Systems and methods for hydroprocessing heavy oil
First Claim
1. A system for preparing and conditioning a heavy oil feedstock for hydroprocessing in a hydroprocessing system, comprising:
- a catalyst precursor;
a hydrocarbon diluent;
a heavy oil feedstock separate from the hydrocarbon diluent;
a first mixing vessel configured for receiving and mixing the catalyst precursor with the hydrocarbon diluent below a temperature at which a significant portion of the catalyst precursor decomposes to form a diluted precursor mixture comprising mixture products of the catalyst precursor and the hydrocarbon diluent;
a second mixing vessel, downstream from the first mixing vessel, configured for receiving and mixing the diluted precursor mixture with the heavy oil feedstock without heating to a temperature at which a substantial portion of the catalyst precursor decomposes to form a conditioned feedstock comprising mixture products of the catalyst precursor, the hydrocarbon diluent, and the heavy oil feedstock; and
a heater, downstream from the second mixing vessel and upstream from a hydroprocessing reactor and/or that comprises the hydroprocessing reactor, and which heats the conditioned feedstock and decompose the catalyst precursor so that metal from the decomposed catalyst precursor reacts with sulfur in the heated feedstock to form metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heated feedstock.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for preparing and conditioning a heavy oil feedstock for hydroprocessing in a hydroprocessing system includes forming metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heavy oil feedstock. The metal sulfide catalyst particles are formed in situ by (1) premixing a catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluent to form a diluted precursor mixture, (2) mixing the diluted precursor mixture with the heavy oil feedstock to form a conditioned feedstock, and (3) heating the conditioned feedstock to decompose the catalyst precursor and cause or allow metal from the precursor to react with sulfur in the heavy oil feedstock to form metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ in the heavy oil feedstock. The in situ formed metal sulfide catalyst particles catalyze beneficial upgrading reactions between the heavy oil feedstock and hydrogen and eliminates or reduces formation of coke precursors and sediment.
-
Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A system for preparing and conditioning a heavy oil feedstock for hydroprocessing in a hydroprocessing system, comprising:
-
a catalyst precursor; a hydrocarbon diluent; a heavy oil feedstock separate from the hydrocarbon diluent; a first mixing vessel configured for receiving and mixing the catalyst precursor with the hydrocarbon diluent below a temperature at which a significant portion of the catalyst precursor decomposes to form a diluted precursor mixture comprising mixture products of the catalyst precursor and the hydrocarbon diluent; a second mixing vessel, downstream from the first mixing vessel, configured for receiving and mixing the diluted precursor mixture with the heavy oil feedstock without heating to a temperature at which a substantial portion of the catalyst precursor decomposes to form a conditioned feedstock comprising mixture products of the catalyst precursor, the hydrocarbon diluent, and the heavy oil feedstock; and a heater, downstream from the second mixing vessel and upstream from a hydroprocessing reactor and/or that comprises the hydroprocessing reactor, and which heats the conditioned feedstock and decompose the catalyst precursor so that metal from the decomposed catalyst precursor reacts with sulfur in the heated feedstock to form metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heated feedstock. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A system for preparing and conditioning a heavy oil feedstock for hydroprocessing in a hydroprocessing system, comprising:
-
a first mixing vessel configured to receive a catalyst precursor and a hydrocarbon diluent and mix them below a temperature at which a significant portion of the catalyst precursor decomposes to form a diluted precursor mixture comprising mixture products of the catalyst precursor and the hydrocarbon diluent; a second mixing vessel, downstream from the first mixing vessel, configured to receive the diluted precursor mixture and a heavy oil feedstock separate from the hydrocarbon diluent and mix them without heating to a temperature at which a substantial portion of the catalyst precursor decomposes to form a conditioned feedstock comprising mixture products of the catalyst precursor, the hydrocarbon diluent, and the heavy oil feedstock; and a pre-heater, downstream from the second mixing vessel and upstream of a hydroprocessing reactor of the hydroprocessing system, configured to receive and heat the conditioned feedstock to decompose the catalyst precursor so that metal from the decomposed catalyst precursor reacts with sulfur in the heated feedstock to form metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heated feedstock. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A system for preparing and conditioning a heavy oil feedstock for hydroprocessing in a hydroprocessing system, comprising:
-
a heavy oil feedstock comprised of hydrocarbons having a boiling point greater than 343°
