WO2005040310A1 - A process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product - Google Patents
A process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2005040310A1 WO2005040310A1 PCT/CA2004/001876 CA2004001876W WO2005040310A1 WO 2005040310 A1 WO2005040310 A1 WO 2005040310A1 CA 2004001876 W CA2004001876 W CA 2004001876W WO 2005040310 A1 WO2005040310 A1 WO 2005040310A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- solid particles
- vapor phase
- liquid feed
- feed material
- phase product
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J4/00—Feed or outlet devices; Feed or outlet control devices
- B01J4/001—Feed or outlet devices as such, e.g. feeding tubes
- B01J4/002—Nozzle-type elements
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J8/00—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes
- B01J8/18—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with fluidised particles
- B01J8/1818—Feeding of the fluidising gas
- B01J8/1827—Feeding of the fluidising gas the fluidising gas being a reactant
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J8/00—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes
- B01J8/18—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with fluidised particles
- B01J8/24—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with fluidised particles according to "fluidised-bed" technique
- B01J8/36—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with fluidised particles according to "fluidised-bed" technique with fluidised bed through which there is an essentially horizontal flow of particles
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C10G9/00—Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils
- C10G9/28—Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils with preheated moving solid material
- C10G9/32—Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils with preheated moving solid material according to the "fluidised-bed" technique
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01B—BOILING; BOILING APPARATUS ; EVAPORATION; EVAPORATION APPARATUS
- B01B1/00—Boiling; Boiling apparatus for physical or chemical purposes ; Evaporation in general
- B01B1/005—Evaporation for physical or chemical purposes; Evaporation apparatus therefor, e.g. evaporation of liquids for gas phase reactions
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J2208/00—Processes carried out in the presence of solid particles; Reactors therefor
- B01J2208/00796—Details of the reactor or of the particulate material
- B01J2208/00823—Mixing elements
- B01J2208/00858—Moving elements
- B01J2208/00867—Moving elements inside the bed, e.g. rotary mixer
Definitions
- a process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product using a cross-flow fluid bed is a process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product using a cross-flow fluid bed.
- residuum is often used to describe the non-distillable fraction of an oil that boils above about 530°-565° C. Crude oils are usually referred to as heavy when they contain a significant fraction of residuum or "heavy" material. Fluidized beds offer many advantages when applied to upgrading process.
- the solids do not play a catalytic role. Rather, activation energies are overcome solely through the application of heat, converting the feed stock into more valuable products.
- the fluidized bed of solids provides the heat required for the conversion reactions: the liquid hydrocarbon feed is applied to the hot solids where it reacts to form the products of the process.
- the reactions involved in the conversion of the feed to products are often referred to as cracking and coking reactions.
- the initial liquid feed will react completely to form final products that are either gases or solids at process conditions.
- the products of most interest are generally the portion of the gases formed in the process that can be condensed to liquids at ambient conditions.
- liquid products These are herein referred to as "liquid products", and in most cases represent the most valuable products of the thermal upgrading process.
- the solid product of the process is referred to as coke, and the portion of the gasses that are not condensable are referred to as non-condensable gasses.
- non-condensable gasses At intermediate reaction times a liquid phase is present in the reactor.
- the residual liquid remaining on the fluid bed particles is provided with exactly 50 the residence time required at reactor conditions to form a dry solid, with complete product evolution.
- Fluid coking is a commercial thermal upgrading process which can be used to illustrate many of the concepts introduced above.
- the fluid coking process uses a bubbling fluidized bed of solid particles. This type of fluidized bed resembles a boiling liquid.
- hot solids enter the reactor in the freeboard region, above the surface of the fluid bed. Solid withdrawal occurs at the bottom of the reactor. Feed is sprayed into the fluid bed at several different elevations where it coats the fluidized solid particles.
- the nature of solids mixing in bubbling fluidized beds leads to the condition that solids within the feed zone are generally well mixed.
- the solids Before exiting the reactor, the solids pass through a stripping zone that is designed to lengthen the time that the liquid feed spends in the reactor. The additional residence time provided to the solids in the stripping section, together with stripping steam, allows for the recovery of additional product from the liquid feed coating the surface of the fluidized solids.
- the residence time distribution (RTD) of the fluidized solids, and of the associated reacting liquid feed that they carry is very broad: the amount of time that solids and liquid feed spend in the reactor shows a large amount of variation.
- a common model used to describe systems that are very well mixed is a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR).
- CSTR continuous stirred tank reactor
- the CSTR model describes the extreme case of a perfectly mixed system.
- the RTD of the solids in a fluid coker approaches that of a CSTR. As a result, some of the solids will short circuit to the exit of the reactor, while others will spend a very long time at reactor conditions.
- the stripping zone of the fluid coker is designed to produce a solids RTD that is closer to plug-flow.
- the plug-flow model represents the opposite extreme of the CSTR model. In the plug- flow model, the RTD has one unique value, so all of the solids spend the same amount of time in the reactor.
- a riser coking process relies on a fluidized bed, but operates at a much higher fluid velocity than a fluid coking process so that most of the solids are carried by the moving fluid. This is typically referred to as fast-fluidization or dilute-phase transport, and provides significant differences in gas and solid phase mixing when compared to a bubbling fluidized bed.
