Methods and apparatuses for hydrotreating hydrocarbons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9617484-B2
Application number	US-201414299838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2014
Priority date	Jun 9, 2014
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided for hydrotreating hydrocarbons. A method includes heating a start-up oil in a stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during a start-up period, and heating a reactor with the start-up oil. The start-up oil is discharged from the reactor when the start-up period ends, and a standard operating period begins after the start-up period. A reactor effluent is produced by introducing a hydrocarbon stream into the reactor during the standard operating period, where hydrogen sulfide is produced from an organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream. Steam is produced in the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during the standard operating period.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of hydrotreating hydrocarbons comprising:
heating a start-up oil in a stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during a start-up period;
heating a reactor with the start-up oil during the start-up period;
discharging the start-up oil from the reactor when the start-up period ends, wherein a standard operating period begins after the start-up period;
feeding a hydrocarbon stream into the reactor during the standard operating period to produce hydrogen sulfide from an organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream, wherein the reactor produces a reactor effluent; and
producing steam in the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during the standard operating period.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
separating gases from the reactor effluent in a gas separator during the standard operating period to produce a recycle gas stream and a gas separator liquid effluent.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
fractionating the gas separator liquid effluent in a stripper during the standard operating period to produce a stripper vapor fraction stream and a stripper liquid fraction stream; and
wherein producing steam in the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during the standard operating period comprises producing steam in the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger from the stripper liquid fraction stream.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising heating the gas separator and the stripper with the start-up oil during the start-up period.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising: heating a recycle gas stream in a supplemental heater during the start-up period; and heating the start-up oil with the recycle gas stream during the start-up period.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein heating the recycle gas stream in the supplemental heater further comprises heating the recycle gas stream in the supplemental heater wherein the supplemental heater produces heat from electricity.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
heating the start-up oil in the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger comprises heating the start-up oil in a hydrocarbon side of the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger, and condensing steam in a water side of the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:
producing steam from the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger comprises activating a switching system to block a steam feed stream to the water side of the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger, and wherein the switching system opens a liquid water stream to the water side of the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger when blocking the steam feed stream.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
feeding a recycle gas stream comprising hydrogen into the reactor; and
wherein feeding the hydrocarbon stream into the reactor during the standard operating period comprises reacting the organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream with the hydrogen in the recycle gas stream to produce the hydrogen sulfide and an exothermic heat load.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
heating the hydrocarbon stream from a hydrocarbon feed stream initial temperature of about 100 degrees centigrade or less to a reactor entry temperature of about 280 degrees centigrade or more, and wherein the exothermic heat load provides about 98% or more of the heat to raise the hydrocarbon feed stream initial temperature to the reactor entry temperature.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein reacting the organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream comprises reacting the organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream wherein elemental sulfur within the organic sulfur compound comprises about 0.2 weight percent or more of the hydrocarbon stream.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein reacting the organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream comprises contacting the hydrocarbon stream with a catalyst in the reactor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein reacting the organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream comprises contacting the hydrocarbon stream with the catalyst comprising molybdenum, ruthenium, cobalt, nickel, tungsten, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the hydrocarbon stream into the reactor during the standard operating period comprises introducing the hydrocarbon stream with a boiling temperature from about 100 degrees centigrade to about 400 degrees centigrade at atmospheric pressure, such that the hydrocarbon stream is a diesel boiling range hydrocarbon stream.

15. A method of hydrotreating hydrocarbons comprising:
feeding a hydrocarbon stream into a reactor during a standard operating period, wherein the hydrocarbon stream comprises an organic sulfur compound;
reacting the organic sulfur compound with hydrogen in the reactor to form hydrogen sulfide and an exothermic heat load;
heating the hydrocarbon stream from a hydrocarbon feed stream initial temperature of about 100 degrees centigrade or less to a reactor entry temperature of about 280 degrees centigrade or more with the exothermic heat load, wherein the exothermic heat load provides about 98% or more of the heat to raise the hydrocarbon feed stream initial temperature to the reactor entry temperature;
producing steam from a stripper liquid fraction stream in a stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during the standard operating period; and
heating a start-up oil in the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during a start-up period.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:
producing steam from the stripper liquid fraction stream comprises activating a switching system to block a steam feed stream to a water side of the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger, and wherein the switching system opens a liquid water stream to the water side of the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger when blocking the steam feed stream.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein reacting the organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream comprises reacting the organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream wherein elemental sulfur within the organic sulfur compound comprises about 0.2 weight percent or more of the hydrocarbon stream.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein introducing the hydrocarbon stream into the reactor during the standard operating period comprises introducing the hydrocarbon stream with a boiling temperature from about 100 degrees centigrade to about 400 degrees centigrade at atmospheric pressure, such that the hydrocarbon stream is a diesel boiling range hydrocarbon stream.

19. An apparatus for hydrotreating hydrocarbons comprising:
a reactor containing a hydrotreating catalyst;
a gas separator fluidly coupled to the reactor;
a stripper fluidly coupled to the gas separator, wherein the stripper comprises a stripper liquid fraction outlet;
a stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger fluidly coupled to the stripper liquid fraction outlet, wherein the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger comprises a water side and a hydrocarbon side, and wherein the stripper liquid fraction outlet is fluidly coupled to the hydrocarbon side;
a steam feed stream coupled to the water side of the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger;
a liquid water feed stream coupled to the water side of the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger; and
a switching system connected to the steam feed stream and the liquid water feed stream, wherein the switching system is configured to fluidly couple the steam feed stream to the water side while blocking the liquid water feed stream to the

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Hoehn Richard K
• Daly Phillip F
• Zhu Xin X

Classifications

• C10G45/72

  Controlling or regulating · CPC title

• C10G49/26

  Controlling or regulating · CPC title

• C10G45/12

  containing crystalline alumino-silicates, e.g. molecular sieves · CPC title

• C10G45/06

  containing nickel or cobalt metal, or compounds thereof · CPC title

• C10G45/02

  to eliminate hetero atoms without changing the skeleton of the hydrocarbon involved and without cracking into lower boiling hydrocarbons; Hydrofinishing · CPC title