Hydrocarbon processing apparatuses and methods of refining hydrocarbons with absorptive recovery of C3+ hydrocarbons

• US 9,809,761 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2014
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoehn, Richard, Vargas, Juan Carlos, Panchal, Dharmesh Chunilal
• Primary Examiner(s): Boyer, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): VALENCIA, JUAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/538,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20160130512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/202 Heteroatoms content, i.e. S, N, O, P
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 53/08 including at least one sorption step
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 55/06 including at least one catalytic cracking step
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 70/06 by gas-liquid contact

Abstract

Hydrocarbon processing apparatuses and methods of refining hydrocarbons are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method of refining hydrocarbons includes providing a cracked stream that includes a sulfur-containing component and cracked hydrocarbons. The cracked stream is compressed to produce a pressurized cracked stream. The pressurized cracked stream is separated to produce a pressurized vapor stream and a liquid hydrocarbon stream. The pressurized vapor stream includes C4− hydrocarbons and the liquid hydrocarbon stream includes C3+ hydrocarbons. The liquid hydrocarbon stream is separated to produce a first liquid absorption stream that includes C5+ hydrocarbons and a C4− hydrocarbon stream. C3+ hydrocarbons are absorbed from the pressurized vapor stream through liquid-vapor phase absorption using the first liquid absorption stream. The sulfur-containing component is removed prior to absorbing C3+ hydrocarbons from the pressurized vapor stream.

Claims

1. A method of refining hydrocarbons, wherein the method comprises:

providing a cracked stream comprising a sulfur-containing component and cracked hydrocarbons;

compressing the cracked stream to produce a pressurized cracked stream;

separating the pressurized cracked stream to produce a pressurized vapor stream comprising C4−

hydrocarbons and a liquid hydrocarbon stream comprising C3+ hydrocarbons;

separating the liquid hydrocarbon stream to produce a first liquid absorption stream comprising C5+ hydrocarbons and a C4−

hydrocarbon stream;

absorbing C3+ hydrocarbons from the pressurized vapor stream through liquid-vapor phase absorption using the first liquid absorption stream to produce a residual vapor stream comprising residual C3−

hydrocarbons;

absorbing the residual C3−

hydrocarbons from the residual vapor stream using a liquid absorption stream different from the first liquid absorption stream; and

removing the sulfur-containing component prior to absorbing C3+ hydrocarbons from the pressurized vapor stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein separating the liquid hydrocarbon stream comprises separating the liquid hydrocarbon stream to produce the first liquid absorption stream substantially free of hydrocarbons having fewer than 5 carbon atoms.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the sulfur-containing component comprises separating the sulfur-containing component with the liquid hydrocarbon stream during separation of the pressurized cracked stream into the pressurized vapor stream and the liquid hydrocarbon stream.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein separating the liquid hydrocarbon stream comprises fractionating C3−

hydrocarbons and the sulfur-containing component from the liquid hydrocarbon stream to produce a recovered C3−

vapor stream comprising the sulfur-containing component and an intermediate C3+ stream.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein removing the sulfur-containing component further comprises separating the sulfur-containing component from the recovered C3−

vapor stream to produce a sulfur-containing waste stream and a purified C3−

vapor stream.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising combining the purified C3−

vapor stream with the cracked stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the sulfur-containing component comprises separating the sulfur-containing component with the pressurized vapor stream during separation of the pressurized cracked stream into the pressurized vapor stream and the liquid hydrocarbon stream.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein removing the sulfur-containing component further comprises separating the sulfur-containing component from the pressurized vapor stream to produce a sulfur-containing waste stream and a purified pressurized vapor stream.

9. The method of claim 1, and wherein separating the liquid hydrocarbon stream comprises fractionating C3−

hydrocarbons from the liquid hydrocarbon stream to produce a recovered C3−

vapor stream and an intermediate C3+ stream.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein separating the liquid hydrocarbon stream further comprises fractionating the intermediate C3+ stream to produce the first liquid absorption stream and the C4−

hydrocarbon stream.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein absorbing the C3+ hydrocarbons further comprises absorbing the C3+ hydrocarbons using a second liquid absorption stream comprising unstabilized gasoline.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the cracked stream comprises providing an overhead vapor stream from a main column vapor receiver.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein absorbing the C3+ hydrocarbons from the pressurized vapor stream produces a residual vapor stream comprising residual C3−

hydrocarbons.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising absorbing the residual C3−

hydrocarbons from the residual vapor stream using a third liquid absorption stream different from the first liquid absorption stream.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the sulfur-containing component comprises removing the sulfur-containing component through one or more of an amine absorption technique or a membrane separation technique.

16. A method of refining hydrocarbons, wherein the method comprises:

cracking a hydrocarbon stream comprising a sulfur-containing component in a fluid catalytic cracking stage to produce a cracked stream comprising the sulfur-containing component and cracked hydrocarbons;

compressing the cracked stream to produce a pressurized cracked stream;

separating the pressurized cracked stream in a pressurized separation stage to produce a pressurized vapor stream comprising C4−

hydrocarbons and a liquid hydrocarbon stream comprising C3+ hydrocarbons and the sulfur-containing component;

fractionating the liquid hydrocarbon stream to produce an intermediate C3+ stream comprising C3+ hydrocarbons and a recovered C3−

vapor stream comprising C3−

hydrocarbons and the sulfur-containing component;

removing the sulfur-containing component from the recovered C3−

vapor stream to produce a purified C3−

vapor stream;

recycling the purified C3−

vapor stream to the pressurized separation stage; and

absorbing C3+ hydrocarbons from the pressurized vapor stream through liquid-vapor phase absorption using a liquid absorption stream to produce a residual vapor stream comprising residual C3−

hydrocarbons;

absorbing the residual C3−

hydrocarbons from the residual vapor stream using a liquid absorption stream different from the first liquid absorption stream.

17. A hydrocarbon processing apparatus comprising:

a fluid catalytic cracking unit having the capacity to catalytically crack a hydrocarbon stream comprising a sulfur-containing component and to produce an offgas stream comprising the sulfur-containing component and cracked hydrocarbons;

a compressor in fluid communication with the fluid catalytic cracking unit and having the capacity to produce a pressurized cracked stream;

a high pressure receiver in fluid communication with the compressor and having the capacity to separate the pressurized cracked stream into a pressurized vapor stream and a liquid hydrocarbon stream;

a debutanizer column in fluid communication with the high pressure receiver and having the capacity to produce a first liquid absorption stream;

a liquid-vapor phase separator in fluid communication with the debutanizer column, wherein the liquid-vapor phase separator is configured to contact the pressurized vapor stream and the first liquid absorption stream therein; and

a contaminant removal unit disposed upstream of the liquid-vapor phase separator and downstream of the fluid catalytic cracking unit and an overhead line of said high pressure receiver or a stripper, wherein the contaminant removal unit is configured to remove the sulfur-containing component.

18. The hydrocarbon processing apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a stripper in fluid communication with the high pressure receiver and having the capacity to separate the liquid hydrocarbon stream into a recovered C3−

vapor stream and an intermediate C3+ stream, wherein the stripper is further in fluid communication with the debutanizer column and upstream thereof.

19. The hydrocarbon processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the contaminant removal unit is in fluid communication with the stripper for receiving the recovered C3−

vapor stream and removing the sulfur-containing component therefrom.

20. The hydrocarbon processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the contaminant removal unit is in fluid communication with the high pressure receiver for receiving the pressurized vapor stream and removing the sulfur-containing component therefrom.