Hydrocarbon pyrolysis of feeds containing nitrogen

A method for producing light olefins from a feed comprising heavy hydrocarbon and a first nitrogen material, comprising:

• introducing a hydrocarbon feed to a steam cracker to produce a steam cracker effluent;
• separating from the steam cracker effluent a steam cracker tar and an upgraded steam cracker effluent;
• separating from the upgraded steam cracker effluent at least (i) a process gas comprising a second nitrogen material and (ii) a Pygas comprising a third nitrogen material, wherein the second and third nitrogen materials are each a portion of the first nitrogen material and/or are each derived from a portion of the first nitrogen material;
• transferring the process gas through a compressor and a condenser and into a knockout drum to produce a compressed process gas comprising first portion of the process gas's second nitrogen material, a hydrocarbon-water mixture, and a purge fluid comprising a second portion of the process gas's second nitrogen material;
• and
• flowing the compressed process gas through an amine tower and a caustic tower to produce a purified process gas.

A heavy-hydrocarbon conversion process, comprising:

• introducing a feed to a steam cracker to produce a steam cracker effluent, wherein the feed comprises heavy hydrocarbon and a first nitrogen material;
• separating from the steam cracker effluent in at least one tar knock-out drum at least a steam cracker tar and an upgraded steam cracker effluent;
• separating from the upgraded steam cracker effluent at least a (i) a process gas containing a second nitrogen material and (ii) a Pygas containing a third nitrogen material, wherein the separation is carried out in a primary fractionator and/or quench tower, the second nitrogen material is a portion of the first nitrogen material and/or is derived from a portion of the first nitrogen material, and the third nitrogen material is a portion of the first nitrogen material and/or is derived from a portion of the first nitrogen material;
• compressing the process gas and separating from the compressed and/or partially-compressed process gas a purge fluid comprising a portion of the second nitrogen material;
• contacting the compressed process gas with a lean amine composition in at least one amine tower to produce a rich amine composition and a partially-purified process gas;
• contacting the partially-purified process gas with a lean caustic composition in at least one caustic tower to produce a rich caustic composition and a purified process gas;
• removing at least a portion of any of the second nitrogen material in the rich amine composition in at least one amine regenerator to produce a regenerated amine composition, and recycling at least a portion of the regenerated amine composition as the lean amine composition;
• removing in a at least one drier-ammonia bed at least a portion of any remaining second nitrogen material in the purified process gas to produce an upgraded process gas;
• conducting away from the drier-ammonia bed at least a portion of the second nitrogen material removed from the purified process gas;
• separating a water component from the Pygas stream in at least one oil and water separator to produce a concentrated Pygas;
• separating a light effluent and a remaining water component from the separated water component in a least one stripper, to produce a light effluent and a remaining water component, wherein the light effluent comprises at least a portion of the third nitrogen material;
• and
• separating from the light effluent at least a portion of the third nitrogen material to produce a purified light effluent.

A system for managing nitrogen material during steam cracking of a crude feed comprising heavy hydrocarbons, the system comprising:

• a steam cracker comprising a convection line and a radiant line there within;
• a flash separation vessel fluidly coupled to and downstream of the convection line and fluidly coupled to and downstream of the radiant line;
• a tar knock-out drum fluidly coupled to and downstream of the radiant line;
• a fractionator fluidly coupled to and downstream of the tar knock-out drum;
• a quench tower fluidly coupled to and downstream of the fractionator;
• an oil and water separator fluidly coupled to and downstream of the quench tower;
• and
• a water stripper fluidly coupled to and downstream of the oil and water separator, wherein the water stripper comprises an overhead which is fluidly coupled to and upstream of a condenser and a vessel by a first line and fluidly coupled to and upstream of the quench tower by a second line.