Method and apparatus for mixing and atomizing a hydrocarbon stream using a diluent/dispersion stream

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9920266-B2
Application number	US-201615159771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2016
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for mixing and atomizing a hydrocarbon stream using a diluent/dispersion stream. The apparatus includes an inner conduit having an inlet for receiving the diluent/dispersion stream; an outer conduit having an inlet for receiving the hydrocarbon stream and an outlet for dispensing a mixture including the hydrocarbon and the dispersion/diluent streams; the outer conduit concentric to the inner conduit to define at least a first annular space and a second annular space; the first annular space being located downstream of the inlet of the outer conduit, the first annular space enabling formation of a thin film of the hydrocarbon stream between an outer surface of the inner conduit and an inner surface of the outer conduit; the second annular space being located downstream of the first annular space, the second annular space having a width greater than a width of the first annular space; and the inner conduit located at about the second annular space includes a first set orifices disposed on a periphery thereof for dispensing a first portion of the dispersion/diluent stream into the thin film of hydrocarbon stream to cross-shear the thin film and form the mixture including the hydrocarbon and the dispersion/diluent streams.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for mixing and atomizing a hydrocarbon stream using a diluent/dispersion stream, said apparatus comprising:
an inner conduit having an inlet for receiving the diluent/dispersion stream;
an outer conduit having an inlet for receiving the hydrocarbon stream and an outlet for dispensing a mixture comprising the hydrocarbon and the dispersion/diluent streams;
said outer conduit concentric to the inner conduit to define at least a first annular space and a second annular space;
the first annular space being located downstream of the inlet of the outer conduit, said first annular space enabling formation of a thin film of the hydrocarbon stream between an outer surface of the inner conduit and an inner surface of the outer conduit;
the second annular space being located downstream of the first annular space, said second annular space having a width greater than a width of the first annular space; and
the inner conduit located at about the second annular space comprises a first set orifices disposed on a periphery thereof for dispensing a first portion of the dispersion/diluent stream into the thin film of hydrocarbon stream to cross-shear the thin film and form the mixture comprising the hydrocarbon and the dispersion/diluent streams.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first set of orifices dispense the diluent/dispersion stream at an angle in the range of 30 degree to 120 degree.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one sparging means in flow connection with said inner conduit and located downstream of said inner conduit, the sparging means being adapted to divide the mixture into at least a first flow and a second flow and dispense a second portion of the diluent/dispersion stream into said at least first flow and second flow of the mixture.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein sparging means comprises a plurality of outwardly extending arms spaced apart at a pre-determined angle, said plurality of arms defining a fluid passage there through and terminating at the inner surface of the outer conduit.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the sparging means includes a second set of orifices for dispensing the second portion of the dispersion/diluent stream into the at least first and second flow of mixture.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein second set of orifices are provided on periphery of said plurality of arms.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a flow diverter located downstream the inner conduit, said flow diverter adapted for dividing the mixture comprising the hydrocarbon and the dispersion/diluent streams into a plurality of streams.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a number of first set of orifices depends on flow rate of the diluent/dispersion stream.

9. A method for mixing and atomizing a hydrocarbon stream using a diluent/dispersion stream, said method comprising:
providing an apparatus comprising:
an inner conduit having an inlet for receiving the diluent/dispersion stream;
an outer conduit having an inlet for receiving the hydrocarbon stream and an outlet for dispensing a mixture comprising the hydrocarbon and the dispersion/diluent streams;
said outer conduit concentric surrounding the inner conduit to define at least a first annular space and a second annular space;
the first annular space being located downstream of the inlet of the outer conduit, said first annular space enabling formation of a thin film of the hydrocarbon stream between an outer surface of the inner conduit and an inner surface of the outer conduit;
the second annular space being located downstream of the first annular space, said second annular space having a width greater than a width of the first annular space; and
the inner conduit located at about the second annular space comprises a first set orifices disposed on a periphery thereof for dispensing a first portion of the dispersion/diluent stream into the thin film of hydrocarbon stream to cross shear the film and form the mixture comprising the hydrocarbon and the dispersion/diluent streams;

introducing the diluent/dispersion stream into the inlet of the inner conduit; and
introducing the hydrocarbon stream into the inlet of the outer conduit.

Assignees

• Indian Oil Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Khan Shoeb Hussain
• De Bidyut
• Kumaran Satheesh Vetterkunnel
• Yadav Manoj Kumar
• Bhattacharyya Debasis
• Kumar Brijesh

Classifications

• C10G2300/80

  Additives · CPC title

• C10G75/04 Primary

  by addition of antifouling agents · CPC title

• C10G11/18 Primary

  according to the "fluidised-bed" technique · CPC title

• B01F5/0451

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/045

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic