liquid fraction into a third vapor fraction and a third liquid fraction;
- a first radiant coil disposed in the radiant zone of one of the one or more second heaters for cracking the first vapor fraction to form olefins;
- and
- a second radiant coil disposed in the radiant zone of one of the one or more second heaters for cracking the second vapor fraction to form olefins.
8 more elements
A process, comprising:
- generating a first flue gas in a first heater;
- generating a second flue gas in a second heater;
- recovering heat from the first flue gas in a convection zone of the first heater, thereby cooling the second flue gas;
- recovering heat from the second flue gas in a convection zone of the second heater, thereby cooling the second flue gas;
- combining the cooled first and second flue gases to form a combined flue gas stream;
- and
- recovering heat from the combined flue gas stream.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.