- the solid carrier is sprayed with feed at one end of the riser or pipe, and transported to the opposite end of the pipe at a velocity equal to the velocity of the gas phase less the slip velocity between the two phases.
- the advantage of this design is that all of the solids are carried through the bed at similar velocities. This results in a solid phase RTD that approaches plug-flow.
- gas phase mixing dynamics axe similar to those of the solids: gas phase mixing also approaches that of a plug- flow reactor.
- the narrow RTD of both the solid phase and the gas phase could potentially allow for improvements over fluid coking, but the method of fluidization results in a coupling between the RTD of the solid phase and the RTD of the gas phase. This is because the velocity of the gas and solid phases differ only by the slip velocity, which is small relative to the average velocity. Since the required residence times for the gas and solid phases are very different one must be compromised.
- the LR coking process incorporates a short gas phase residence time with an initial preflash to allow valuable molecules to be collected with minimal exposure to reaction conditions.
- solids are conveyed mechanically, which allows for an independent solids residence time. Mechanical limitations do not allow for a sufficiently long liquid phase reaction time at design feed rates.
- the reaction rate in the LR coking process is increased by increasing the reaction temperature, a move which is in direct contradiction to the idealized conversion process described above.
- conjugated olefins may be formed in the gas phase by overcracking, which can lead to unmanageable fouling problems in the overhead system.
- the present invention is directed at a process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product using a cross-flow fluidized bed.
- the present invention is also directed at an apparatus comprising a cross flow fluid bed reactor.
- the liquid feed material may be any suitable material.
- the liquid feed material may be comprised of a single substance or may be comprised of a plurality of substances.
- the term "liquid feed material” as used herein means that the material is or behaves substantially as a liquid phase immediately before being subjected to the conversion process.
- the liquid feed material may be comprised of a suitable material which is substantially in a liquid phase at the particular temperature at which it is introduced to the conversion process.
- the liquid feed material is comprised of a liquid hydrocarbon. More preferably, the liquid feed material is comprised of a heavy hydrocarbon.
- a "heavy" hydrocarbon is a hydrocarbon which has a boiling point above about 530 ° Celsius.
- the liquid feed material therefore preferably includes at least some amount of hydrocarbon having a boiling point which is above about 530 ° Celsius. More preferably, the heavy hydrocarbon is comprised of a heavy oil or a heavy fraction of a crude oil.
- the vapor phase product may be comprised of a single product, or substance, or may be comprised of a plurality of products or substances.
- the term "vapor phase product" as used herein means that the product is or behaves as a vapor phase under the conditions of the conversion process, although the product may ultimately be condensable to a liquid phase or even a solid phase.
- the invention is a process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product comprising the following steps:
- the solid particles may be comprised of any solid material which may be fluidized sufficiently to satisfy the requirements of the invention.
- the solid particles are comprised substantially of Geldart Type A and/or Geldart Type B particles.
- the solid particles may also consist of or be comprised of an amount of a catalyst which is capable of facilitating or enhancing the conversion of the liquid feed material.
- the solid particles are preferably moved in the solid transport direction at a rate which is significantly larger than a rate of mixing of the solid particles in the solid transport direction.
- the Peclet (Pe) number describing the movement of the solid particles is relatively large so that the movement of the solid particles in the solid transport direction approaches plug-flow.
- the solid particles are preferably introduced to the fluid bed at or adjacent to the upstream horizontal position and are preferably collected in a solid collection apparatus located at or adjacent to the downstream horizontal position.
- the solid particles are preferably regenerated for re-use after they have been collected.
- the step of regenerating the solid particles for re-use may be comprised of heating the solid particles, preferably to the conversion temperature.
- the solid particles may be heated in any suitable manner.
- the solid particles may be heated in a gasifier or a burner.
- the gasifier or burner may use a product of the reactions of the process, such as coke, as a fuel source.
- the fluidizing medium may be comprised of any suitable fluidizing gas or vapor, hi preferred embodiments the fluidizing medium may be comprised of gas which is produced during the regeneration of the solid material.
- the fluidizing medium is preferably introduced at a lower vertical position below the solid particles so that the fluidizing direction is substantially upward.
- the fluidizing medium and the vapor phase product are preferably collected at an upper vertical position above the solid particles.
- the vapor phase product and/or the fluidizing medium are preferably collected together in a vapor collection apparatus.
- the vapor phase product is preferably separated from the fluidizing medium and is preferably quenched to minimize further conversion and/or degradation of the vapor phase product.
- the liquid feed material may be introduced to the fluid bed in any suitable manner.
- the liquid feed material is sprayed so that the liquid feed material contacts the solid particles as droplets.
- the liquid feed material is introduced into the fluid bed so that the liquid feed material penetrates the fluid bed, preferably as droplets.
- the direction in which the liquid feed material is sprayed or otherwise introduced to the fluid bed may be any direction, but is preferably substantially perpendicular to the solid transport direction.
- the liquid feed material is introduced to the fluid bed in either a substantially vertical spraying direction or a substantially horizontal spraying direction. Where the direction is vertical, the direction is preferably opposite to the fluidizing direction.
- the step of collecting the vapor phase product may be comprised of collecting the vapor phase product at a plurality of vapor phase product collection locations spaced horizontally between the upstream horizontal position and the downstream horizontal position.
