Methods for reducing surface fouling in fuel production systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976090-B2
Application number	US-201414531267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2014
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

Methods for preventing or reducing fouling of equipment having a metal surface that contacts a reaction byproduct in a fuel production system are provided. The method may include treating the metal surface in the fuel production system by contacting a fouling inhibitor with the metal surface. The fouling inhibitor includes a bicyclic organic compound with an aromatic ring and a heterocyclic ring, and is delivered to the metal surface of the system in sufficient amount and for sufficient time to reduce a fouling deposit on at least a portion of the metal surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of preventing or reducing fouling of equipment having a metal surface that contacts a reaction byproduct gas stream in a fuel production system, the method comprising:
atomizing a fouling inhibitor composition and combining the atomized fouling inhibitor composition with the byproduct gas stream, the fouling inhibitor composition containing 20% to 100% by weight of a bicyclic organic compound with an aromatic ring and a heterocyclic ring; and
causing the fouling inhibitor treatment composition to contact the metal surface by flowing the byproduct gas stream including the fouling inhibitor composition over the metal surface for a treatment period that is sufficient to reduce a hydrocarbon fouling deposit on at least a portion of the metal surface,
wherein the bicyclic organic compound is present in the byproduct gas stream at a concentration in the range of 0.05 to 100 pints per million cubic feet (0.836 to 1,670 ml/million liters) of gas during the treatment period.

2. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment period is from 12 hours to 1 week.

3. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment period is from 24 hours to 100 hours.

4. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the heterocyclic ring is a nitrogen-containing ring.

5. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the bicyclic organic compound in the byproduct gas stream is in the range of 0.1 to 10 pints/million cubic feet (1.67 to 167 ml/million liters) during the treatment period.

6. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 5 , wherein the concentration of the bicyclic organic compound in the byproduct gas stream is in the range of 1 to 5 pints/million cubic feet (16.7 to 83.5 ml/million liters) during the treatment period.

7. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the fouling inhibitor composition is at least 75 percent by weight of the bicyclic organic compound.

8. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the fouling inhibitor composition is at least 95 percent by weight of the bicyclic organic compound.

9. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the fouling inhibitor composition is 100 percent by weight of the bicyclic organic compound.

10. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the bicyclic organic compound is quinoline.

11. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment period is a clean-up period.

12. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the fouling inhibitor composition further comprises at least one secondary fouling inhibitor compound.

13. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 12 , wherein the secondary fouling inhibitor compound is naphtha-based.

14. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the equipment is a heat exchanger.

15. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a parameter of the system that is indicative of the presence of fouling deposits after the treatment period.

16. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 15 , further comprising causing the fouling inhibitor treatment composition to contact the metal surface for a second treatment period, the timing of the second treatment period being based on the measured parameter.

17. The method of preventing or reducing fouling according to claim 1 , wherein the system is on-line during the treatment period.

18. A method of treating a metal surface that is prone to hydrocarbon fouling, the method comprising atomizing a fouling inhibitor composition that includes quinoline and contacting the metal surface with a gas stream containing the atomized fouling inhibitor composition,
wherein the fouling inhibitor composition is at least 75 percent by weight of quinoline and the quinoline is present in the gas stream at a concentration in the range of 0.05 to 100 pints per million cubic feet (0.836 to 1,670 ml/million liters) of gas.

Assignees

• Chemtreat Inc
• Chemtreat Inc

Inventors

• Spaeth Vince

Classifications

• C10B43/08 Primary

  with liquids · CPC title

• C10B43/14

  Preventing incrustations · CPC title

• C10B43/00 Primary

  Preventing or removing incrustations · CPC title

• C10B43/02

  Removing incrustations · CPC title