PROCESS FOR CO-PRODUCING C3 OLEFINS, iC4 OLEFINS, nC4 OLEFINS AND DIOLEFINS, AND/OR C5 OLEFINS AND DIOLEFINS

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016168052-A1
Application number	US-201414565913-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Processes and systems for producing olefins, including: dehydrogenating a first n-alkane to produce a first effluent; and dehydrogenating at least one of a first isoalkane or a second n-alkane to produce a second effluent. The first and second effluents may be compressed and fed to a common separation train to separate the effluents into two or more fractions. In some embodiments, each of the first and second dehydrogenation reaction zones may include two reactors, one reactor in each of the reaction zones operating in a dehydrogenation cycle, one operating in a regeneration cycle, and one operating in a purge or evacuation/reduction cycle. Operation of the reactors in the dehydrogenation cycle is staggered, such that the purge cycle, regeneration cycle, or evacuation/reduction cycle of the reactors may not overlap.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A process for producing olefins, comprising:
dehydrogenating a first n-alkane in a first dehydrogenation reaction zone to produce a first effluent comprising at least one of a first n-olefin or a first diolefin; dehydrogenating at least one of a first isoalkane or a second n-alkane in a second dehydrogenation reaction zone to produce a second effluent comprising at least one of a first isoolefin, a second n-olefin, or a second diolefin; compressing the first effluent; compressing the second effluent; feeding the first and second effluents to a common separation train to separate the first and second effluents into two or more fractions.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first n-alkane is propane, the at least one of a first n-olefin or a first diolefin is propylene, the at least one of a first isoalkane or a second n-alkane is isobutane, and the at least one of a first isoolefin, a second n-olefin, or a second diolefin is isobutene.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first n-alkane is propane, the at least one of a first n-olefin or a first diolefin is propylene, the at least one of a first isoalkane or a second n-alkane is n-butane, and the at least one of a first isoolefin, a second n-olefin, or a second diolefin is at least one of n-butene and butadiene.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first n-alkane is n-butane, the at least one of a first olefin or a first diolefin is at least one of n-butene or butadiene, the at least one of a first isoalkane or a second n-alkane is isobutane, and the first isoolefin is isobutene.

5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of a first isoalkane or a second n-alkane is n-butane and isobutane, the at least one of a first isoolefin, a second n-olefin or a second diolefin is at least one of isobutene, n-butene or butadiene, the first n-alkane is propane, and the at least one of a first n-olefin or a first diolefin is propylene.

6 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
dehydrogenating at least one of a second isoalkane or a third n-alkane in a third dehydrogenation reaction zone to produce a third effluent comprising at least one of a second isoolefin, a third n-olefin, or a third diolefin; compressing the third effluent; and feeding the third effluent to the common separation train.

7 . The process of claim 6 , wherein:
the first n-alkane is propane, the at least one of a first n-olefin or a first diolefin is propylene, the at least one of a first isoalkane or a second n-alkane is at least one of n-butane and isobutane, and the at least one of a first isoolefin, a second n-olefin, or a second diolefin is at least one of n-butene, isobutene, or butadiene; the at least one of a second isoalkane or a third n-alkane is isopentane, and the at least one of a second isoolefin, a third n-olefin, or a third diolefin is at least one of isopentene or isoprene.

8 . The process of claim 6 , wherein:
the first n-alkane is propane, the at least one of a first n-olefin or a first diolefin is propylene, the at least one of a first isoalkane or a second n-alkane is isobutane, and the at least one of a first isoolefin, a second n-olefin, or a second diolefin is isobutene; the at least one of a second isoalkane or a third n-alkane is n-butane, and the at least one of a second isoolefin, a third n-olefin, or a third diolefin is at least one of n-butene or butadiene.

9 . The process of claim 6 , further comprising:
dehydrogenating a third isoalkane in a fourth dehydrogenation reaction zone to produce a fourth effluent comprising at least one of a third isoolefin or a fourth diolefin; compressing the fourth effluent; and feeding the fourth effluent to the common separation train.

10 . The process of claim 9 , wherein:
the first n-alkane is propane, the at least one of a first n-olefin or a first diolefin is propylene, the at least one of a first isoalkane or a second n-alkane is n-butane, and the at least one of a first isoolefin, a second n-olefin, or a second diolefin is at least one of n-butene or butadiene; the at least one of a second isoalkane or a third n-alkane is isobutane, and the at least one of a second isoolefin, a third n-olefin, or a third diolefin is isobutene; the third isoalkane is isopentane, and the at least one of a third isoolefin or a fourth diolefin is at least one of isopentene or isoprene.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second dehydrogenation reaction zones comprise two reactors, the process further comprising:
operating one reactor in each of the reaction zones in a dehydrogenation cycle; operating one reactor in a regeneration cycle; and operating one reactor in a purge or evacuation/reduction cycle.

12 . The process of claim 11 , further comprising:
combining an effluent comprising steam and hydrocarbons from the reactor in a purge cycle with the second effluent; separating the steam from the hydrocarbons in the purge effluent and the second effluent.

13 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the separating the steam comprises condensing the steam in a compressor inter-stage cooler.

14 . The process of claim 12 , further comprising sequentially operating two or more valves disposed in a parallel flow arrangement for providing air, steam, and inerts, as required, from a common regeneration system to the reactors in the reheat/regeneration cycle and the reactor in the purge/evacuation/reduction cycle, and for providing propane, n-butane, isobutane, or isopentane, as required, to the reactors in the dehydrogenation cycle.

15 . The process of claim 14 , wherein operation of the reactors in the dehydrogenation cycle is staggered, such that the purge cycle, regeneration cycle, or evacuation/reduction cycle of the reactors do not overlap.

16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second dehydrogenation reaction zones comprise four reactors, the process further comprising:
operating two reactors in each of the reaction zones in a dehydrogenation cycle; operating one reactor in each of the reaction zones in a regeneration cycle; and operating one reactor in each of the reaction zones in a purge or evacuation/reduction cycle.

17 . The process of claim 16 , wherein operation of the reactors in the dehydrogenation cycle is staggered, such that the purge cycle, regeneration cycle, or evacuation/reduction cycle of the reactors in each of the reaction zones do not overlap.

18 . The process of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second dehydrogenation reaction zones comprise five reactors, the process further comprising:
operating two reactors in each of the reaction zones in a dehydrogenation cycle; operating two reactors in each of the reaction zones in a regeneration cycle; and operating one reactor in each of the reaction zones in a purge or evacuation/reduction cycle.

19 . The process of claim 18 , wherein operation of the reactors in the dehydrogenation and regeneration cycles is staggered, such that the purge cycle or evacuation/reduction cycle of the reactors in each of the reaction zones do not overlap.

20 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising recycling at least one of the two or more fractions to at least one of the first or second dehydrogenation reaction zones.

21 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the two or more fractions include a fraction comprising isobutene and isobutane, the process further comprising:
etherifying at least a portion of the isobutene

Assignees

• Lummus Technology Inc

Inventors

• Schwint Kevin John
• Brummer Robert John

Classifications

• B01J2208/021

  comprising a plurality of beds with flow of reactants in parallel · CPC title

• B01J8/02

  with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds · CPC title

• C07C5/333 Primary

  Catalytic processes · CPC title

• C07C41/01

  Preparation of ethers · CPC title

• B01J2208/00008

  Controlling the process · CPC title