Converting ethane to liquid fuels and chemicals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9731270-B2
Application number	US-201414571803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

Converting ethane may include directing a gaseous stream from a gas well into a fractionator for fractionating and producing a post-fractionator ethane stream, which is directed into a thermal activation unit for heating and raising the temperature of the post-fractionator ethane stream thereby creating an activated ethane stream, which is directed into a quench tower thereby creating a quenched stream, which may be converted in a catalytic conversion unit to a mixed product stream containing hydrogen and C 1 -C 15 hydrocarbons; directing the mixed product stream into a first separation unit forming a stream of C 4 + hydrocarbon product and a stream of C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbons; directing the stream of C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbons into a catalytic hydrogenation reactor thereby imparting hydrogen into a post-hydrogenation reactor stream, which is directed directly into a second separation unit thereby creating a light hydrocarbons recycle stream, which may be recycled into the thermal activation unit, and a hydrogen and methane stream.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for converting ethane comprising:
directing a gaseous stream from a gas well into a fractionator;
fractionating the gaseous stream to produce a post-fractionator ethane stream that comprises about 70 percent ethane;
directing the post-fractionator ethane stream directly into a thermal activation unit;
heating and raising the temperature of the post-fractionator ethane stream within the thermal activation unit and creating an activated ethane stream;
directing the activated ethane stream into a quench tower to create a quenched stream comprising from 30 wt. percent to 80 wt. percent ethylene;
directing the quenched stream into a conversion unit;
utilizing a catalyst within the conversion unit to convert the quenched stream to a mixed product stream containing hydrogen and C 1 -C 15 hydrocarbons; and
directing the mixed product stream into a first separation unit to form a stream of C 4 + hydrocarbon product and a stream of C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbons.

2. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising: directing the stream of C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbons into a hydrogenation reactor containing a catalyst to impart hydrogen into a post-hydrogenation reactor stream.

3. The process according to claim 2 , further comprising: directing the post-hydrogenation reactor stream directly into a second separation unit and creating a light hydrocarbons recycle stream, and a hydrogen and methane stream.

4. The process according to claim 3 , further comprising: recycling the light hydrocarbons recycle stream into the thermal activation unit.

5. A process for converting ethane comprising:
directing a gaseous stream from a gas well into a fractionator;
fractionating the gaseous stream to produce a post-fractionator ethane stream comprising about 70 vol. % ethane;
directing the post-fractionator ethane stream directly into a thermal activation unit;
heating and raising the temperature of the post-fractionator ethane stream within the thermal activation unit and creating an activated ethane stream;
directing the activated ethane stream into a quench tower to produce a quenched stream comprising from 30 wt. percent to 80 wt. percent ethylene;
discharging a first exiting quenched stream of C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbons from the quench tower;
discharging a second exiting quenched stream of C 4 + hydrocarbons from the quench tower;
directing the first exiting quenched stream into a conversion unit;
utilizing a catalyst within the conversion unit to convert the quenched stream to a mixed product stream containing hydrogen and C 1 -C 15 hydrocarbons; and
directing the mixed product stream into a separation unit;
discharging a first exiting stream from the separation unit;
discharging a second exiting stream from the separation unit; and
directing the first exiting stream from the separation unit into an extraction and distillation unit.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the first exiting stream from the separation unit is a C 4 + hydrocarbon stream.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the first exiting stream from the separation unit is a first exiting C 4 -C 15 hydrocarbon stream.

8. The process according to claim 7 , further comprising: distilling and extracting a plurality of product streams from the first exiting C 4 -C 15 hydrocarbon stream.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein one of the product streams is benzene.

10. The process according to claim 8 , wherein one of the product streams is toluene.

11. The process according to claim 8 , wherein one of the product streams is xylene.

12. The process according to claim 5 , further comprising: recycling the second exiting stream from the separation unit by directing it into the fractionator.

13. The process according to claim 5 , further comprising: recycling the second exiting stream from the separation unit by directing it into the thermal activation unit.

14. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the step of heating and raising the temperature of the post-fractionator ethane stream within the thermal activation unit and creating an activated ethane stream further comprises: producing an activated stream comprising hydrogen, methane, unconverted ethane, ethylene, acetylene, propane, propylene, and acid gases.

15. A process for converting ethane to liquid fuels comprising:
directing a gaseous stream from a gas well into a fractionator;
fractionating the gaseous stream to produce a post-fractionator ethane stream comprising about 70 vol. % ethane;
directing the post-fractionator ethane stream directly into a thermal activation unit;
heating and raising the temperature of the post-fractionator ethane stream within the thermal activation unit and creating an activated ethane stream;
directing the activated ethane stream into a quench tower to create a quenched stream comprising from 30 wt. percent to 80 wt. percent ethylene;
directing the quenched stream into a conversion unit;
utilizing a catalyst within the conversion unit to convert the quenched stream to a mixed product stream containing hydrogen and C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbons; and
directing the mixed product stream into a separation unit to form a stream of hydrogen and C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbons.

16. The process according to claim 15 , further comprising: recycling the stream of C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbons into the fractionator.

17. The process according to claim 15 , further comprising: extracting C 4 + hydrocarbons from the quench tower.

18. The process according to claim 15 , further comprising: extracting C 4 -C 15 hydrocarbons from the separation unit.

19. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the step of heating and raising the temperature of the post-fractionator ethane stream within the thermal activation unit and creating an activated ethane stream, further comprises: producing an activated stream comprising hydrogen, methane, unconverted ethane, ethylene, acetylene, propane, propylene and acid gases.

20. The process according to claim 5 , further comprising directing the stream of C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbons into a hydrogenation reactor containing a catalyst to impart hydrogen into a post-hydrogenation reactor stream, directing the post-hydrogenation reactor stream directly into a second separation unit and creating a light hydrocarbons recycle stream, a hydrogen and methane stream, and recycling the light hydrocarbons recycle stream into the thermal activation unit.

Assignees

• Phillips 66 Co

Inventors

• Yao Jianhua
• Ghonasgi Dhananjay
• Choudhary Tushar
• Ewert Warren

Classifications

• C10G2300/1081

  Alkanes · CPC title

• C10L1/04

  essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C10L1/06

  for spark ignition · CPC title

• C10L2200/0423

  Gasoline · CPC title

• C10L2200/0446

  Diesel · CPC title