- the vapor phase product may be collected at the vapor phase collection locations in a single vapor collection apparatus or a plurality of vapor collection apparatus.
- the vapor phase product may have a composition which varies amongst the vapor phase collection locations so that different compositions of vapor phase product can be collected at different locations.
- the process may be further comprised of the step of collecting a vaporized fraction of the liquid feed material at a vapor phase collection location which is adjacent to the feed zone so that portions of the liquid feed material can be collected as vapor before undergoing significant conversion and/or degradation.
- the vaporized fraction of the liquid feed material may be collected in the vapor collection apparatus.
- a fluidizing medium such as a gas is introduced into a reactor to fluidize a bed of solid particles such that the fluidizing medium is moving in a substantially vertical fluidizing direction.
- the solid particles are transported substantially horizontally in a solid transport direction from a solids inlet at an upstream horizontal position in the reactor to a solids outlet at a downstream horizontal position in the reactor, preferably but not necessarily by the force of gravity.
- a liquid feed material comprising a liquid hydrocarbon.
- the liquid hydrocarbon is introduced into the reactor at a feed zone which is located downstream of the solids inlet.
- the solid particles are at a conversion temperature which facilitates the reaction of the liquid hydrocarbon to produce one or more upgraded hydrocarbon products as a vapor phase product.
- the vapor phase product is collected in a vapor collection apparatus, preferably with the fluidizing medium.
- the vapor phase product is preferably separated from the fluidizing medium and is preferably quenched in order to minimize further conversion and/or degradation of the vapor phase product.
- the solid particles are collected in a solid collection apparatus associated with the solids outlet and are preferably regenerated for re-use.
- the selection and design of the solid particles, vapor collection system, freeboard and fluidizing mechanism may be made so that vapor phase residence time is short relative to competing technologies and so that the residence time distribution of the solid particles approaches plug- flow conditions despite significant evolution of product within the fluid bed.
- the invention permits relatively high ratios of solids to liquid feed, which aids in achieving lower reactor temperatures.
- a cross flow coking reactor can process a relatively large amount of solid particles.
- This feature allows the invention to employ higher solids-to-oil ratios than may be employed with some competing processes, such as the LR coking process.
- the LR coking process is forced to adopt a relatively high operating temperature to compensate for low solids-to-oil ratios, no similar requirement exists for the current invention, hi the practice of the invention a relatively high solids-to-oil ratio is used with feed and product recovery zones that are staged such that solid particle residence times may be tightly controlled.
- Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of a cross-flow fluid bed reactor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- Figure 2 is an alternate schematic drawing of a cross-flow fluid bed reactor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention depicting spraying of the liquid feed material within the fluid bed.
- the present invention relates to a process and apparatus for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product.
- the present invention relates to a process and apparatus for converting a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock material into value added reaction products, h a preferred embodiment the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock material is comprised of heavy oil or a heavy fraction of a crude oil.
- the central process unit in the preferred embodiment of the invention is a cross-flow fluidized bed reactor (20).
- a fluidizing medium (22) preferably a gas, is introduced into the bottom of the reactor base (24) and exits at the top of the reactor (20) so that the fluidizing medium (22) moves in a substantially vertical fluidizing direction (26).
- the fluidizing medium (22) fluidizes solid particles (28) to produce a fluid " bed
- the solid particles (28) in the fluid bed (30) move in a substantially horizontal solid transport direction (32) from a solids inlet (34) at an upstream horizontal position to a solids outlet (36) at a downstream horizontal position.
- the solid particles (28) are collected in a solid collection apparatus (38) which is associated with the solids outlet (36). i the preferred embodiment, the solid particles (28) move in the solid transport direction (32) substantially under the influence of gravity, h other words, no mechanical device or apparatus is used to move the solid particles (28).
- a liquid feed material (40) is introduced into the reactor (20) at a feed inlet (42) which is located downstream of the solids inlet (34) so that the feed inlet (42) is between the solids inlet (34) and the solids outlet (36).
- a vapor phase product (44) is collected in a vapor collection apparatus (46) which is located at an upper vertical position (48) above the solid particles (28) and the fluid bed (30).
- the vapor collection apparatus (46) includes a plurality of vapor phase product collection locations (50).
- the vapor phase product collection locations (46) are spaced horizontally between the solids inlet (34) and the solids outlet (36).
- a vaporized fraction (51) of the liquid feed material (40) is also collected at one or more of the vapor phase product collection locations (50) adjacent to the feed inlet (42).
- the fluidizing medium (22) is also collected in the vapor collection apparatus (46) with the vapor phase product (44) so that the fluidizing medium passes from a lower vertical position (52) below the solid particles (28) to the vapor collection apparatus (46) at the upper vertical position (48).
- the vapor phase product (44) is subsequently separated from the fluidizing medium (22) and quenched in order to minimize further conversion and/or degradation of the vapor phase product (44).
- a significant difference between the invention and a conventional fluid bed process is that the solid particles (28) in the fluid bed (30) move substantially perpendicularly to the gas phase in the fluid bed (30).
- Solid particles (28) enter at the solids inlet (34), flow along the length of the reactor (20), preferably under the influence of gravity, and are removed at the solids outlet (36). Since the solid particle (28) and fluidizing medium (22) flows are generated by independent driving forces, the two are essentially independent. This provides for a significant increase in flexibility, which will be discussed in detail in the description that follows.
