Recovery and re-use of waste energy in industrial facilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10126067-B2
Application number	US-201615241942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2016
Priority date	Aug 24, 2015
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

Configurations and related processing schemes of direct or indirect inter-plants heating systems (or both) synthesized for grassroots medium grade crude oil semi-conversion refineries to increase energy efficiency from specific portions of low grade waste heat sources are described. Configurations and related processing schemes of direct or indirect inter-plants heating systems (or both) synthesized for integrated medium grade crude oil semi-conversion refineries and aromatics complex for increasing energy efficiency from specific portions of low grade waste sources are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method implemented in a crude oil refining facility, the method comprising:
in a crude oil refining facility comprising a plurality of oil refining plants, each oil refining plant configured to perform at least one oil refining process, each oil refining plant comprising a plurality of interconnected oil refining sub-systems, wherein a plurality of streams at respective temperatures flow between the plurality of oil refining sub-systems:
flowing a diesel hydro-treating plant stream from a diesel hydro-treating plant of the plurality of oil refining plants to a first heat exchanger, the diesel hydro-treating plant stream comprising at least one of a diesel stripper bottom product stream and a diesel stripper overhead stream;
flowing a stream from a first oil refining plant of the plurality of oil refining plants to the first heat exchanger, the first oil refining plant being different from the diesel hydro-treating plant and comprising at least one of a sulfur recovery plant, an amine regeneration plant, a sour water stripper plant, and a gas separation plant through which a gas separation plant stream comprising at least one of C2 to C4 flows, wherein the first heat exchanger transfers heat from the diesel hydro-treating plant stream to the stream from the first oil refining plant; and
utilizing the stream from the first oil refining plant heated by the diesel hydro-treating plant stream in an oil refining process at the first oil refining plant.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first oil refining plant is the sulfur recovery plant, the stream is a sulfur recovery plant stream, and wherein utilizing the stream from the first oil refining plant heated by the diesel hydro-treating plant stream in the oil refining process comprises:
flowing the sulfur recovery plant stream heated by the diesel hydro-treating plant stream to a second heat exchanger;
flowing an oil refinery gas separation plant stream in an oil refinery gas separation plant of the plurality of oil refining plants to the second heat exchanger; and
heating the oil refinery gas separation plant stream using the heated sulfur recovery plant stream in the second heat exchanger.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sulfur recovery plant stream is heated indirectly using the diesel hydro-treating plant stream.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein heating the sulfur recovery plant stream indirectly using the diesel hydro-treating plant stream comprises:
receiving a buffer fluid;
splitting the received buffer fluid into a first buffer fluid stream and a second buffer fluid stream;
heating the first buffer fluid stream using the diesel stripper bottom product stream in the diesel hydro-treating plant in the first heat exchanger;
heating the second buffer fluid stream using the diesel stripper overhead stream in the diesel hydro-treating plant in a second heat exchanger;
combining the heated first buffer fluid stream and the heated second buffer fluid stream; and
flowing the combined heated first buffer fluid stream and the heated second buffer fluid stream to an amine regenerator in the sulfur recovery plant.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
heating an amine regenerator bottom stream using the combined heated first buffer fluid stream and the heated second buffer fluid stream in a third heat exchanger; and
flowing the combined heated first buffer fluid stream and the heated second buffer fluid stream to gas separation reboilers in the oil refinery gas separation plant.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
heating a gas separation plant de-ethanizer stream using the combined heated first buffer fluid stream and the heated second buffer fluid stream in a fourth heat exchanger; and
heating a C3/C4 splitter bottom stream using the combined heated first buffer fluid stream and the heated second buffer fluid stream in a fifth heat exchanger.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
combining the combined heated first buffer fluid stream and the heated second buffer fluid stream exiting the fourth heat exchanger and the combined heated first buffer fluid stream and the heated second buffer fluid stream exiting the fifth heat exchanger; and
flowing the combined heated first buffer fluid stream and the heated second buffer fluid stream exiting the fourth heat exchanger and the heated first buffer fluid stream and the heated second buffer fluid stream exiting the fifth heat exchanger to the diesel hydro-treating plant.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the buffer fluid comprises either water or oil.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are fluidically coupled to each other in parallel, wherein the third heat exchanger is fluidically coupled to a combination of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in series, wherein the fourth heat exchanger and the fifth heat exchanger are coupled to each other in parallel, and wherein the third heat exchanger is fluidically coupled to a combination of the fourth heat exchanger and the fifth heat exchanger in series.

10. The method of 1 , wherein the stream from the first oil refining plant comprises an amine regenerator bottoms stream, wherein the amine regenerator bottoms stream is heated directly using the diesel hydro-treating plant stream by:
splitting the amine regenerator bottoms stream into a first stream and a second stream;
heating the first stream using the diesel stripper bottom product stream in the diesel hydro-treating plant in the first heat exchanger;
heating the second stream using the diesel stripper overhead stream in the diesel hydro-treating plant in a second heat exchanger;
combining the heated first stream and the heated second stream; and
flowing the combined heated first stream and the heated second stream to an amine regenerator in the sulfur recovery plant.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are fluidically coupled to each other in parallel.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising flowing the diesel stripper bottom product stream flowed through the first heat exchanger to gas separation reboilers in the oil refinery gas separation plant.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
heating a gas separation plant de-ethanizer stream using the diesel stripper bottom product stream in a third heat exchanger; and
heating a C3/C4 splitter bottom stream using the diesel stripper bottom product stream in a fourth heat exchanger.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
combining the diesel stripper bottom product stream exiting the third heat exchanger and the diesel stripper bottom product stream exiting the fourth heat exchanger; and
flowing the combined diesel stripper bottom product stream exiting the third heat exchanger and the diesel stripper bottom product stream exiting the fourth heat exchanger to the diesel hydro-treating plant.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger are fluidically coupled to each other in parallel.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first heat exchanger is fluidically coupled in series with a combination of the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first oil refining plant is the amine regeneration plant, the stream is an acid gas regenerator bottoms stream, and wherein utilizing the stream from the first oil refining plant heated by the diesel hydro-treating plant stream in an oil refining p

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Noureldin Mahmoud Bahy Mahmoud
• Al Saed Hani Mohammed

Classifications

• C01B2203/127

  Catalytic desulfurisation · CPC title

• C01B2203/0283

  containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step · CPC title

• C01B3/34 Primary

  by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents · CPC title

• C01B2203/043

  Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration · CPC title

• C01B2203/0227

  containing a catalytic reforming step · CPC title