Heavy oil treating method and heavy oil treating system

• US 20050040081A1
• Filed: 08/04/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Power Limited (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.), Petroleum Energy Center
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Petroleum Energy Center
• Inventors: Hokari, Nobuyuki, Hayashi, Akinori, Takahashi, Hirokazu, Yamagishi, Masahiko, Yokota, Osami, Inage, Shinichi, Ishibashi, Youji
• Granted Patent: US 7,591,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 208/251.R
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00006 Large-scale industrial plants
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00094 Jackets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00166 controlling the residence time inside the reactor vessel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 3/008 Processes carried out under supercritical conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 4/002 Nozzle-type elements nozzle-type reactors B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 27/04 with oxygen or compounds generating oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 31/06 by heating, cooling, or pressure treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 31/08 by treating with water

Abstract

The invention is intended to produce high-pressure light fuel gas with good combustibility by contacting and reacting high-temperature, high-pressure water and heavy oil with each other in a contact-reaction unit to extract light oil components from the heavy oil and to remove metals. The high-temperature, high-pressure water and the heavy oil are introduced to the contact-reaction unit for contact and reaction with each other therein. Heavy oil components not dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water are separated by precipitation from hydrocarbon gases and light oil components which are dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water. The separated heavy oil components are burnt or incinerated without any further modification.

Claims

1. A heavy oil treating method comprising the steps of:

contacting high-temperature, high-pressure water and heavy oil with each other;

after the lapse of a predetermined contact time, separating heavy oil components containing metals from light oil components dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water by precipitation; and

burning or incinerating the separated heavy oil components.

2. A heavy oil treating method according to claim 1, wherein the high-temperature, high-pressure water is supercritical water or sub-critical water.

3. A heavy oil treating method according to claim 1, wherein the high-temperature, high-pressure water contains an oxidant, but does not contain an alkaline metal.

4. A heavy oil treating method according to any of claims 1, wherein the heavy oil components not dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water is separated from the light oil components dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water by utilizing a precipitation process while a mixture of the high-temperature, high-pressure water and the heavy oil is swirled in the contact-reaction unit.

6. A heavy oil treating method according to any one of claim 1, wherein, based on a temperature measured value of reformed fuel produced by reacting the heavy oil and the high-temperature, high-pressure water with each other, the time of starting supply of the reformed fuel to a gas turbine is decided.

7. A heavy oil treating method according to any one of claims 1, wherein heavy oil containing essentially no heavy oil modifying catalyst is contacted with the high-temperature, high-pressure water.

5. A heavy oil treating method comprising the steps of:

contacting high-temperature, high-pressure water and heavy oil with each other;

after the lapse of a predetermined contact time, separating heavy oil components dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water from light oil components dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water by precipitation, thereby removing metals in the heavy oil; and

incinerating the separated heavy oil components.

8. A heavy oil treating system comprising:

a nozzle for supplying heavy oil downward;

means for supplying high-temperature, high-pressure water alone or high-temperature, high-pressure water mixed with an oxidant at a level lower than said nozzle; and

a contact-reaction unit including means provided in an upper portion thereof for taking out light oil at a position away from said nozzle through which the heavy oil is supplied.

9. A heavy oil treating system comprising:

a contact-reaction unit for contacting high-temperature, high-pressure water and heavy oil with each other and separating the heavy oil into heavy oil components and light oil components by precipitation;

means for discharging the heavy oil components containing metals and precipitated in a bottom portion of said contact-reaction unit without dissolving in the high-temperature, high-pressure water; and

means for burning the heavy oil components extracted through said discharging means.

10. A heavy oil treating method comprising the steps of:

contacting high-temperature, high-pressure water and heavy oil with each other; and

after the lapse of a predetermined contact time, separating light oil components containing metals dissolved in the high-temperature, high-pressure water and heavy oil components containing metals from each other by precipitation.