- the process and apparatus of the invention can produce a solid particle RTD which approaches plug- flow, allowing for evolution of a vapor phase product (44) within the fluid bed (30).
- the benefits accruing from this solid particle (28) RTD together with other benefits of the invention can be leveraged by a person skilled in the art to provide significant advantages over the prior art. For example, it is well understood by individuals skilled in the art how to manipulate operating and design conditions such as increased solids-to-feed ratios and the ability to deliver feed in a more controlled and uniform fashion to enhance operability and yield at typical reaction temperatures.
- the hydrodynamics of the invention have been studied 5 with cold flow physical models, using dimensional analysis to establish a tie to typical process operating conditions.
- Reactor 0 In the preferred embodiment, the reactor (20) is divided into a number of zones, each having a different function:
- solid feed zone (60) 2. liquid feed zone (62) 5 3. reaction zone (64) 4. solid withdrawal zone (66) 5. gas distribution zone (68) 6. freeboard zone (70)
- the reactor (20) may have any suitable shape.
- the reactor (20) has a generally rectangular shape.
- the length of the reactor (20) is typically 5 greater than its width. This design feature ensures the solid particles (28) are well mixed across the width of the reactor (20), and helps to maintain plug-flow characteristics in the moving solid phase. The impact of plug-flow on the characteristics of the process is described below.
- Gas is introduced as a fluidizing medium (22) through a gas distributor (76) located on or adjacent to the bottom of the reactor (20).
- the gas distributor (76) can vary in complexity. Bubble cap and perforated plate designs have been tested, but any design capable of adequately fluidizing the solids is acceptable.
- the fluidization medium (22), along with any vapor phase product (44) generated by the reaction, will typically exit at the top of the reactor (20).
- the height of the reactor (20) is designed to accommodate both the fluid bed 5 (30) contained in the reactor (20) and the height required for solids disengagement in the freeboard zone (70), as discussed below.
- the solid particles (28) in the reactor (20) provide the surface area upon which the conversion reaction occurs.
- the solid particles (28) provide a heat source or
- the most critical attribute of the solid particles (28) is that the solid particles (28) should fluidize sufficiently well to satisfy the requirements of the invention.
- the solid particles (28) may optionally also provide a catalytic function for
- the solid particles (28) may consist of or be comprised of an amount of a catalyst which is capable of facilitating and/or enhancing the conversion reactions, such as a type Y zeolite or any other material which is suitable for use in catalytic cracking or similar processes.
- the following two types of solid particles (28) may be suitable for the reactor (20): 1.
- Geldart A type particle aeratable particles or materials having small mean particles size ( ⁇ 40 microns) or low particle density ( ⁇ 1400 kg/m 3 ). Fluidized cracking catalyst is an example of this type of particle.
- Geldart B type particles most particles of size 40 microns to 500 microns and density 1400 kg/m 3 to 4000 kg/m 3 . Sand is an example of this type of particle.
- the fluid bed (30) will preferably be operated in the bubbling bed regime or, in the case of Geldart A particles, may be operated in the smooth fluidization regime below the bubbling fluidization velocity but above the minimum fluidization velocity.
- the fluid bed (30) In the bubbling bed regime the fluid bed (30) resembles a boiling liquid with bubbles forming at the gas distributor (76), rising through the fluid bed (30) quickly then bursting at the surface of the fluid bed (30).
- the fluid bed (30) can be thought to have two phases:
- the freeboard zone (70) is the solids lean region of the reactor (20) above the surface of the fluid bed (30). Solids are ejected from the fluid bed (30) by the action of bubbles bursting at its surface. The freeboard zone (70) is required for the solid particles (28) to disengage from the gas so that they are not carried out of the reactor (20).
- the optimum freeboard height is that which allows all of the solid particles (28) with terminal velocities greater than the superficial gas velocity to disengage. Extending the freeboard above this height will not reduce the solids carryover and will only add to the cost of the reactor (20) and to the residence time of the gas phase.
- the optimum freeboard height will be dependent on the type of solid particles (28), the fluidization velocity and the effects of the liquid feed material (40) on the cohesive forces between the solid particles (28).
- the residence time distribution of the gas in the freeboard zone (70) has been shown to be substantially plug-flow.
- the solid particles (28) are fluidized by the gas that enters through the gas distributor (76) at the reactor base (24).
- the velocity of the fluidizing medium (22) should be above the minimum fluidization velocity and preferably below the turbulent fluidization velocity of the solid particles (28). If the fluidizing medium (22) velocity is below the minimum fluidization velocity of the solid particles (28), then the fluid bed (30) will not fluidize and the solid particles (28) will not flow across the fluid bed (30). At fluidization velocities larger than the turbulent fluidization velocity, the carryover of solid particles (28) will be too great for a solids handling system of a reasonable size.
- the range of superficial gas velocities that would function in the fluid bed (30) for Geldart B and Geldart A particles is from approximately 0.01 m/s to 1 m/s. Where the liquid feed material (40) is viscous, a safety margin should be added to the operating fluidization velocity to manage agglomeration of the wet solid particles (28).
