METHOD TO REMOVE METALS FROM PETROLEUM
First Claim
1. A method to remove a metals impurity from a petroleum feedstock for use in a power generating process, the method comprising the steps of:
- mixing a heated feedstock with a heated water stream in a mixing device to produce a mixed stream, the heated feedstock comprising the metals impurity, wherein the heated feedstock is heated to a feedstock temperature of 150°
C. and a feedstock pressure greater than the critical pressure of water, wherein the heated water stream is heated to a water temperature above the critical temperature of water and a water pressure above the critical pressure of water,wherein the mixed stream comprises an asphaltene and resin portion, a hydrocarbon portion, and a supercritical water portion;
introducing the mixed stream to a supercritical water reactor in the absence of externally provided hydrogen and externally provided oxidizing agent to produce a reactor effluent, the reactor effluent comprising a refined petroleum portion and an amount of solid coke, wherein a demetallization reaction is operable to convert the metals impurity to a converted metal, wherein a set of conversion reactions is operable to refine the hydrocarbon portion in the presence of the supercritical water portion to produce the refined petroleum portion;
cooling the reactor effluent in a cooling device to produce a cooled stream;
feeding the cooled stream to a rejecter, the rejecter configured to separate a sludge fraction from the cooled stream to produce a de-sludged stream, the rejecter having a rejecter temperature, the sludge fraction comprising the asphaltene and resin portion and the converted metals;
reducing the pressure of the de-sludged stream in a depressurizing device to produce a depressurized product;
separating the depressurized product in a gas-liquid separator to produce a gas phase product and a liquid product;
separating the liquid product in an oil-water separator to produce a petroleum product and a water product, the petroleum product having a liquid yield, the petroleum product having a reduced asphaltene content, reduced concentration of metals impurity, and reduced sulfur as compared to the petroleum feedstock.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method to remove a metals impurity from a petroleum feedstock for use in a power generating process is provided. The method comprising the steps of mixing a heated feedstock with a heated water stream in a mixing device to produce a mixed stream; introducing the mixed stream to a supercritical water reactor in the absence of externally provided hydrogen and externally provided oxidizing agent to produce a reactor effluent comprising a refined petroleum portion; cooling the reactor effluent to produce a cooled stream; feeding the cooled stream to a rejecter configured to separate a sludge fraction to produce a de-sludged stream; reducing the pressure of the de-sludged stream to produce a depressurized product; separating the depressurized product to produce a gas phase product and a liquid product; separating the liquid product to produce a petroleum product, having a reduced asphaltene content, reduced concentration of metals impurity, and reduced sulfur.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method to remove a metals impurity from a petroleum feedstock for use in a power generating process, the method comprising the steps of:
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mixing a heated feedstock with a heated water stream in a mixing device to produce a mixed stream, the heated feedstock comprising the metals impurity, wherein the heated feedstock is heated to a feedstock temperature of 150°
C. and a feedstock pressure greater than the critical pressure of water, wherein the heated water stream is heated to a water temperature above the critical temperature of water and a water pressure above the critical pressure of water,wherein the mixed stream comprises an asphaltene and resin portion, a hydrocarbon portion, and a supercritical water portion; introducing the mixed stream to a supercritical water reactor in the absence of externally provided hydrogen and externally provided oxidizing agent to produce a reactor effluent, the reactor effluent comprising a refined petroleum portion and an amount of solid coke, wherein a demetallization reaction is operable to convert the metals impurity to a converted metal, wherein a set of conversion reactions is operable to refine the hydrocarbon portion in the presence of the supercritical water portion to produce the refined petroleum portion; cooling the reactor effluent in a cooling device to produce a cooled stream; feeding the cooled stream to a rejecter, the rejecter configured to separate a sludge fraction from the cooled stream to produce a de-sludged stream, the rejecter having a rejecter temperature, the sludge fraction comprising the asphaltene and resin portion and the converted metals; reducing the pressure of the de-sludged stream in a depressurizing device to produce a depressurized product; separating the depressurized product in a gas-liquid separator to produce a gas phase product and a liquid product; separating the liquid product in an oil-water separator to produce a petroleum product and a water product, the petroleum product having a liquid yield, the petroleum product having a reduced asphaltene content, reduced concentration of metals impurity, and reduced sulfur as compared to the petroleum feedstock. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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12. A method to remove a metals impurity from a petroleum feedstock for use in a power generating process, the method comprising the steps of:
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mixing a heated feedstock with a heated water stream in a mixing device to produce a mixed stream, the heated feedstock comprising the metals impurity, wherein the heated feedstock is heated to a feedstock temperature of 150°
C. and a feedstock pressure greater than the critical pressure of water, wherein the heated water stream is heated to a water temperature above the critical temperature of water and a water pressure above the critical pressure of water,wherein the mixed stream comprises an asphaltene and resin portion, a hydrocarbon portion, and a supercritical water portion; introducing the mixed stream to a supercritical water reactor in the absence of externally provided hydrogen and externally provided oxidizing agent to produce a reactor effluent, the reactor effluent comprising a refined petroleum portion, wherein a demetallization reaction is operable to convert the metals impurity to a converted metal, wherein a set of conversion reactions is operable to refine the hydrocarbon portion in the presence of the supercritical water portion to produce the refined petroleum portion; cooling the reactor effluent in a cooling device to produce a cooled stream; reducing the pressure of the cooled stream in a depressurizing device to produce a depressurized stream, wherein the depressurized stream comprises the refined petroleum portion, an asphaltene fraction, a water fraction, and a gas phase product fraction; separating the depressurized stream in a gas-liquid separator to produce a gas product and a liquid phase stream; separating the liquid phase stream in an oil-water separator to produce a liquid-phase petroleum stream and a water phase stream; feeding the liquid-phase petroleum stream to a solvent extractor; extracting a petroleum product from the liquid-phase petroleum stream in the solvent extractor to leave a metal-containing fraction, the petroleum product having reduced asphaltene content, reduced concentration of metals impurity, and reduced sulfur as compared to the petroleum feedstock.
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Specification