CA1297059C - Overland petroleum processor and process - Google Patents

Overland petroleum processor and process

Info

Publication number
CA1297059C
CA1297059C CA000455798A CA455798A CA1297059C CA 1297059 C CA1297059 C CA 1297059C CA 000455798 A CA000455798 A CA 000455798A CA 455798 A CA455798 A CA 455798A CA 1297059 C CA1297059 C CA 1297059C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
crude
fractionation
products
vessels
product
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
CA000455798A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Lawner L. Knox
James W. Duncan
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Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1297059C publication Critical patent/CA1297059C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02PCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P70/00Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
    • Y02P70/10Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working

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  • Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A mobile petroleum processor is disposed on a plurality of railroad cars. It includes a modular crude fractionating unit comprised of a plurality of modules, each on a separate car. The modules are interconnected by piping and electrical conduits having swivel points. The unit also includes a moldular crude tower separated into a number of vessels each conforming with freight restrictions.
The device also includes a utility generation module and a control module. The process of operating the module is also disclosed. The invention shortens the turnaround time in transforming crude to final products and reduces transportation costs.

Description

312~70~

¦ OVERLAND PETROLEUM_PROCESSOR AND PROC~.SS

Back~round of the Invention This invention relat~s to a mobile overland petroleum processor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a petroleum pxocessor, or refinery, which has been constructed on a plurality of flatbed railroad cars, and which is adapted to be moved over a railroad network to a site which is in close proximity to a producing well, thereby bringing the refinery to the crude instead of transporting the crude to the refinery.
Description of the Prior Art The prior art has revealed a number of instances wherein facilities which are normally permanently fixed in place have been adopted to assume a portable or mobile confi~uration through the utilization of railxoad cars. The following United States patents are cited:
Patent No. Patentee Issue Date 751,798 Lieb Feb. 9, 1904 1,487,854 Hansen Mar. 25, 1924 2,608,938 Hardgrove Sept. 2, 1952 3,362,700 Metz, et al Jan. 9, 1968 U. S. Patent No. 751,798 discloses a portable power plant mounted on railroad car~. The invention was adapted ~o generate power at a culm heap.
U. S. Pa~ent 1,487,854 directed its attention to a portable shop useful in the erection, construction or repair of railway cars, auto, etc.
U. S. Pa~ent 2,608,938 revealed a mobile steam genexator mounted on a railway car.

U. S. Patent 3,362,700 disclosed a railway car for transporting a crucible along a track system. This car defined a de~ice for lifting and lowering the refining v~ssel.
Summary of the Invent on Since its inception, the petroleum industxy has transported crude to centrally located, high technology reEineries at an :

~9'701S9 ever-increasing transportation cost to crude producers. These protracted transportation procedures also result in lony turnaround times in transforming the crude to ~inal product. A
going dependence on petroleum products necessitates the advent of the better method of production which is more cost-ef~ective.
Moreover, railway systems are becoming more and more dependent on the petroleum industry to provide fossil fuel to run diesel operated locomotives. With the increasing price of diesel, the railroads will, under current operating conditions, spend more just to operate, even though they control a large portion of current United States crude oil reserves. It would be exceedingly advantageous if the railroads, or any crude producer, could go from wellhead to product within a few days. Under such circumstances, the savings realized in interest alone would forecast a much brighter future.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to fuse two time tested industries, the railroad network and the petroleum industry, into one mutually beneficial operation.
It is an other object of the present invention to facilitate the shortening of the turnaround time in trans~orming crude to final product from weeks to merely days.
It is still a further object of the present invention to remove the liability associated with remote wells due to transportation charges.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel approach to crude production which will revolutionize crude refining and product distribution.
It is still a further object o~ the present invention to provide a novel petroleum processor which can be moved in, set up, operated, and taken down in the time that it normally takes current refineries to arrange transportation.