- the fluidization velocity has an impact on many characteristics of the reactor
- Solids Throughput Solid particles (28) are preferably fed into one end of the reactor (20) and withdrawn at the opposite end.
- the solid particles (28) preferably flow in a substantially horizontal solid transport direction (32).
- the fluidized solid particles (28) behave hydrodynamically like a continuous fluid and can be made to flow across the fluid bed (30) under the influence of gravity. This flow could be simply induced by the difference in bed depth caused by feeding the solid particles (28) into one end, or by tilting the reactor (20) in the direction of flow. Tilting the reactor (20) has the advantage of maintaining a more uniform fluid bed (30) depth and allows for greater solid particles (28) flowrates. In either case, the depth of the fluid bed (30) may optionally be maintained through the use of a weir (not shown) 5 near the solids outlet (36).
- the solids flux through the reactor (20) will likely be a primary factor in determining the capacity of the reactor (20) to accept the liquid feed material (40). This will be the case when the heat or surface area requirements of the reaction are limiting. If required, it0 is possible to increase the mass flow of solid particles (28) through the reactor (20) at a constant flux by increasing the cross-section of the fluid bed (30).
- the liquid feed material (40) is sprayed onto the fluid bed (30) using feed nozzles (78).
- the liquid feed zone (62) of the fluid bed (30) which is used to accept the atomized liquid feed material (40) is the zone immediately following the solid feed zone (60).
- the feed system should maximize the distribution of liquid feed material (40) over the solid particles (28) that pass through the liquid feed zone (62).
- the optimum situation would be to have every droplet of feed hit and engulf a different solid particle (28). This would maximize the surface area over which the reaction occurs which reduces any mass transfer limitations.
- the droplet size should preferably be less than or equal to the solid particle (28) size, which will allow the droplet to form a thin film over the solid particle (28). This will be limited by the wetting properties of the solid particles (28) and the liquid feed material (40). If the feed 0 droplets are too large they can potentially cause the agglomeration of the solid particles (28) in the fluid bed (30), and if they are too small they may be entrained in the rising fluidizing medium (22).
- the feed nozzles (78) are preferably oriented so that the liquid feed material (40) is sprayed in a spraying direction which is substantially perpendicular to the solid transport direction.
- the feed nozzles (78) can be oriented vertically, pointing downward through the surface of the fluid bed (30).
- the feed nozzles (78) can be oriented horizontally, through the walls of the reactor (20) or in through the reactor base (24).
- the aim is to penetrate the fluid bed (30) with liquid feed material (40) without impacting the bottom or sides of the reactor (20).
- a shallow fluid bed (30) has the advantages of reduced gas phase residence time, increased gas-solid contacting, reduced horizontal solids mixing and a reduced concentration of solid particles (28) in the freeboard zone (70). All of these effects will be advantageous for most of the reaction systems that will operate in the reactor (20).
- the maximum solid particles (28) throughput is dependent upon the maximum horizontal solid particles (28) velocity and the fluid bed (30) cross-section perpendicular to the flow. While operating with a smaller fluid bed (30) depth can have many advantages (as discussed below), reducing the fluid bed (30) depth will reduce the solid particle (28) capacity of the reactor (20).
- the feed nozzles (78) preferably deliver the liquid feed material (40) to the fluid bed (30) without creating liquid droplets of a size that will be entrained in the upward moving fluidizing medium (22). To accomplish this, adequate momentum is imparted to the feed droplets to allow some penetration of the liquid feed material (40) into the fluid bed (30). Where the liquid feed material (40) is sprayed vertically downward, the fluid bed (30) should be deep enough relative to the momentum imparted to the feed droplets so that the liquid feed material (40) does not impact on the base of the gas distributor (76). This limit on the fluid bed (30) depth can be avoided if the liquid feed material (40) is sprayed horizontally into the fluid bed (30). This will then place the constraint on the minimum bed width in order to avoid the liquid feed material (40) impacting upon the sides of the reactor (20). Through proper design, the feed delivery system can be engineered to provide the required performance.
- the temperature of the reactor (20) will be dependent upon the requirements of the reaction.
- the temperature drop across the reactor (20) will be dependent on the heat requirements of the reaction and the heat capacity and mass flow of the solid particles (28).
- Slight positive pressure (0.5-10 psig) is desirable in that there is expense involved with providing the fluidizing medium (22) which, at a constant superficial gas velocity, will decrease as the pressure is reduced.
- the rectangular shape of the reactor (20) in the preferced embodiment is less suited to pressure containment than cylindrical designs which again make low operating pressures desirable. Downstream gas processing requirements will likely set the lower boundary for system pressure.
- the invention may provide some or all of the following advantages over prior art processes: (a) Approach to Plug-Flow of Solid Phase Residence Time Distribution
- the plug-flow characteristics of the solid particles (28) takes greater advantage of the reactor volume than a fluid bed which is well mixed. This is because trie RTD of the solid particles (28) is much nareower than in a fluid bed reactor that is well mixed. This allows for many advantages all of which are related to the narrow RTD:
- the cross-flow design allows the residence times of the solid particles (28) and the gas phase to be adjusted independently.
- the solid particles (28) residence time is set by the solid particle (28) bulk horizontal velocity and the reactor (20) length.
