Process for controlling the simultaneous production of diesel and jet fuel range paraffins by blending feedstocks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8927795-B2
Application number	US-201213475630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2012
Priority date	May 18, 2012
Publication date	Jan 6, 2015
Grant date	Jan 6, 2015

Abstract

A process for controlling the simultaneous production of hydrocarbons with boiling points in both the diesel fuel range and the aviation fuel range from renewable feedstocks originating from plants or animals other than petroleum feedstocks is described. The hydrocarbon product can be adjusted by changing the feedstocks without requiring different process equipment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for controlling the simultaneous production of a diesel component comprising hydrocarbons having boiling points in the diesel fuel range and an aviation component comprising hydrocarbons having boiling points in the aviation fuel range from a renewable feedstock comprising:
identifying target specifications required for the diesel component and for the aviation component;
determining yields required for the diesel component and for the aviation component that meet the target specifications;
determining a mixture of at least two renewable feedstocks having different carbon number distributions that results in the predetermined yields required for the diesel component and for the aviation component wherein the diesel component and the aviation component further meet the identified specifications;
mixing the at least two renewable feedstocks to form the mixture;
hydrogenating and deoxygenating the mixture by contacting the mixture in a hydrogenation and deoxygenation zone with a hydrogenation and deoxygenation catalyst at hydrogenation and deoxygenation conditions to provide a hydrogenation and deoxygenation zone effluent comprising n-paraffins;
isomerizing at least a portion of the n-paraffins in the hydrogenation and deoxygenation zone effluent by contacting the n-paraffins with an isomerization catalyst in the presence of hydrogen at isomerization conditions in an isomerization zone to generate branched-paraffins in an isomerization zone effluent wherein the isomerization zone effluent comprises less than 5 wt. % of hydrocarbons having lower boiling points than the aviation component; and
fractionating the isomerization zone effluent to provide a first product stream comprising the diesel component and a second product stream comprising the aviation component at substantially the predetermined yields and target specifications.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the specifications required for the diesel component and for the aviation component include physical characteristics, chemical characteristics, or both.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the specifications are those identified in industry standard, government, or military fuel standard requirements.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the yield required for the diesel component is from about 10 wt % to about 90 wt %.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the yield required for the aviation component is from about 10 wt % to about 90 wt %.

6. The process of claim 1 further comprising pre-treating at least one of the renewable feedstocks in a pretreatment zone at pretreatment conditions to remove at least a portion of contaminants in the feedstock.

7. The process of claim 6 where the pretreatment step comprises contacting the renewable feedstock with an acidic ion exchange resin, an acid solution, or bleaching earth material.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprises at least one component selected from glycerides, free fatty acids, fatty acid methyl esters, canola oil, corn oil, soy oils, grapeseed oil, soybean oil, colza oil, tall oil, sunflower oil, hempseed oil, olive oil, linseed oil, coconut oil, castor oil, peanut oil, palm oil, mustard oil, cottonseed oil, tallow, yellow and brown greases, lard, train oil, fats in milk, fish oil, algal oil, sewage sludge, cuphea oil, camelina oil, jatropha oil, curcas oil, babassu oil, palm oil, fatty acid methyl esters, crambe oil, and kernel oil.

9. The process of claim 1 further comprising recycling a portion of the hydrogenation and deoxygenation zone effluent to the hydrogenation and deoxygenation zone wherein a volume ratio of hydrocarbon recycle to feedstock is in a range of about 0.5:1 to about 8:1.

10. The process of claim 1 further comprising co-feeding or mixing with the renewable feedstocks a component selected from liquids derived from gasification of coal or natural gas followed by a downstream liquefaction, liquids derived from thermal or chemical depolymerization of waste plastics, and other synthetic oils generated as byproducts from petrochemical and chemical processes.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogenating and deoxygenating further generates at least propane which is separated from the hydrogenation and deoxygenation zone effluent and conducted to a steam reforming zone to produce at least hydrogen, and the hydrogen being recycled to at least the hydrogenation and deoxygenation zone.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the isomerization zone effluent further comprises hydrocarbons having 8 or less carbon atoms, and further comprising separating the hydrocarbons having 8 or less carbon atoms from hydrocarbons having 9 or more carbon atoms, the hydrocarbons having 8 or less carbon atoms being conducted to a steam reforming zone to produce at least hydrogen, and the hydrogen being recycled to at least the hydrogenating and deoxygenating zone.

13. The process of claim 1 further comprising mixing one or more additives to the first product stream comprising the diesel component, the second product stream comprising the aviation component, or both.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the deoxygenation comprises hydrodeoxygenation and decarboxylation.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein a ratio of hydrodeoxygenation reaction to decarboxylation reaction is about 1:1.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein the at least two renewable feedstocks are mixed in a tank before being introduced into the hydrogenation and deoxygenation zone.

17. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture contains at least three renewable feedstocks.

18. A diesel fuel or diesel fuel blending component and an aviation fuel or aviation fuel blending component as produced by the process of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Mccall Michael J
• Brandvold Timothy A
• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Mccall Michael J
• Brandvold Timothy A

Classifications

• C10G3/50

  in the presence of hydrogen, hydrogen donors or hydrogen generating compounds · CPC title

• Y02T50/678

  Aviation using fuels of non-fossil origin · CPC title

• C10G2300/1018

  of animal origin · CPC title

• C10G45/58 Primary

  to change the structural skeleton of some of the hydrocarbon content without cracking the other hydrocarbons present, e.g. lowering pour point; Selective hydrocracking of normal paraffins (C10G32/00 takes precedence; improving or increasing the octane number or aromatic content of naphtha C10G35/00) · CPC title

• C10G3/60

  Controlling or regulating the processes · CPC title