Methods and apparatuses for reforming of hydrocarbons including recovery of products using a recovery zone and a pressure swing adsorption zone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637427-B2
Application number	US-201414524281-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2014
Priority date	Oct 27, 2014
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for reforming of hydrocarbons including recovery of products are provided. In one example, a method comprises separating a reforming-zone effluent to form a net gas phase stream and a liquid phase hydrocarbon stream. The net gas phase stream is separated for forming an H 2 -rich stream and a first intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream. The H 2 -rich stream is contacted with an adsorbent to form an H 2 -ultra rich stream and a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) tail gas stream. The PSA tail gas stream and at least a portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream are combined and cooled to form a cooled two-phase combined stream. The cooled two-phase combined stream is separated into a H 2 , C 2 − hydrocarbons-containing gas stream and a cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for reforming of hydrocarbons including recovery of products, the apparatus comprising:
a separation zone configured to receive and separate a reforming-zone effluent that comprises H 2 , C 4 − hydrocarbons, and C 5 + hydrocarbons including aromatics to form a net gas phase stream that comprises H 2 and C 6 − hydrocarbons and a liquid phase hydrocarbon stream that comprises C 5 + hydrocarbons including aromatics;
a first recovery zone configured to receive and separate the net gas phase stream for forming an H 2 -rich stream and a first intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream that is enriched with C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbons and further comprises C 5 + hydrocarbons;
a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) zone containing an adsorbent for selectively separating H 2 from hydrocarbons, wherein the PSA zone is configured for receiving the H 2 -rich stream and for contacting the H 2 -rich stream with the adsorbent to form an H 2 -ultra rich stream and a PSA tail gas stream that comprises H 2 , C 2 − hydrocarbons, and some C 3 + hydrocarbons; and
a second recontacting zone configured to receive, combine, and cool the PSA tail gas stream and at least a portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to extract C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbons from the PSA tail gas stream to the at least the portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream for forming a H 2 , C 2 − hydrocarbons-containing gas stream and a cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream that is enriched with C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbons.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first recovery zone is configured to receive a recycle portion of the H 2 , C 2 − hydrocarbons-containing gas stream with the net gas phase stream for forming the H 2 -rich stream and the first intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first recovery zone is configured to receive and combine the net gas phase stream and a first portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to extract C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbons from the net gas phase stream to the first portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream for forming the H 2 -rich stream and the first intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream, and wherein the second recontacting zone is configured to receive, combine, and cool the PSA tail gas stream and a second portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to extract C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbons from the PSA tail gas stream to the second portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream for forming the H 2 , C 2 − hydrocarbons-containing gas stream and the cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one compressor and at least one cooler, heat exchanger, or combinations thereof cooperatively configured to receive the PSA tail gas stream and to compress and partially cool the PSA tail gas stream to form a further partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream, and wherein the second recontacting zone is configured to receive, combine, and cool the further partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream and the at least the portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream for forming the H 2 , C 2 − hydrocarbons-containing gas stream and the cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a dryer that is cooperatively arranged with the at least one compressor and the at least one cooler, heat exchanger, or combinations thereof so as to remove water from the PSA tail gas stream before the further partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream is introduced to the second recontacting zone.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one compressor and the at least one cooler, heat exchanger, or combinations thereof are cooperatively configured to receive the PSA tail gas stream and to compress and partially cool the PSA tail gas stream to form a partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream, and wherein the at least one cooler, heat exchanger, or combinations thereof comprises a PSA tail gas heat exchanger that is configured for indirect heat exchange between the partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream and the H 2 , C 2 − hydrocarbons-containing gas stream to form the further partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream and a partially heated H 2 , C 2 − hydrocarbons-containing gas stream.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second recontacting zone is configured to combine the further partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream with the at least the portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to form a two-phase combined stream, and wherein the second recontacting zone comprises:
at least one heat exchanger, chiller, or combinations thereof configured to receive and cool the two-phase combined stream to form a cooled two-phase combined stream; and
a recontact drum configured to receive and separate the cooled two-phase combined stream to form the H 2 , C 2 − hydrocarbons-containing gas stream and the cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second recontacting zone further comprises a mixing device configured to receive and mix the further partially cooled, further compressed PSA tail gas stream and the at least the portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to form the two-phase combined stream.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one heater, heat exchanger, or combinations thereof configured to receive and heat the cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to form a heated second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream;
a stabilizer configured to receive and separate the heated second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to form a C 5 + hydrocarbon-rich reformate stream that comprises primarily C 5 + hydrocarbons and a stabilizer gas stream that comprises H 2 and C 4 − hydrocarbons; and
a stabilizer gas separation zone configured to receive and partially condense and cool at least a portion of the stabilizer gas stream to form a partially condensed stabilizer net gas stream, wherein the stabilizer gas separation zone comprises:
a separator configured to receive and separate the partially condensed stabilizer net gas stream to form a C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbon-rich LPG stream that comprises primarily C 3 /C 4 hydrocarbons and a light ends gas stream that comprises H 2 and C 2 − hydrocarbons.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the stabilizer gas separation zone comprises at least one heat exchanger, chiller, cooler, or combination thereof configured to receive and partially condense and cool the at least the portion of the stabilizer gas stream to form the partially condensed stabilizer net gas stream.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one heat exchanger, chiller, cooler, or combination thereof is a stabilizer gas separation zone heat exchanger configured for indirect heat exchange between the cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream and the at least the portion of the stabilizer gas stream to form a first partially heated, second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream and the partially condensed stabilizer net gas stream, and wherein the at least one heater, heat exchanger, or combinations thereof comprises the stabilizer gas separation zone heat exchanger.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second recontacting zone is configured to combine the PSA tail gas stream and the at least the portion of the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to form a two-phase combined stream, wherein the

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Tsai Robert Edison
• Zhu Xin X
• Ngo Tokhanh
• Yanez William
• Lane Lisa

Classifications

• B01D2257/7022

  Aliphatic hydrocarbons · CPC title

• B01D2259/4146

  Contiguous multilayered adsorbents · CPC title

• B01D2256/16

  Hydrogen · CPC title

• B01D2257/7027

  Aromatic hydrocarbons · CPC title

• B01D2257/108

  Hydrogen · CPC title