- the gas phase residence time is controlled primarily by the bed depth and the fluidization velocity. This allows for the independent optimization of the gas phase and the solid particles (28), and hence independent control of the reaction severities associated with the gas and liquid phases, offering a significant advantage over technologies based on dilute transport.
- the high rate of vertical solids mixing in the fluid bed (30) increases the efficiency with which the liquid feed material (40) is distributed throughout the solid particles (28). This attribute is dramatic when compared to other technologies that incorporate a moving bed of non-fluidized particles.
- the high rate of vertical mixing in the fluid bed (30) allows for a deeper fluid bed (30) as opposed to a non-fluidized bed which must be made shallow.
- the superior feed distribution has a positive impact on product formation in cases were mass transfer through the reacting liquid phase is in issue, as the liquid films thicknesses are kept to a minimum.
- the process of the invention is well suited for either scale up or scale down. It may therefore be used either to process relatively large volumes of liquid feed material (40) or in field applications to process relatively small volumes of liquid feed material (40), such as on the order of 1000-10000 barcels per day.
- fluidizing medium (22) rates and fluid bed (30) properties can be tailored to the requirements of the specific zones. For example, to manage bogging, more fluidizing medium (22) can be used in the liquid feed zone (62).
- the solid particles (28) selected for this application are coke particles and/or sand particles with a prefened mean particle size of between about 50 and 500 microns.
- a coke layer will form on the base particles.
- the average coke layer is estimated to be between about 10 and 40 microns thick, which will increase both the mean and variance of the particle size distribution. Smaller particles will also be formed by the attrition of larger particles.
- a solids purge stream is preferably withdrawn in order to control the accumulation of heavy metals in the coke, since there is some evidence that heavy metals can catalyze dehydrogenation reactions which will reduce the value of the reaction products.
- the freeboard height is preferably between about 2-4 m. This may be larger than the optimal freeboard height of 2.5 m, but will ensure that solids canyover is kept to a minimum.
- the fluidized bed depth for the bitumen feed is preferably between about 0.5 and 2 m. This brings the total required reactor height to about 2.5-6 m.
- the bed depth is set by considering the gas phase residence time while still maintaining a sufficient reactor (20) cross section for solid particles (28) throughput. Due to the viscous nature of the liquid feed material (40) a prefened minimum fluidization velocity of about 0.2 m/s is provided to maintain proper fluidization.
- the horizontal solid particle (28) velocity through the reactor (20) is preferably between about 0.05 and 0.15 m/s. This velocity is based on the heat and surface area requirements of the system. It may be necessary to tilt the fluid bed (30) in the direction of solids flow to achieve the required bulk horizontal velocity.
- the minimum operating temperature of the reactor (20) is preferably about 485° C.
- Solid feed temperatures to the reactor (20) are between about 490° C and about 510° C.
- a heat balance for the overall system indicates that the temperature drop across each reactor unit may be between about 12° C and about 30° C, making the mean reactor temperature range between about 475° C and about 504° C.
- This application of the invention operates at moderate pressures (between about 5 psig and about 16 psig).
- a partial oxidation gasifier (not shown) may be used to provide heat to the reactor (20). This technology is readily available from a number of vendors. The solid particles (28) will be heated in this unit before they are returned to the main reactor unit. The gasifier will use the coke that is formed in the reactor (20) as a fuel source, and the gas formed in the combustor will be used to fluidize the main reactor (20).
- the evolved vapor phase product (44) which may comprise more than one substance or product, will be generated in the emulsion phase of the fluid bed (30). Due to the rapid vertical mixing of solid particles (28) the vapor phase products (44) will be formed at all heights within the fluid bed (30). Due to the fluid mechanics associated with the fluid bed (30), the gas contained in the emulsion phase of the fluid bed (30) will generally flow downwards, in opposition to the upward flow of gas in the bubble phase. Vapor phase products (44) will be transfened from the emulsion phase to the bubble phase mainly through the mixing of the gas from these two phases in the grid zone of the reactor (20).
- Reducing the height of the fluid bed (30) increases the portion of the fluid bed (30) occupied by the grid zone, and also reduces the time it takes for the evolved products to reach the bottom of the fluid bed (30) and be mixed into the escaping bubbles. The bubbles can then rise to be collected in the vapor collection apparatus (46) at the top of the reactor (20).
- the invention potentially provides economic advantages over competing fluid bed technologies that have well mixed solids and confounded gas and solid phase residence times. Where the desire is to maximize the yield of condensable overhead vapors, three main advantages are noted:
- Points 1 and 2 above can potentially be addressed for a process incorporating a well mixed fluid bed reactor by making the reactor significantly larger.
- increasing the size of the reactor will significantly increase capital costs.
- a well mixed reactor would require 16.5 times the solid particle holdup in order to ensure 95 % of the solid particles are retained for a sufficient amount of time for the reaction to go to completion.
- this apparent remedy will only serve to exacerbate the problem outlined in Point 3, offsetting any incremental benefit associated with the increased reactor size.