C. and metal sulfide catalyst particles dispersed in the heavy oil feedstock and having been formed from an oil-soluble catalyst precursor in situ within the heavy oil feedstock;a first mixing vessel configured to receive the oil-soluble catalyst precursor and a hydrocarbon diluent separate from the heavy oil feedstock and mix them below a temperature at which a significant portion of the oil-soluble catalyst precursor decomposes to form a diluted precursor mixture comprising mixture products of the oil-soluble catalyst precursor and the hydrocarbon diluent; a second mixing vessel, downstream from the first mixing vessel, configured to receive the diluted precursor mixture and the heavy oil feedstock and mix them without heating to a temperature at which a substantial portion of the oil-soluble catalyst precursor decomposes to form a conditioned feedstock comprising mixture products of the oil-soluble catalyst precursor, the hydrocarbon diluent, and the heavy oil feedstock; and a heater, downstream from the second mixing vessel, configured to heat the conditioned feedstock so as to decompose the oil-soluble catalyst precursor, cause or allow metal from the decomposed catalyst precursor to react with sulfur in the heavy oil feedstock, and form the metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heavy oil feedstock. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A method for preparing and conditioning a heavy oil feedstock for hydroprocessing in a hydroprocessing system, comprising:
-
providing a catalyst precursor, a hydrocarbon diluent, and a heavy oil feedstock separate from the hydrocarbon diluent; in a first mixing vessel, receiving and mixing the catalyst precursor with the hydrocarbon diluent below a temperature at which a significant portion of the catalyst precursor decomposes to form a diluted precursor mixture comprising mixture products of the catalyst precursor and the hydrocarbon diluent; in a second mixing vessel, downstream from the first mixing vessel, receiving and mixing the diluted precursor mixture with the heavy oil feedstock without heating to a temperature at which a substantial portion of the catalyst precursor decomposes to form a conditioned feedstock comprising mixture products of the catalyst precursor, the hydrocarbon diluent, and the heavy oil feedstock; and in a heater, downstream from the second mixing vessel and upstream from a hydroprocessing reactor, heating the conditioned feedstock and decomposing the catalyst precursor so that metal from the decomposed catalyst precursor reacts with sulfur in the heated feedstock to form metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heated feedstock.
-
-
27. A method for preparing and conditioning a heavy oil feedstock for hydroprocessing in a hydroprocessing system, comprising:
-
in a first mixing vessel, receiving a catalyst precursor and a hydrocarbon diluent and mixing them below a temperature at which a significant portion of the catalyst precursor decomposes to form a diluted precursor mixture comprising mixture products of the catalyst precursor and the hydrocarbon diluent; in a second mixing vessel, downstream from the first mixing vessel, receiving the diluted precursor mixture and a heavy oil feedstock and mixing them without heating to a temperature at which a substantial portion of the catalyst precursor decomposes to form a conditioned feedstock comprising mixture products of the catalyst precursor, the hydrocarbon diluent, and the heavy oil feedstock; and in a pre-heater, downstream from the second mixing vessel and upstream of a hydroprocessing reactor, receiving and heating the conditioned feedstock to decompose the catalyst precursor so that metal from the decomposed catalyst precursor reacts with sulfur in the heated feedstock to form metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heated feedstock.
-
-
28. A method for preparing and conditioning a heavy oil feedstock for hydroprocessing in a hydroprocessing reactor, comprising:
preparing a heavy oil feedstock comprised of hydrocarbons having a boiling point greater than 343°
C. and metal sulfide catalyst particles dispersed in the heavy oil feedstock, the metal sulfide catalyst particles being formed from an oil-soluble catalyst precursor in situ within the heavy oil feedstock by;in a first mixing vessel, receiving and mixing a hydrocarbon diluent and the oil-soluble catalyst precursor below a temperature at which the oil-soluble catalyst precursor decomposes to form a diluted precursor mixture comprising mixture products of the oil-soluble catalyst precursor and the hydrocarbon diluent; in a second mixing vessel, downstream from the first mixing vessel, receiving the diluted precursor mixture and the heavy oil feedstock and mixing them without heating to a temperature at which a substantial portion of the oil-soluble precursor decomposes to form a conditioned feedstock comprising mixture products of the oil-soluble catalyst precursor, the hydrocarbon diluent, and the heavy oil feedstock; and in a heater, downstream from the second mixing vessel, heating the conditioned feedstock so as to decompose the oil-soluble catalyst precursor, cause or allow metal from the decomposed catalyst precursor to react with sulfur in the heavy oil feedstock, and form the metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heavy oil feedstock.
Specification