Visbreaking process
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorsJohn B. White, Jr., Robert E. McHarg, Frank Stolfa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved visbreaking process having a lower utilities (heating fuel) cost is disclosed. The feed stream is heated by indirect heat exchange against the bottoms stream of a first fractionation column, which receives the effluent of the visbreaking heater. A portion of this bottoms stream is then used as quench. This quench stream is hotter and has a higher flow rate than previous designs. The feed is heated to a higher temperture by the indirect heat exchange and therefore less fuel is required in the visbreaker fired heater.
Claims6
A method of thermally processing a hydrocarbon stream which comprises the steps of:
- (a) heating a feed stream, which comprises a mixture of hydrocarbons having boiling points above 600.degree. F., by indirect heat exchange against a hereinafter characterized first bottoms stream;
- (b) passing the feed stream through a visbreaking zone, and admixing a resultant visbreaking zone effluent stream with a relatively high temperature quench stream having a temperature of above 600.degree. F. to form a first process stream wherein the flow rate of the quench stream is greater than the flow rate of the visbreaking effluent stream;
- (c) separating the first processor stream in a first separation zone into the desired hydrocarbon fractions including the previously referred to first bottoms stream;
- (d) employing the first bottoms stream in said indirect heat exchange and then dividing the first bottoms stream into at least said quench stream and a second process stream;
- and,
- (e) passing the second process stream into a second separation zone, and recovering a product stream from the second separation zone.
A visbreaking process which comprises the steps of:
- (a) heating a residual oil feed stream by indirect heat exchange against a hereinafter characterized first bottoms stream;
- (b) passing the feed stream through a visbreaking zone, and then admixing a resultant visbreaker zone effluent stream with a relatively high temperature quench stream having a temperature of above 600.degree. F. to form a first process stream wherein the quench stream has a greater flow rate than the flow rate of said visbreaker effluent stream;
- (c) passing the first process stream into a first separation zone in which entering hydrocarbons are separated into different boiling point range fractions including the previously referred to first bottoms stream;
- (d) cooling the first bottoms stream in the previously described heat exchange and then dividing the first bottoms stream into the previously referred to quench stream and a second process stream;
- and,
- (e) passing the second process stream into a second separation zone and recovering a product stream from the second separation zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.