System and Method for Containing an Emission of Sulfur Trioxide

• US 20180141815A1
• Filed: 01/17/2018
• Published: 05/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP (Chevron Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP (Chevron Corp.)
• Inventors: HASENBERG, Daniel M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,538,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/2056 Sulfur compounds, e.g. Sulfolane, thiols
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/302 Sulfur oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1481 Removing sulfur dioxide or sulfur trioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 17/69 Sulfur trioxide; Sulfuric acid

Abstract

A system for containing an emission of sulfur trioxide, the system comprising a first pressurized vessel, the first pressurized vessel containing sulfur trioxide, a relief vessel containing a volume of a solvent solution, wherein the solvent solution comprises sulfolane, and a first relief conduit providing a first route of fluid communication between the first pressurized vessel and the relief vessel. A method for containing an emission of sulfur trioxide, the method comprising routing a first relief conduit so as to provide a first route of fluid communication between a first pressurized vessel and a relief vessel, wherein the first pressurized vessel contains sulfur trioxide, wherein the relief vessel contains a volume of a solvent solution, and wherein the solvent solution comprises sulfolane.

Claims

1. A system for containing an emission of sulfur trioxide, the system comprising:

a first pressurized vessel, the first pressurized vessel containing sulfur trioxide;

a relief vessel containing a volume of a solvent solution, wherein the solvent solution comprises sulfolane; and

a first relief conduit providing a first route of fluid communication between the first pressurized vessel and the relief vessel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first pressurized vessel is a storage vessel.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the storage vessel includes an internal heating element configured to heat the sulfur trioxide.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a second pressurized vessel; and

a second relief conduit providing a second route of fluid communication between the second pressurized vessel and the relief vessel.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second pressurized vessel is a reactor, wherein the reactor contains a reaction mixture.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the reaction mixture comprises asphalt.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first pressurized vessel is a reactor, and wherein the sulfur trioxide within the reactor is a component of a reaction mixture contained within the reactor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the solvent solution further comprises water.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the solvent solution further comprises at least 2 wt % water on a basis of the sulfolane.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the solvent solution further comprises at least 3 wt % water on a basis of the sulfolane.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pressure relief valve, wherein the pressure relief valve controls fluid communication via the first route of fluid communication between the first pressurized vessel and the relief vessel.

12. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a separation unit; and

a third relief conduit providing a third route of fluid communication between the separation unit and the relief vessel,

wherein an effluent stream conveyed from the reactor is separated into an output conduit and a product conduit by the separation unit, the output conduit comprising the third relief conduit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the effluent stream comprises product and unreacted components.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the product conduit comprises at least one of sulfonated asphalt, alcohol sulfuric acid, alkyl benzene sulfonic acid, petroleum sulfonates, or oleum.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a solvent regeneration system; and

a regenerated solvent solution conduit conveying regenerated solvent to the relief vessel from the solvent regeneration system.

16. A system for containing an emission of sulfur trioxide, the system comprising:

a relief vessel comprising a solvent solution; and

an input conduit in fluid communication with at least one of a first pressurized vessel, a second pressurized vessel, and an output conduit,

wherein the input conduit conveys sulfur trioxide to the relief vessel, forming an emission mixture when the sulfur trioxide contacts the solvent solution.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the solvent solution in the relief vessel comprises sulfolane effective to absorb an amount of sulfur trioxide, and wherein the emission mixture formed within the relief vessel comprises the amount of sulfur trioxide absorbed by the sulfolane.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein for each mole of sulfolane in the solvent solution, the solvent solution is effective to absorb between about 0.30 moles to about 0.35 moles of sulfur trioxide.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a bubbler disposed at a bottom of the relief vessel and configured to disperse the sulfur trioxide into the solvent solution via the input conduit.

20. A system for containing an emission of sulfur trioxide, the system comprising:

a relief vessel comprising a solvent solution;

an input conduit in fluid communication with at least one of a first pressurized vessel, a second pressurized vessel, and an output conduit, wherein the input conduit conveys sulfur trioxide to the relief vessel, forming an emission mixture when the sulfur trioxide contacts the solvent solution; and

a solvent regeneration system configured to;

receive an emission mixture conduit conveyed from the relief vessel,

add water to the emission mixture to facilitate a reaction with sulfur trioxide dissolved therein and to form sulfuric acid,

regenerate sulfolane via at least one of a distillation, a back-extraction, adsorption, or counter-ion exchange column; and

recycle regenerated sulfolane back to the relief vessel via a regenerated solvent solution conduit.