- the invention may have the capacity to increase the yield of condensable products by 2-3 %, on an absolute basis. This credit is conservative since it is based only on gains realized from reduced overcracking in the gas phase.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (8)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2004284119A AU2004284119B2 (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2004-10-26 | A process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product |
US10/535,487 US20050279671A1 (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2004-10-26 | Process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product |
MXPA06004689A MXPA06004689A (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2004-10-26 | A process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product. |
BRPI0415963-2A BRPI0415963A (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2004-10-26 | process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product |
CA002505632A CA2505632C (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2004-10-26 | A process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product |
EP04789783A EP1680483A4 (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2004-10-26 | A process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product |
CN2004800316121A CN1875085B (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2004-10-26 | A method for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product |
US13/428,778 US20120211402A1 (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2012-03-23 | Process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
CA2,446,889 | 2003-10-27 | ||
CA002446889A CA2446889A1 (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2003-10-27 | A method for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/428,778 Continuation-In-Part US20120211402A1 (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2012-03-23 | Process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2005040310A1 true WO2005040310A1 (en) | 2005-05-06 |
Family
ID=34468729
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/CA2004/001876 WO2005040310A1 (en) | 2003-10-27 | 2004-10-26 | A process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product |
Country Status (9)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20050279671A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1680483A4 (en) |
CN (1) | CN1875085B (en) |
AU (1) | AU2004284119B2 (en) |
BR (1) | BRPI0415963A (en) |
CA (1) | CA2446889A1 (en) |
MX (1) | MXPA06004689A (en) |
RU (1) | RU2359008C2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2005040310A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2008098358A1 (en) * | 2007-02-18 | 2008-08-21 | David Rendina | Liquid fuel feedstock production process |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN103380195B (en) * | 2010-12-23 | 2015-09-16 | Etx系统有限公司 | The feed process of fluidized carbonization reactor |
US10703979B1 (en) | 2019-02-12 | 2020-07-07 | Syncrude Canada Ltd. | Liquid yield from fluid coking reactors |
CN115406804B (en) * | 2022-09-13 | 2023-05-12 | 台州学院 | Method for measuring influence of jet bubble crying on turbulent flow of gas-liquid bubbling fluidized bed |
Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2686710A (en) | 1945-07-07 | 1954-08-17 | Kellogg M W Co | Catalytic conversion of hydrocarbons |
US4409101A (en) * | 1981-11-16 | 1983-10-11 | Moskousky Institut Stali I Splavov | Fluidized bed apparatus |
US5658455A (en) * | 1995-07-17 | 1997-08-19 | Exxon Research & Engineering Company | Fluidized bed coking process |
US5714056A (en) * | 1995-07-17 | 1998-02-03 | Exxon Research And Engineering Company | Process for deasphalting residua (HEN9511) |
US5919352A (en) * | 1995-07-17 | 1999-07-06 | Exxon Research And Engineering Co. | Integrated residua upgrading and fluid catalytic cracking |
US6596242B1 (en) * | 1996-09-30 | 2003-07-22 | Shell Oil Company | Reactor riser of a fluidized-bed catalytic cracking plant |
Family Cites Families (16)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2064715A (en) * | 1933-03-29 | 1936-12-15 | Gasoline Prod Co Inc | Coking liquid hydrocarbons |
US2717867A (en) * | 1949-11-26 | 1955-09-13 | Kellogg M W Co | Hydrocarbon conversion |
US2670322A (en) * | 1951-05-01 | 1954-02-23 | Standard Oil Dev Co | Naphtha reforming process |
US2698284A (en) * | 1951-05-17 | 1954-12-28 | Standard Oil Dev Co | Coking of heavy hydrocarbonaceous residues |
BE508628A (en) * | 1951-05-19 | |||
BE508568A (en) * | 1951-06-09 | |||
US2723949A (en) * | 1951-10-31 | 1955-11-15 | Universal Oil Prod Co | Method and apparatus for converting a hydrocarbon oil stream in the presence of a relatively thin moving particle bed |
US2895906A (en) * | 1957-05-10 | 1959-07-21 | Phillips Petroleum Co | Fluidized solids process and apparatus |
FR1293023A (en) * | 1961-03-27 | 1962-05-11 | Improvements to fluidization devices for the treatment of divided products | |
FR1426349A (en) * | 1964-12-17 | 1966-01-28 | Siderurgie Fse Inst Rech | Process for the treatment of powdery materials |
FR1504435A (en) * | 1965-11-24 | 1967-12-08 | Siderurgie Fse Inst Rech | Improvements in fluidization treatment processes and implementation device |
US3503184A (en) * | 1968-03-07 | 1970-03-31 | Aluminum Co Of America | Treatment of gases evolved in the production of aluminum |
US3713781A (en) * | 1970-10-21 | 1973-01-30 | W Dunn | Cross-flow fluid bed reactor |
US3734850A (en) * | 1971-09-08 | 1973-05-22 | Shasta Beverages Div Of Cons F | Wastewater treatment system |
US4445919A (en) * | 1983-03-14 | 1984-05-01 | Thermo Electron Corporation | In situ rapid wash apparatus and method |
CN2350119Y (en) * | 1998-10-30 | 1999-11-24 | 中国科学院化工冶金研究所 | Multilayer moving fluid-bed reactor |
-
2003
- 2003-10-27 CA CA002446889A patent/CA2446889A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2004
- 2004-10-26 MX MXPA06004689A patent/MXPA06004689A/en active IP Right Grant