5~

These and other objects of the present invention will be best understood upon a reading of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that ~he invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the drawings but mlay be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications constitute no material departure from the ~alient features of the invention.
It is to be understood that while a particular embodiment of the present invention i5 herein illustrated and describedl it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto.
It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology herein employed are for purposes of description and not of limitation, since the scope of the present invention is denoted by the appended claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a top-plan view of the equipment arrangement of the overland petroleum processor of the present invention;
Fig~ 2 is a side elevational view of ~he equipment arrangement of the overland petroleum processor of the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a process flow diagram of the overland petroleum processor of the present inventionO
Description of the Preferred Embodiments In brief, the process herein utilizes a modular approach to crude fractionation.` It is versatile enough to be energy efficient and product efficient. The crude is analyzed on board before initial set-up and the process is structured wi~h a computer to exact the most out of the particular crude. If tighter fractions are needed to obtain more diesel, for example, computer commandæ are entered and the appropriate valves and ~2~ g pumps are actuated. The computer controls every aspect of start-up and shut-down to accelerate production~
The process of taking the refinPry to the crude will soon revolutionize crude production, and increase railroad usage will be realized by eliminating the need for new pipeline construction and pipeline transportation.
Referring now to the drawings, the overland petroleum procsssor of the present invention is illustrated perspectively in Figs. 1 and 2, showing therein top plan and side elevational views respectively. Fig. 3 is a schematically illustrative process flow diayram of ~he process disclosed herein. Such illustrations are adapted to depict the present invention and are shown for purposes of convenience in understanding the operation and function of the invention.
The mobile overland petroleum processor 10 is adapted to be disposed on a plurality of rail cars 11. Each rail car is a separate module having interconnections 12 consisting of pipe and electrical conduits arranged with swiv~l points and flexible connections so as to expedite connection or disconnection upon start-up or shut-down of processing operations.
It is to be understood that the interconnections between cars or modules are disconnected during transportation, and the interconnections are arranged so that modules or cars may be added or deleted while remaining compatible. In other words, the interconnections of one mod~le are interchangeable with those of another.
In the use and operation of the invention, at least one utility generating car 14, a control room car 15, and a plurality of cars 16-l9, upon which is disposed the modular crude fractionation unit 20, are coupled in a train behind a locomotive at a departure sigh~. The numbers and types of cars may be varied depending upon the size and kind of operation undertaken, the effective height of the crude tower, or the number of products desired. Thus, the inv~ntion could include tank cars for each product refined, desalter exchanger car, potable water tank car, equipment and maintenance car, quarters car, kitchen and dining car, and the like.
The utility generating car 14 is adapted to supply electrical power to each car through electrical cables which are releasably coupled together between each of the cars. One end of the utility generating car 14 details a battery room. The central portion of the utility generating car encloses a turbine generator se~, while the other end of the car houses the motor control center and switch gear.
The control room car 15 is arranged with a central room having a CRT out~out console at one end, office facilities in the middle, and lab with sufficient storage space at the other end.
The computer controls every aspect of s~art-up and shut-down so as to accelerate production~ The entire process is structured from the console to exact the most from the particular crude. It will be readily appreciated that the present processor may be operated and the process undertaken and accomplished with a minimum requirement for operating personnel.
The modular crude fractionation unit 20 comprises a plurality of modules. Each of these modules is disposed on a separate rail car 16-19, and are operatively interconnected.
Crude is fractionizea in a specially designed crude tower which consists o~ six ~6) separate vessels 25a-25f so as to meet height restriotions for transportation. Each vessel is designed for intermediate product draw betwee~ vessels. Tha effective height of the crude tower may be increased by adding additional module~
or ve~sels~ If fewer products are to be refined~ a module or number of moduIes (vessels) may be deleted.
In executing the proces~ of the present invention, a sample of the crude to be processed is analyzed in the onboard laboratory facilities of the control room car 15. Once analyzed, 5i9 the fractionation process is structured from the computer console in a mannex designed to exact maximum benefits from that particular crude. Upon tappin~ into the crude producing well, or crude storage faciliky, the crude is pumpPd with a crude charge pump 27 at a pressure sufficient to insure that the crude remains in the liquid phase. The crude is then partially preheated with a kerosene/crude heat exchanger 28, a diesel/crude heat exchanger 29 and a gas oil/crude heat exchanger 30 ~middle distillate products)~ Preheating is completed by a reduced crude/crude heat exchanger 31, a pumparound/crude heat exchanger 32, and a reduced crude/crude heat exchanger 33. The prehea~ed crude is finally heated in the crude charge heater 34 to a temperature adequate to vaporize sufficient crude to obtain the desired product.
The vaporized crude i5 fractionized into liquid and gas products in a specially designed crude tower 25 consisting of six (6) separate vessels 25a-25f. Overhead gas is partially condensed by an overhead conden~er 26. A por~ion of the condensed light naphtha is pumped by reflux pump 53 to the tower as reflux, and the balance is pumped to s~orage.
The bottom liquid~from each crude tower vessel 25a-25f is pumped to the top o~ the next vessel by booster pumps 35-39.
Side stream prvducts are drawn from the respective booster pumps, stripped in product strippers 40-42 to adjust product conditions, and pumped by dies l pump 43, kerosene pump 44 and heavy naptha pump 45 through a heavy naphtha cooler 46, a kerosene cooler 47, and a diesel coolex 48.
The hot diesel product provides he~t for the heavy naphtha reboilex 50, and hot reduced crude provides heat for the diesel reboiler 51 and the kerosene reboiler 52.
The overland petroleum process is a highly mobile crude oil processlng ystem capable of processing a wide range of light-to-heavy, ana sweet-to-sour crude. It is designed to r~

