Thermal cracking of crudes to chemicals with heat transfer fluids

A process for producing olefins from a wide boiling hydrocarbon mixture, the process comprising:

• heating a high temperature stable heat transfer fluid in a convection section of a steam cracking furnace to generate a heated heat transfer fluid;
• heating the wide boiling hydrocarbon mixture via indirect heat exchange with the heated heat transfer fluid to form a heated hydrocarbon mixture;
• separating the heated hydrocarbon mixture to recover a first hydrocarbon vapor fraction and a first hydrocarbon liquid fraction;
• superheating the first hydrocarbon vapor fraction in a convective section of the steam cracking furnace to recover a first superheated vapor fraction;
• thermally cracking the first superheated vapor fraction in a radiant section of the steam cracking furnace to recover a first cracked effluent comprising olefins;
• heating the first hydrocarbon liquid via indirect heat exchange with the heated heat transfer fluid to form a heated first hydrocarbon liquid;
• separating the heated first hydrocarbon liquid to recover a second hydrocarbon vapor fraction and a second hydrocarbon liquid fraction;
• superheating the second hydrocarbon vapor fraction in a convective section of the steam cracking furnace to recover a second superheated vapor fraction;
• thermally cracking the second superheated vapor fraction in a radiant section of the steam cracking furnace to recover a second cracked effluent comprising olefins.

A system for producing olefins from a crude oil, the system comprising:

• a steam cracking furnace including a radiant heating section and a convective heating section;
• one or more heating coils disposed in the convective heating section for heating a high temperature stable heat transfer fluid to generate a heated heat transfer fluid;
• a first heat exchanger for heating the crude oil via indirect heat exchange with the heated heat transfer fluid to form a heated crude oil;
• a desalter for desalting the heated crude oil to form a desalted crude;
• a second heat exchanger for heating the desalted crude to a first temperature via indirect heat exchange with the heated heat transfer fluid to form a pre-heated desalted crude;
• a first separator for separating the preheated desalted crude to recover a first hydrocarbon vapor fraction and a first hydrocarbon liquid fraction;
• a heating coil disposed in the convective section of the steam cracking furnace for superheating the first hydrocarbon vapor fraction to recover a first superheated vapor fraction;
• a radiant heating coil in the radiant heating section of the steam cracking furnace for thermally cracking the first superheated vapor fraction to recover a first cracked effluent comprising olefins.