- 2004-10-26 AU AU2004284119A patent/AU2004284119B2/en not_active Ceased
- 2004-10-26 EP EP04789783A patent/EP1680483A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2004-10-26 CN CN2004800316121A patent/CN1875085B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2004-10-26 RU RU2006118319/15A patent/RU2359008C2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2004-10-26 WO PCT/CA2004/001876 patent/WO2005040310A1/en active Application Filing
- 2004-10-26 BR BRPI0415963-2A patent/BRPI0415963A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2004-10-26 US US10/535,487 patent/US20050279671A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2686710A (en) | 1945-07-07 | 1954-08-17 | Kellogg M W Co | Catalytic conversion of hydrocarbons |
US4409101A (en) * | 1981-11-16 | 1983-10-11 | Moskousky Institut Stali I Splavov | Fluidized bed apparatus |
US5658455A (en) * | 1995-07-17 | 1997-08-19 | Exxon Research & Engineering Company | Fluidized bed coking process |
US5714056A (en) * | 1995-07-17 | 1998-02-03 | Exxon Research And Engineering Company | Process for deasphalting residua (HEN9511) |
US5919352A (en) * | 1995-07-17 | 1999-07-06 | Exxon Research And Engineering Co. | Integrated residua upgrading and fluid catalytic cracking |
US6596242B1 (en) * | 1996-09-30 | 2003-07-22 | Shell Oil Company | Reactor riser of a fluidized-bed catalytic cracking plant |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See also references of EP1680483A4 * |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2008098358A1 (en) * | 2007-02-18 | 2008-08-21 | David Rendina | Liquid fuel feedstock production process |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
RU2359008C2 (en) | 2009-06-20 |
CA2446889A1 (en) | 2005-04-27 |
US20050279671A1 (en) | 2005-12-22 |
AU2004284119A1 (en) | 2005-05-06 |
BRPI0415963A (en) | 2007-01-23 |
AU2004284119B2 (en) | 2010-10-28 |
RU2006118319A (en) | 2007-12-10 |
EP1680483A1 (en) | 2006-07-19 |
CN1875085A (en) | 2006-12-06 |
CN1875085B (en) | 2010-05-12 |
MXPA06004689A (en) | 2007-05-23 |
EP1680483A4 (en) | 2008-12-03 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US20120211402A1 (en) | Process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product | |
CN106964302B (en) | Reactor with two fluidized reaction zones and integrated gas/solid separation system | |
JP2590009B2 (en) | Flow method for converting hydrocarbon-containing raw materials into low molecular weight liquid products | |
EP2539064B1 (en) | Circulating fluid bed reactor with improved circulation | |
JP4017221B2 (en) | Fluid contact cracking method for heavy feedstock | |
EP3286285B1 (en) | Fluid coking process | |
US20070088187A1 (en) | Oxygenate conversion catalyst processing | |
EP0315180B2 (en) | Liquid-solid separation process and apparatus | |
US4816137A (en) | Method for cracking residual oils | |
JPS63241095A (en) | Thermal cracking of hydrocarbon using fine particulate solid as heat carrier | |
US8709235B2 (en) | Process for mixing in fluidized beds | |
AU2004284119B2 (en) | A process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product | |
Gauthier et al. | FCC: fluidization phenomena and technologies | |
CN113423804B (en) | Zoned fluidization process for catalytic conversion of hydrocarbon feedstocks to petrochemical products | |
CA2505632C (en) | A process for converting a liquid feed material into a vapor phase product | |
US3923642A (en) | Catalytic hydrocarbon conversion process and apparatus | |
Issangya et al. | State-of-the-art review of fluidized bed stripper internals | |
US20040104149A1 (en) | Controllable volume reactor and process | |
US5251565A (en) | Process and apparatus for removal of carbonaceous materials from particles containing such materials | |
US11707720B2 (en) | Integrated loop systems for catalyst regeneration in multi-zone fluidized bed reactors and methods of using the same | |
US2926133A (en) | Process and apparatus for conducting catalytic reactions and stripping | |
EP0639216A1 (en) | Catalytic cracking process and apparatus therefor | |
CA1259579A (en) | Method and apparatus for cracking residual oils | |
CN103380195A (en) | Method for feeding a fluidized bed coking reactor | |
Gupta et al. | FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING RISER REACTOR: SIMULATION STUDIES. |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 200480031612.1 Country of ref document: CN |
|
AK | Designated states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BW BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EC EE EG ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NA NI NO NZ OM PG PH PL PT RO RU SC SD SE SG SK SL SY TJ TM TN TR TT TZ UA UG US UZ VC VN YU ZA ZM ZW |
|
AL | Designated countries for regional patents |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): BW GH GM KE LS MW MZ NA SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2505632 Country of ref document: CA |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 10535487 Country of ref document: US |
|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application | ||
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: PA/a/2006/004689 Country of ref document: MX |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2637/DELNP/2006 Country of ref document: IN |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2004789783 Country of ref document: EP |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2004284119 Country of ref document: AU |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2006118319 Country of ref document: RU |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: 2004284119 Country of ref document: AU Date of ref document: 20041026 Kind code of ref document: A |
|
WWP | Wipo information: published in national office |
Ref document number: 2004284119 Country of ref document: AU |
|
WWP | Wipo information: published in national office |
Ref document number: 2004789783 Country of ref document: EP |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: PI0415963 Country of ref document: BR |