Deep conversion combining the demetallization and the conversion of crudes, residues or heavy oils into light liquids with pure or impure oxygenated compounds

Abstract

A process for the conversion of hydrocarbons that are solid or have a high boiling temperature and may be laden with metals, sulfur or sediments, into liquids (gasolines, gas oil, fuels) with the help of a jet of gas pity superheated between 600 and 800° C. The process comprises preheating a feed 5 in a heater 8 to a temperature below the selected temperature of a reactor 10. This feed is injected by injectors 4 into the empty reactor 10 (i.e., without catalyst.) The feed is treated with a jet of gas or superheated stem from superheater 2 to activate the feed. The activated products in the feed are allowed to stabilize at the selected temperature and at a selected pressure in the reactor and are then run through a series of extractors 13 to separate heavy and light hydrocarbons and to demetallize the feed. Useful products appearing in the form of water/hydrocarbon emulsions are generally demulsified in emulsion breaker 16 to form water laden with different impurities. The light phase containing the final hydrocarbons is heated in heater 98 and is separated into cuts of conventional products, according to the demand for refining by an extractor 18 similar to 13.

1 . A process comprising the steps of: 
 (a) superheating water to a form of steam;    (b) feeding a crude hydrocarbon into furnace;    (c) preheating the crude hydrocarbon feed in said furnace;    (d) mixing a jet of the superheated steam and a jet of the preheated crude hydrocarbon feed into a mixing head/injector at a non-reactive temperature;    (e) injecting the crude hydrocarbon feed and steam mixture into a reactor vessel at a high velocity;    (f) maintaining said reactor vessel at an internal pressure not exceeding 200 bar and a reactive temperature maintained between 445° C.-450° C.; and    (g) releasing effluent products from said reactor vessel to an extractor system comprising a series of extraction devices set at decreasing temperature levels ranging from 360° C. to ambient.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the reactor temperature is about 20° C.-25° C. more than said non-reactive temperature.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the extractor system separates the products comprising useful properties in the form of stable emulsions.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the product emulsions are broken mechanically and decanted to separate hydrocarbons from water and/or sludge.  
     
     
         5 . A process comprising the steps of: 
 (a) generating a hot gas by burning a hydrocarbon fuel in a first furnace;    (b) mixing the hot gas with air or oxygen in mixing head;    (c) preheating a crude hydrocarbon feed in a second furnace;    (d) mixing a jet of the hot oxygen-containing gas and a jet of the preheated crude hydrocarbon feed into an injector device at a non-reactive temperature;    (e) injecting the heated mixture of crude hydrocarbon feed and oxygenated gas into a reactor vessel at a high velocity;    (f) maintaining the reactor vessel at an internal pressure not exceeding 200 bar and a reaction temperature between 445° C.-450° C.; and    (g) releasing effluent products from the reactor vessel to an extractor system comprising a series of extraction devices set at decreasing temperature levels ranging from 360° C. to ambient.    
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the reactor temperature is about 20° C.-25° C. more than said non-reactive temperature.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the extractor system separates the products comprising useful properties in the form of stable emulsions.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein the product emulsions are broken mechanically and decanted to separate hydrocarbons from water and/or sludge.  
     
     
         9 . A process comprising the steps of: 
 (a) spraying preheated heavy hydrocarbon to form fine droplets of said hydrocarbon at a first pressure and at a first temperature that is insufficient for said conversion;    (b) contacting the sprayed heavy hydrocarbon with a jet of preheated gas to form a free jet of hydrocarbon and gas in order to facilitate initiation of reaction;    (c) supplying the sprayed hydrocarbon after contact with the preheated gas to a reactor that is empty and without catalyst to achieve thermodynamic equilibrium; and    (d) recovering the resulting light product;    wherein in step (c) said jet is formed by adiabatic expansion of said gas from a second pressure greater than said first pressure and from a second temperature greater than said first temperature to said first pressure and to a third temperature, the first temperature being lower than the temperature of said reactor and the third temperature being the temperature of the reactor, whereby said jet acquires kinetic energy that becomes transferred to the heavy hydrocarbon to cause at least a portion of the molecules of the heavy hydrocarbon to break into two to form lighter molecules and thereby bring about said conversion, whereby molecules of gas become inserted between the lighter molecule fragments formed and inhibit immediate rejoining of the lighter molecules, and the energy supplied to said hydrocarbon by preheating and by the kinetic energy of said jet being barely sufficient to initiate said breakage and to promote the formation of light product molecules of about half the molecular weight of the heavy hydrocarbon molecules, but insufficient to promote formation of hydrogen, light gaseous hydrocarbons or carbon.    
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbon is crude oil.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the heavy and nitrogen is atmospheric residue.  
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the heavy carbon is residue under vacuum.  
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbon is a heavy oil or heavy distillate.  
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the first pressure is 20-30 bar.  
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the first temperature is 445-450° C.  
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the second pressure is about 60 bar  
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the second temperature is in the range 600-800° C.  
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein said first pressure minimizes soaking time and a volume of said reactor.  
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the preheated gas is an oxygen-containing gas.  
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas is steam.  
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas is carbon dioxide.  
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas is carbon dioxide and steam.  
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas is carbon dioxide and hydrogen.  
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas is carbon dioxide and nitrogen.  
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas is carbon monoxide and hydrogen or steam.  
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas is carbon dioxide, steam, carbon monoxide and hydrogen.  
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas is oxygen and methane.  
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 19  wherein the third temperature is about 20° C.-25° C. more than said first temperature.