Apparatus for separating pitch from slurry hydrocracked vacuum gas oil

• US 8,470,251 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: McGehee, James F., Myers, David N., Van Wees, Mark, Zimmerman, Paul R., Kleinworth, Ruth Buskus
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY TRAM
• Application Number:
  US13/473,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20120230893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 422/140, 422/600, 422/608, 422/610, 585/250, 585/265, 585/266, 585/310, 208/85, 208/92, 208/94
• US Class Current: 422/140
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 47/00 Cracking of hydrocarbon oils, in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen- generating compounds, to obtain lower boiling fractions C10G15/00 takes precedence; destructive hydrogenation of non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials C10G1/06

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a particulate solid material to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked in a slurry hydrocracking unit to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO) and pitch. A first vacuum column separates VGO from pitch, and a second vacuum column further separates VGO from pitch. As much as 15 wt-% of VGO can be recovered by the second vacuum column and recycled to the slurry hydrocracking unit. A pitch composition is obtained which can be made into particles and transported without sticking together.

Claims

1. An apparatus for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products comprising:

a slurry hydrocracking reactor for contacting said heavy hydrocarbon feed with hydrogen and a particulate solid material;

a first vacuum column in communication with said slurry hydrocracking reactor; and

a second vacuum column in communication with said first vacuum column, said second vacuum column comprising a film generating evaporator which includes trays with interior cavities in communication with a heating fluid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a bottoms of the first vacuum column communicates with the second vacuum column.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a machine for forming pitch into manageable solid particles is in communication with a bottoms of the second vacuum column.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said machine for forming pitch into manageable solid particles comprises a cylinder with a perforated wall for emitting pitch through openings in said perforated wall to form particles, and a conveyor belt for cooling and transporting said particles to a collection station.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a line directly communicating a bottoms of said first vacuum column with said second vacuum column, said line being devoid of heating or cooling equipment.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said slurry hydrocracking reactor is in communication with a bottoms of said first vacuum column.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said slurry hydrocracking reactor is in communication with an overhead of the second vacuum column.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second vacuum column includes a moving part which renews the surface of the material in the second vacuum column.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a fractionation section in communication with said slurry hydrocracking reactor and said first vacuum column.

10. An apparatus for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products comprising:

a slurry hydrocracking reactor for contacting said heavy hydrocarbon feed with hydrogen and a particulate solid material;

a first vacuum column in communication with said slurry hydrocracking reactor;

a second vacuum column in communication with said first vacuum column, said second vacuum column including a moving part which renews the surface of the material in the second vacuum column; and

a machine for forming pitch into manageable solid particles in communication with a bottoms of said second vacuum column, said machine for forming pitch into manageable solid particles comprises a perforated wall for emitting pitch through openings in said perforated wall to form particles, and a conveyor belt for cooling and transporting said particles to a collection station.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein a bottoms of the first vacuum column communicates with the second vacuum column.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a side cut from the first vacuum column below an HVGO cut, said side cut communicating with said slurry hydrocracking reactor.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said slurry hydrocracking reactor is in communication with a bottoms of said first vacuum column.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said slurry hydrocracking reactor is in communication with an overhead of the second vacuum column.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said second vacuum column is a film generating evaporator.