Use of renewable energy in olefin synthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12128378-B2
Application number	US-202017310072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2020
Priority date	Jan 15, 2019
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

An olefin synthesis plant comprising: a feed pretreatment section configured to pretreat a feed stream; a pyrolysis section comprising one or more pyrolysis reactors configured to crack hydrocarbons in the feed stream in the presence of a diluent to produce a cracked gas stream; a primary fractionation and compression section configured to provide heat recovery from and quenching of the cracked gas stream; remove a component from the cracked gas stream; and compress the cracked gas stream, thus providing a compressed cracked gas stream; and/or a product separation section configured to separate a product olefin stream from the compressed cracked gas stream, wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured such that, relative to a conventional olefin synthesis plant, more of the energy and/or the net energy required by the olefin synthesis plant and/or one or more sections thereof, is provided by a non-carbon based and/or renewable energy source and/or electricity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An olefin synthesis plant for the production of light olefins, the olefin synthesis plant comprising:
a feed pretreatment section configured to pretreat a feed stream;
one or more furnaces, wherein at least one of the one or more furnaces is configured to be an electrified furnace, and wherein each electrified furnace further comprises a pyrolysis section comprising one or more pyrolysis reactors configured to crack hydrocarbons in the feed stream in the presence of a diluent to produce a cracked gas stream;
a primary fractionation and compression section configured to (a) provide heat recovery from and quenching of the cracked gas stream; (b) remove fuel oil, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, water, pyrolysis gasoline, or a combination thereof from the cracked gas stream; and
(c) compress the cracked gas stream, thus providing a compressed cracked gas stream; and
a product separation section configured to separate a product olefin stream comprising at least ethylene from the compressed cracked gas stream,
wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured such that at least 90% of electricity used for heating in each electrified furnace is provided to the electrified furnace without combusting a fuel, a carbon-based fuel, a fossil fuel, or combinations thereof, and
wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured to consume greater than or equal to 10 MW of electrical power.

2. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 1 , where each electrified furnace has no flue gas heat recovery section.

3. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 1 , wherein at least 10% of mechanical work in the olefin synthesis plant is generated without use of steam.

4. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 3 , wherein other than the production of steam for use as the diluent in the one or more pyrolysis reactors or to facilitate heat transfer with the cracked gas stream, steam is not produced for use as a primary energy transfer medium.

5. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 4 , wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured such that the amount of CO 2 produced per ton of ethylene produced by the olefin synthesis plant is less than 0.5 tons CO 2 per ton of ethylene generated in the olefin synthesis plant.

6. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 1 , wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured such that the amount of CO 2 produced per ton of ethylene produced by the olefin synthesis plant is less than 0.5 tons CO 2 per ton of ethylene generated in the olefin synthesis plant.

7. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 6 , wherein at least 10% of mechanical work in the olefin synthesis plant is generated without use of steam.

8. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 7 , wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured such that the amount of CO 2 produced per ton of ethylene produced by the olefin synthesis plant is less than 0.5 tons CO 2 per ton of ethylene generated in the olefin synthesis plant.

9. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 7 , wherein other than the production of steam for use as the diluent in the one or more pyrolysis reactors or to facilitate heat transfer with the cracked gas stream, steam is not produced for use as a primary energy transfer medium.

10. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 9 , wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured such that the amount of CO 2 produced per ton of ethylene produced by the olefin synthesis plant is less than 0.5 tons CO 2 per ton of ethylene generated in the olefin synthesis plant.

11. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 6 , wherein the specific energy consumption calculated from the net energy inputs in each electrified furnace is less than 17 GJ/ton.

12. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more pyrolysis reactors are configured to be heated to a predetermined cracking temperature via resistive heating.

13. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more pyrolysis reactors are configured to be heated to a predetermined cracking temperature via inductive heating.

14. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more pyrolysis reactors are configured to be heated to a predetermined cracking temperature via a radiant section in which heat generated electrically is used to directly transfer heat to one or more pyrolysis reactors by radiation or to heat radiative panels which transfer heat to the one or more pyrolysis reactors by radiation or by a combination of these methods.

15. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 11 , further comprising a device configured to store energy in the form of compressed hydrogen, compressed hydrocarbon(s) of the feed stream, compressed hydrocarbon(s) of the product olefin stream, cryogenic liquids, thermal energy for batteries, electrical energy for batteries, or a combination thereof, such that the stored energy can be utilized when renewable electricity is not available.

16. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 11 , further comprising: (a) storage for a compressed ethane or LPG feed, wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured to expand the stored, compressed ethane or LPG to generate electricity and subsequently use the expanded ethane or LPG as a feed; (b) storage for compressed ethane or propane feed, wherein the olefin-synthesis plant is configured to use the stored, compressed ethane or LPG feed as a refrigerant and, subsequently as a feed; or (c) a combination of (a) and (b).

17. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 11 , further comprising: (a) storage for a compressed ethene and/or propene or a combination thereof interim product, wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured to expand the stored, compressed ethene and/or propene interim product to generate electricity and subsequently the expanded ethene and/or propene interim product as final product; (b) storage for compressed ethene or propene interim product, wherein the olefin synthesis plant is configured to use the stored, compressed ethene and/or propene interim product as a refrigerant and, subsequently the ethene and/or propene interim product as a final product; or (c) a combination of (a) and (b).

18. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 11 , wherein other than the production of steam for use as the diluent in the one or more pyrolysis reactors or to facilitate heat transfer with the cracked gas stream, steam is not produced for use as a primary energy transfer medium.

19. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 18 , wherein the one or more pyrolysis reactors are configured to be heated to a predetermined cracking temperature via resistive heating.

20. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 18 , wherein the one or more pyrolysis reactors are configured to be heated to a predetermined cracking temperature via inductive heating.

21. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 18 , wherein the one or more pyrolysis reactors are configured to be heated to a predetermined cracking temperature via a radiant section in which heat generated electrically is used to directly transfer heat to one or more pyrolysis reactors by radiation or to heat radiative panels which transfer heat to the one or more pyrolysis reactors by radiation or by a combination of these methods.

22. The olefin synthesis plant according to claim 18 , further comprising a device configured to store energy in the form of compressed hydroge

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Ward Andrew Mark
• Stevenson Scott
• Oprins Arno
• Zhao Zhun
• Abbott Tim
• Lawson Kenneth Francis
• Schroer Joseph William
• Huckman Michael Edward

Classifications

• H02J15/50

  using stored hydrogen · CPC title

• H02J15/20

  using storage of pneumatic energy, e.g. compressed air energy storage [CAES] · CPC title

• B01J2219/0871

  Heating or cooling of the reactor · CPC title

• B01J2219/00761

  Details of the reactor · CPC title

• B01J2219/00132

  using electric heating or cooling elements · CPC title