Methods and apparatuses for reforming of hydrocarbons including recovery of products using an absorption zone and a pressure swing adsorption zone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016115100-A1
Application number	US-201414524309-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2014
Priority date	Oct 27, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for reforming of hydrocarbons including recovery of products are provided. In one example, a method comprises separating a reforming-zone effluent to form a net gas phase stream and a liquid phase hydrocarbon stream. The net gas phase stream is compressed, partially condensed and cooled, and separated to form an intermediate gas phase stream. The intermediate gas phase stream is cooled to form a cooled intermediate gas phase stream. The liquid phase hydrocarbon stream is cooled to form a cooled liquid phase hydrocarbon stream. The cooled intermediate gas phase stream is contacted with the cooled liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to form an H 2 -rich stream and a cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream that is enriched with C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbons. The H 2 -rich stream is contacted with an adsorbent to form an H 2 -ultra rich stream.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for reforming of hydrocarbons including recovery of products, the apparatus comprising:
a separation zone configured to receive and separate a reforming-zone effluent that comprises H 2 , C 4 − hydrocarbons, and C 5 + hydrocarbons including aromatics to form a net gas phase stream that comprises H 2 and C 6 − hydrocarbons and a liquid phase hydrocarbon stream that comprises C 5 + hydrocarbons; a first compressor configured to receive and compress the net gas phase stream to form a compressed net gas phase stream; a first cooler configured to receive and partially condense and cool the compressed net gas phase stream to form a partially condensed, compressed net gas phase stream; a knockout drum configured to receive and separate the partially condensed, compressed net gas phase stream into an intermediate gas phase stream and a first intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream; an absorption zone configured to receive and cool the intermediate gas phase stream and the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to form a cooled intermediate gas phase stream and a cooled liquid phase hydrocarbon stream, respectively, wherein the absorption zone comprises an absorber that is configured for contacting the cooled intermediate gas phase stream with the cooled liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to extract C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbons from the cooled intermediate gas phase stream to the cooled liquid phase hydrocarbon stream and to form an H 2 -rich stream and a cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream that is enriched with C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbons and further comprises C 5 + hydrocarbons; and a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) zone containing an adsorbent for selectively separating H 2 from hydrocarbons, wherein the PSA zone is configured for receiving the H 2 -rich stream and for contacting the H 2 -rich stream with the adsorbent to form an H 2 -ultra rich stream.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation zone is configured to receive the first intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream as a recycle stream for further separation.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the absorption zone further comprises a chiller section configured to receive and cool the intermediate gas phase stream to form the cooled intermediate gas phase stream, and wherein the absorber is configured to receive the cooled intermediate gas phase stream to form the H 2 -rich stream and the cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a dryer that is upstream from the chiller section and is configured to remove water from the intermediate gas phase stream before the intermediate gas phase stream is introduced to the chiller section.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the absorption zone further comprises an absorption zone heat exchanger that is configured for indirect heat exchange between the intermediate gas phase stream and the H 2 -rich stream to form a partially cooled intermediate gas phase stream and a partially heated H 2 -rich stream, respectively, wherein the chiller section is configured to receive and cool the partially cooled intermediate gas phase stream to form the cooled intermediate gas phase stream and the PSA zone is configured to receive the partially heated H 2 -rich stream to form the H 2 -ultra rich stream.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the absorption zone further comprises:
a second compressor configured to receive and compress the intermediate gas phase stream to form a compressed intermediate gas phase stream; and a second cooler configured to receive and partially cool the compressed intermediate gas phase stream to form a partially cooled, compressed intermediate gas phase stream, wherein the absorption zone heat exchanger is configured for indirect heat exchange between the partially cooled, compressed intermediate gas phase stream and the H 2 -rich stream to form a further partially cooled, compressed intermediate gas phase stream and the partially heated H 2 -rich stream, respectively, wherein the chiller section is configured to receive and cool the further partially cooled, compressed intermediate gas phase stream to form a cooled, compressed intermediate gas phase stream as the cooled intermediate gas phase stream.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the PSA zone is configured to form a PSA tail gas stream that comprises H 2 , C 2 − hydrocarbons, and some C 3 + hydrocarbons, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a first PSA tail gas compressor configured to receive and compress the PSA tail gas stream to form a compressed PSA tail gas stream; and
a first PSA cooler configured to receive and partially cool the compressed PSA tail gas stream to form a partially cooled, compressed PSA tail gas stream, and wherein the first compressor is configured to receive a recycle portion of the partially cooled, compressed PSA tail gas stream to form a portion of the compressed net gas phase stream.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second PSA tail gas compressor configured to receive and compress a remaining portion of the partially cooled, compressed PSA tail gas stream to form a partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream; and a second PSA cooler configured to receive and partially cool the partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream to form a further partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one heater, heat exchanger, or combinations thereof configured to receive and heat the cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to form a heated second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream; a stabilizer configured to receive and separate the heated second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to form a C 5 + hydrocarbon-rich reformate stream that comprises primarily C 5 + hydrocarbons and a stabilizer gas stream that comprises H 2 and C 4 − hydrocarbons; and a stabilizer gas separation zone configured to receive and partially condense and cool at least a portion of the stabilizer gas stream to form a partially condensed stabilizer net gas stream, wherein the stabilizer gas separation zone comprises:
a separator configured to receive and separate the partially condensed stabilizer net gas stream to form a C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbon-rich LPG stream that comprises primarily C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbons and a light ends gas stream that comprises H 2 and C 2 − hydrocarbons.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the stabilizer gas separation zone comprises at least one heat exchanger, chiller, cooler, or combination thereof configured to receive and partially condense and cool the at least the portion of the stabilizer gas stream to form the partially condensed stabilizer net gas stream.

11 . A method for reforming of hydrocarbons including recovery of products, the method comprising the steps of:
separating a reforming-zone effluent that comprises H 2 , C 4 − hydrocarbons, and C 5 + hydrocarbons including aromatics to form a net gas phase stream that comprises H 2 and C 6 − hydrocarbons and a liquid phase hydrocarbon stream that comprises C 5 + hydrocarbons; compressing the net gas phase stream to form a compressed net gas phase stream; partially condensing and cooling the compressed net gas phase stream to form a partially condensed, compressed net gas phase stream; separating the partially condensed, compressed net gas phase stream into an intermediate gas phase stream and a first intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream; cooling the intermediate gas phase strea

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Glover Bryan K
• Tsai Robert Edison
• Zhu Xin X
• Yanez William

Classifications

• C01B3/56 Primary

  by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids · CPC title

• B01D2256/24

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title

• B01D2252/20

  Organic absorbents · CPC title

• B01D2253/104

  Alumina · CPC title

• B01D2257/7027

  Aromatic hydrocarbons · CPC title