Enhanced hydrogen recovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9084945-B2
Application number	US-201313970040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2013
Priority date	Aug 19, 2013
Publication date	Jul 21, 2015
Grant date	Jul 21, 2015

Abstract

A process for recovering hydrogen during hydroprocessing, where the process includes providing a pressure increasing device to a hydroprocessing unit, wherein the pressure increasing device utilizes a high pressure stream from a separator for increasing pressure; introducing a hydrogen containing stream to the pressure increasing device, thereby increasing the pressure of the hydrogen containing stream; and routing the hydrogen containing stream from the pressure increasing device to a vapor-liquid separator. The process also includes separating the hydrogen from the hydrogen containing stream in a hydrogen purification unit to produce a recovered hydrogen stream; and then preferably using the recovered hydrogen stream from the hydrogen purification unit within the hydroprocessing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for recovering hydrogen during hydroprocessing, the process comprising:
providing a pressure increasing device to a hydroprocessing unit, wherein the pressure increasing device utilizes a high pressure stream for increasing pressure;
introducing a hydrogen containing stream to the pressure increasing device, thereby increasing the pressure of the hydrogen containing stream;
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the pressure increasing device to a vapor-liquid separator; and
separating the hydrogen from the hydrogen containing stream in a hydrogen purification unit to produce a recovered hydrogen stream.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the pressure increasing device comprises a thermocompressor, and wherein the process further comprises using the recovered hydrogen stream from the hydrogen purification unit within the hydroprocessing unit.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the pressure increasing device comprises a liquid jet ejector, and wherein the process further comprises using the recovered hydrogen stream from the hydrogen purification unit within the hydroprocessing unit.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the high pressure stream is received from a separator.

5. The process of claim 4 , wherein:
the separator comprises one of a hot separator and a cold separator; and
the vapor-liquid separator comprises one of a hot flash drum and a cold flash drum.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein:
the hydrogen containing stream of the introducing step comprises an off-gas stream containing hydrogen from a stripper receiver; and
the pressure increasing device utilizes a high pressure liquid stream for increasing pressure.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein:
the high pressure liquid stream from the cold separator has a pressure of between approximately 100 Barg and approximately 160 Barg;
the pressure of the off-gas stream from the stripper receiver has a pressure of between approximately 5 Barg and approximately 15 Barg; and
the pressure of the hydrogen containing stream being routed to the cold flash drum has a pressure of between approximately 25 Barg and approximately 30 Barg.

8. The process of claim 6 , wherein the off-gas stream containing hydrogen includes between approximately 25 mol % and approximately 75 mol % hydrogen.

9. The process of claim 2 , wherein:
the high pressure stream is received from a separator;
the separator comprises one of a hot separator or a cold separator; and
the vapor-liquid separator comprises one of a hot flash drum or a cold flash drum.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydroprocessing unit is a hydrocracking unit.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydroprocessing unit is a hydrotreating unit.

12. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
amine treating the hydrogen containing stream from the vapor-liquid separator in an amine scrubber prior to routing the hydrogen containing stream to the hydrogen purification unit.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen purification unit comprises a pressure swing adsorption unit.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the high pressure stream is received from a recycle gas scrubber.

15. A process for recovering hydrogen during hydroprocessing, the process comprising:
providing a thermocompressor to a hydroprocessing unit, wherein the thermocompressor utilizes a high pressure liquid stream from a separator for increasing pressure;
introducing an off-gas stream containing hydrogen from a stripper receiver to the thermocompressor, thereby increasing the pressure of the hydrogen containing stream;
amine treating the hydrogen containing stream from the thermocompressor in an amine scrubber; and
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the amine scrubber to a pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a recovered hydrogen stream.

16. The process of claim 15 , further comprising:
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the thermocompressor to a first liquid-vapor separator;
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the first vapor-liquid separator to a second vapor liquid separator;
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the second vapor-liquid separator to the amine scrubber for said amine gas treating; and
using the recovered hydrogen stream from the pressure swing adsorption unit within the hydroprocessing unit.

17. The process of claim 15 , wherein the second vapor-liquid separator is a cold flash drum.

18. A process for recovering hydrogen during hydroprocessing, the process comprising:
providing a thermocompressor to a hydroprocessing unit, wherein the thermocompressor utilizes a high pressure liquid stream from a pump for increasing pressure;
introducing an off-gas stream containing hydrogen from a stripper receiver to the thermocompressor, thereby increasing the pressure of the hydrogen containing stream;
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the thermocompressor to a vapor-liquid separator;
amine gas treating the hydrogen containing stream from the vapor-liquid separator in an amine scrubber; and
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the amine scrubber to a pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a recovered hydrogen stream.

19. The process of claim 18 , further comprising:
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the vapor-liquid separator to a second vapor-liquid separator;
routing the hydrogen containing stream from a second vapor-liquid separator to the amine scrubber for said amine gas treating; and
using the recovered hydrogen stream from the pressure swing adsorption unit within the hydroprocessing unit.

20. The process of claim 18 , further comprising:
routing the resultant hydrogen containing stream from the thermocompressor to a first vapor-liquid separator;
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the first vapor-liquid separator to a second vapor-liquid separator;
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the second vapor-liquid separator to a third vapor-liquid separator; and
routing the hydrogen containing stream from the third vapor-liquid separator to the amine scrubber for said amine gas treating.

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Hoehn Richard K
• Banerjee Soumendra M
• Ladkat Kiran
• Towarnicky Andrew J
• Lemberg Brent M

Classifications

• C01B3/50 Primary

  Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification · CPC title

• B01D53/1418

  Recovery of products · CPC title

• B01D19/0036 Primary

  Flash degasification (the other groups take precedence) · CPC title

• B01D53/145

  Pretreatment by separation of solid or liquid material · CPC title

• C01B3/52

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