Systems for the catalytic activation of pentane-enriched hydrocarbon mixtures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10982158-B2
Application number	US-201916593476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2019
Priority date	Oct 8, 2018
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems operable to catalytically convert a hydrocarbon feed stream predominantly comprising both isopentane and n-pentane to yield upgraded hydrocarbon products that are suitable for use either as a blend component of liquid transportation fuels or as an intermediate in the production of other value-added chemicals. The hydrocarbon feed stream is isomerized in a first reaction zone to convert at least a portion of the n-pentane to isopentane, followed by catalytic-activation of the isomerization effluent in a second reaction zone with an activation catalyst to produce an activation effluent. The process increases the conversion of the hydrocarbon feed stream to olefins and aromatics, while minimizing the production of C1-C4 light paraffins. Certain embodiments provide for further upgrading of at least a portion of the activation effluent by either oligomerization or alkylation.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system configured to convert a feedstock comprising pentanes to produce a liquid transportation fuel, the system comprising:
a.) a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising at least 50 wt. % pentanes, including both n-pentane and isopentane;
b.) an isomerization reactor containing at least one isomerization catalyst and comprising a first reaction zone, wherein the isomerization reactor is operable to receive the hydrocarbon feed stream and facilitate contact between the hydrocarbon feed stream and the isomerization catalyst in the first reaction zone, wherein the isomerization reactor is further operable to maintain a temperature and pressure in the first reaction zone that facilitates catalytic isomerization of at least a portion of the n-pentane in the hydrocarbon feed stream to isopentane by the isomerization catalyst, thereby producing an isomerization effluent characterized by an increased ratio of isopentane to n-pentane relative to the hydrocarbon feed stream;
c.) an activation reactor containing an activation catalyst and comprising a second reaction zone, the activation reactor operable to receive the isomerization effluent and facilitate contact between the isomerization effluent and the activation catalyst in the second reaction zone, wherein activation reactor is further operable to maintain a temperature and a pressure in the second reaction zone that facilitates the catalytic conversion of at least a portion of the isomerization effluent by the first activation catalyst to produce an activation effluent comprising olefins containing from two to five carbon atoms, monocyclic aromatics and unconverted alkanes containing from two to five carbon atoms.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
d.) a condenser operable to receive the activation effluent and further operable to condense at least a portion of the activation effluent to produce a liquid hydrocarbons comprising C6 and larger olefins, aromatics and unreacted alkanes, and a light activation effluent comprising olefins and unreacted alkanes containing from one to five carbon atoms and hydrogen, wherein at least 80 wt. % of the light activation effluent is comprised of olefins and unreacted alkanes containing from one to five carbon atoms, wherein the condenser further comprises a first outlet operable to allow exit of the liquid hydrocarbons and a second outlet to allow exit of the light activation effluent and generated hydrogen.
e.) a compressor operable to receive and compress the light activation effluent to liquid form, thereby producing a compressed activation effluent;
f.) an oligomerization reactor containing at least one oligomerization catalyst and comprising a second reaction zone, wherein the oligomerization reactor is operable to receive the compressed activation effluent and facilitate contact between the compressed activation effluent and the at least one oligomerization catalyst in the second reaction zone, wherein the oligomerization reactor is further operable to maintain a temperature and a pressure in the second reaction zone that are suitable to facilitate catalytic conversion of the compressed activation effluent to an oligomerization effluent comprising an increased weight percentage of hydrocarbons containing at least five carbon atoms (C5+).

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a first separator that is operable to receive and separate the oligomerization effluent into a light hydrocarbons fraction predominantly comprising hydrocarbons containing from one to four carbon atoms and hydrogen, and a heavy hydrocarbons fraction comprising hydrocarbons containing at least five carbon atoms (C5+).

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a second separator operable to receive and separate the heavy hydrocarbons fraction to produce a liquid hydrocarbon product comprising aromatic hydrocarbons containing at least six carbon atoms, and an olefins fraction comprising alkanes and olefins containing from five to six carbon atoms.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second separator is a naphtha stabilizer.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the liquid hydrocarbon product is characterized by a boiling-point in the range of a liquid transportation fuel, a decreased Reid vapor pressure and an increased road octane rating relative to the hydrocarbon feed stream.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the liquid transportation fuel is selected from gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

8. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a first conduit operable to convey and combine the olefins fraction with the hydrocarbon feed stream at a location that is downstream from the isomerization reactor.

9. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a third separator operable to receive and separate the light hydrocarbons fraction to produce hydrogen gas and a light paraffins stream comprising paraffins containing from one to four carbon atoms, wherein the system further comprises a second conduit operable to convey and combine the light paraffins stream with the isomerization effluent at a point that is upstream from the second reaction zone.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the isomerization reactor comprises multiple isomerization reactors arranged in a series configuration.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
d) a condenser operable to receive the activation effluent and further operable to condense at least a portion of the activation effluent to produce a liquid hydrocarbons comprising C 6 and larger olefins, aromatics and unreacted alkanes, and a light activation effluent comprising olefins and unreacted alkanes containing from one to five carbon atoms and hydrogen, wherein at least 80 wt. % of the light activation effluent is comprised of olefins and unreacted alkanes containing from one to five carbon atoms, wherein the condenser further comprises a first outlet operable to allow exit of the liquid hydrocarbons and a second outlet to allow exit of the light activation effluent and free hydrogen;
e) a compressor operable to receive and compress the light activation effluent to liquid form, thereby producing a compressed activation effluent;
f) an alkylation reactor containing at least one alkylation catalyst and comprising a second reaction zone, wherein the alkylation reactor is operable to receive the compressed activation effluent and facilitate contact between the compressed activation effluent and the alkylation catalyst in the second reaction zone, wherein the alkylation reactor is further operable to maintain a temperature and a pressure in the second reaction zone that are suitable to facilitate catalytic conversion of the compressed activation effluent to an alkylation effluent comprising an increased weight percentage of hydrocarbons containing at least seven carbons atoms (C7+).

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a first separator that is operable to receive and separate the alkylation effluent into a light hydrocarbons fraction predominantly comprising hydrocarbons containing from one to four carbon atoms and hydrogen, and a heavy hydrocarbons fraction comprising hydrocarbons containing at least five carbon atoms (C5+).

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a second separator operable to receive and separate the heavy hydrocarbons fraction to produce a liquid hydrocarbon product comprising aromatic hydrocarbons containing at least six carbon atoms, and an olefins fraction comprising alkanes and olefins containing from five to six carbon atoms.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the second separator is a naphtha stabilizer.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the liquid hydrocarbon

Assignees

• Phillips 66 Co

Inventors

• Baldridge Anthony O
• Mcdaniel Neal D
• Suttil James A
• Weintrob Edward C
• Yao Jianhua
• Randolph Bruce B
• Sardashti Maziar
• Walston Robert M
• Lusk Steven E

Classifications

• C10G69/123 Primary

  alkylation · CPC title

• C10G2400/30

  Aromatics · CPC title

• C10G2300/1085

  Solid paraffins · CPC title