S~3 produce a broad slate of products: light and heavy naphtha, kerosene/ diesel, and fuel oil products.
The crude distillation process and equipment herein described is the same for processing sour ~con~aining sulfur) and sweet crudes, except for equipment metallurgy and minor operating alterations.
The equipment in a unit designed for sweet crude proce~sing is essentially of carbon steel construction with low chrome/nickel alloy tubes in the crude charge heater and high temperature piping associated with the inlet and lower section of the crude tower. A unit designed for sour crude processing would be equally suited for processing sweet and sour crudes.
The products of the crude unit are treated to meet sales specifications. The naphtha products are typically treated with caustic to remove mercaptans (organic sulfide compounds) and dissolved H2S. Sulfurous compounds in diesel and kerosene are reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst IhYdrotxeating) to form H2S which is easily stripped from the treated product. The fuel oil products are also hydrotreated but at much higher pressure and temperature and with different catalyst application. The treating of products can be executed on-site with the crude fractionation, or at a centxal, remote location.
Crude that contains brine, sediment and water ~BS~) may be sweet or sour. A modular desalting unit can be added as a separate, individual unit. This unit can be stored when not required, and rapidly placed in service in the event that BSW
appear in the cxude~
The crude is heated to a temperature (100-300F) ~hat best suits the physical properties of the individual crude. Water is injected to dissolve the BS~. Separation of the immissible phases is greatly enhanced electrically since the water phase containing salt is electrolitic~

~x~

The brine (water phase) is drawn off and disposed of by several methods, such as injection into a disposal well.
The unit, as presented herein, has been designed for maximum mobility. The entire facility including control room, utility generation, and product testing facility would be built on flat rail cars.
The instrumentation and electr:ical gear may be specified and installed ~or compatability with transportati.on by rail.

I

Claims (2)

1. A petroleum processor in combination with a plurality of railroad cars, said processor comprising:
(a) a crude heater capable of burning various petroleum products, said heater providing the primary heat for fractionation separation;
(b) a modular, crude fractionation unit with means for connecting said modular fractionation unit to said heater, said fractionation unit including a plurality of fractionation vessels mounted on said railroad cars, wherein said vessels are specifically designed to meet railroad height, width and weight requirements, a control system of valving and piping with means for connecting each of said vessels disposed on a respective railroad car one to the other in series and for serially connecting the downstream vessel and the upstream vessel disposed on adjacent ones of said railroad cars so as to enable variance of the total effective number of fractionation vessels in order to effect the desired separation of a selected crude oil;
(c) said unit further comprising a plurality of heat exchangers and coolers and means for connecting said heat exchangers and coolers to said fractionation vessels to provide cooling for and heat recovery from the separated products of fractionation;
(d) computer means for operating said control system and performing simulation of a multi-component fractionation to determine the required number of said vessels to effect the desired separation; and, (e) a utility module mounted on a separate one of said railroad cars and means for connecting said utility module to said heater, said crude fractionation unit, and said computer means to provide the necessary electrical power for operation thereof.
2. A crude oil refining process for producing a variety of petroleum products on a mobile overland petroleum processor as described in claim 1, said process comprising the steps of:
(a) analyzing the crude to be refined prior to start up, (b) structuring the modular crude fractionation unit so as to exact the maximum product form the analyzed crude, (c) pumping the incoming crude into the petroleum processor at a pressure sufficient to maintain the crude in a liquid phase, (d) partially preheating the crude by heat exchange with middle distillate products, (e) desalting the crude, if necessary, in a desalter to remove brine, sediment and water, (f) completely preheating by heat exchange with reduced crude and pumparound, (g) heating the preheated crude in a crude charge heater to a temperature adequate to vaporize sufficient crude to obtain the desired product, (h) fractionizing the flashed crude into liquid and gas products in a specially designed crude tower consisting of six (6) separate vessels, (i) partially condensing the overhead gas, (j) pumping a portion of the condensation to the tower as reflex, with the balance going to storage, (k) pumping the bottom liquid from each crude tower vessel to the top of the next vessel by booster pumps, (l) drawing the sidestream products from the respec-tive booster pumps, (m) stripping the side stream products in product strippers to adjust product conditions, (n) pumping said stripped product through crude product exchangers and product coolers, and (o) pumping the final products to their respective storage tanks.
CA000455798A 1984-02-06 1984-06-04 Overland petroleum processor and process Expired - Lifetime CA1297059C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US57708684A 1984-02-06 1984-02-06
US577,086 1984-02-06

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1297059C true CA1297059C (en) 1992-03-10

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CA000455798A Expired - Lifetime CA1297059C (en) 1984-02-06 1984-06-04 Overland petroleum processor and process

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Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2011082471A1 (en) * 2010-01-07 2011-07-14 Snowdon Resources Corporation Upgrading heavy oil with modular units
WO2011082472A1 (en) * 2010-01-07 2011-07-14 Snowdon Resources Corporation Upgrading heavy oil with reconfigurable units
WO2012009792A1 (en) * 2010-07-20 2012-01-26 Jason Craig Snydmiller Hydrocarbons environmental processing system method and apparatus

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2011082471A1 (en) * 2010-01-07 2011-07-14 Snowdon Resources Corporation Upgrading heavy oil with modular units
WO2011082472A1 (en) * 2010-01-07 2011-07-14 Snowdon Resources Corporation Upgrading heavy oil with reconfigurable units
WO2012009792A1 (en) * 2010-07-20 2012-01-26 Jason Craig Snydmiller Hydrocarbons environmental processing system method and apparatus
US9669340B2 (en) 2010-07-20 2017-06-06 David Robinson Hydrocarbons environmental processing system method and apparatus

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