Ebullating bed methods for treatment of biocomponent feedstocks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9290701-B2
Application number	US-201414230033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Jun 19, 2009
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

Processes are provided for producing a diesel fuel product having a sulfur content of 15 wppm or less (e.g., 10 wppm or less) from feed sources that include a biocomponent feedstock. The biocomponent feedstock can be initially co-processed with a mineral feed in a fluidized bed stage, such as an ebullating bed processing stage. Ebullating bed processing can mitigate the impact of the biocomponent feed on other hydrotreatment aspects of a diesel boiling range feed. Challenged biocomponent feeds can be handled by introducing the biocomponent feed into the ebullating bed reactor in a manner that reduces the fouling impact of the feed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a low sulfur diesel product, comprising:
hydroprocessing a mineral feedstock having a T5 boiling point of at least about 600° F. (about 315° C.) in a first reaction zone under first effective hydroprocessing conditions to cause conversion of at least a portion of the mineral feedstock to diesel boiling range compounds;
fractionating the hydroprocessed feedstock to produce a diesel boiling range fraction and a portion having a higher boiling range than the diesel boiling range fraction;
mixing the diesel boiling range fraction with a biocomponent feedstock in an ebullating bed reactor, the biocomponent feedstock being introduced above a catalyst support grid;
hydrotreating the mixed feedstock in the ebullating bed reactor under second effective hydrotreating conditions; and
hydrotreating the liquid effluent from the ebullating bed reactor in a supplemental reactor under third effective hydrotreating conditions to make a diesel boiling range product having a desired sulfur content specification.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first effective hydroprocessing conditions comprise an LHSV of about 0.3 hr −1 to about 2.0 hr −1 , a total pressure of about 800 psig to about 3000 psig (about 5.5 MPag to about 20.7 MPag), a treat gas ratio of at least about 2000 scf/bbl (about 340 Nm 3 /m 3 ) of at least about 80% hydrogen, and a temperature of about 650° F. to about 800° F. (about 343° C. to about 427° C.).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second effective hydrotreating conditions comprise an LHSV of about 0.1 hr −1 to about 10 hr −1 , a total pressure of about 100 psig to about 4000 psig (about 690 kPag to about 27.6 MPag), and a temperature of about 450° F. to about 800° F. (about 232° C. to about 427° C.).

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising hydroisomerizing the diesel boiling range product, including exposing the diesel boiling range product to a hydroisomerization catalyst under effective hydroisomerization conditions comprising a temperature of about 250° C. to about 450° C., a pressure of about 300 psig to about 3000 psig (about 2.1 MPag to about 20.7 MPag), an LHSV of about 0.1 hr −1 to about 5.0 hr −1 , and a treat gas ratio of about 500 scf/bbl to about 5000 scf/bbl (about 84 Nm 3 /m 3 to about 840 Nm 3 /m 3 ).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biocomponent feedstock comprises about 20 wt % to about 75 wt % of an animal fat.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biocomponent feedstock comprises about 20 wt % to about 75 wt % of a crude vegetable oil.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biocomponent feedstock comprises about 20 wt % to about 75 wt % of an algae oil or fat.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen content of the diesel boiling range product is about 0.1 wt % or less.

Assignees

• Hanks Patrick L
• Lewis William Ernest
• Ellis Edward Stanley
• Cole Kathryn Younger
• Exxonmobil Res & Eng Co

Inventors

• Hanks Patrick L
• Lewis William Ernest
• Ellis Edward Stanley
• Cole Kathryn Younger

Classifications

• C10L1/08 Primary

  for compression ignition · CPC title

• C10G3/50 Primary

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

• C10G2300/1018

  of animal origin · CPC title

• C10G2300/1055

  Diesel having a boiling range of about 230 - 330 °C · CPC title

• C10G2300/4018

  Spatial velocity, e.g. LHSV, WHSV · CPC title