Device and method for desulfurizing crude oil

A device for desulfurizing crude oil, comprising:

• a) a desulfurization system for heavy metal-containing crude oil which, in addition to the desulfurized crude oil, forms a hydrogen sulfide-containing acid gas;
• b) a system for extracting elemental sulfur and a hydrogen sulfide-containing tail gas as exhaust gas from the acid gas of the desulfurization system;
• c) a device for generating electricity and gypsum from the tail gas or the acid gas or from a mixture of the acid gas and the tail gas, the device comprising:
• c1) an electricity generating apparatus comprising a combustion apparatus for combustion of the tail gas or the acid gas or a mixture of the tail gas and the acid gas, wherein the energy released during combustion is at least partly used to generate electricity;
• c2) a flue gas desulfurization system for desulfurizing the sulfur oxide-containing combustion exhaust gases produced during combustion by forming gypsum;
• d) a gas line system for supplying acid gas from the desulfurization system to the system for extracting elemental sulfur and to the device for generating electricity and gypsum, and for supplying tail gas from the system for extracting elemental sulfur to the device for generating electricity and gypsum;
• d1) wherein the gas line system has a gas distributing apparatus which supplies acid gas solely to the system for extracting elemental sulfur in a first position, supplies acid gas solely to the device for generating electricity and gypsum in a second position, and supplies a first part of the acid gas to the system for extracting elemental sulfur and a second part of the acid gas to the device for generating electricity and gypsum in a distributing position.

A method for desulfurizing crude oil using a device for generating electricity and gypsum from a tail gas or an acid gas or from a mixture of the acid gas and the tail gas, the method comprising the following steps:

• a) providing sulfur-containing crude oil;
• b) desulfurizing the sulfur-containing crude oil by means of the desulfurization system, wherein, in addition to the desulfurized crude oil, a hydrogen sulfide-containing acid gas is formed;
• c) adjusting the gas distributing apparatus of the gas line system into the first position or into the second position or into the distributing position, wherein acid gas is supplied solely to the system for extracting elemental sulfur in a first position, acid gas is supplied solely to the device for generating electricity and gypsum in a second position, and a first part of the acid gas is supplied to the system for extracting elemental sulfur and a second part of the acid gas is supplied to the device for generating electricity and gypsum in a distributing position;
• d) generating electricity and gypsum from the tail gas or the acid gas or from a mixture of the acid gas and the tail gas by means of the device for generating electricity and gypsum;
• d1) wherein the tail gas or the acid gas or a mixture of the tail gas and the acid gas is supplied to the combustion apparatus of the electricity generating apparatus and burned there, wherein the energy released during combustion is at least partly used to generate electricity;
• d2) wherein sulfur oxide-containing combustion exhaust gases produced during combustion are supplied for flue gas desulfurization by means of the flue gas desulfurization system, and
• d3) wherein gypsum is formed during the flue gas desulfurization.