Heavy oil reforming method, an apparatus therefor, and gas turbine power generation system

Abstract

The purpose of the invention is to provide a heavy oil reforming method which reforms a heavy oil to give a fuel suitable for a gas turbine, eliminates sulfur and vanadium, i.e., harmful components, from a heavy oil, and enables almost all the hydrocarbons in the heavy oil to be used in gas turbine combustion; an apparatus therefor; and a gas turbine power generation system using the reformed heavy oil as fuel. This method comprises reacting a heavy oil with supercritical water and then with a scavenger for sulfur and vanadium to eliminate sulfur and vanadium from the heavy oil. The apparatus for reforming a heavy oil is equipped with a reactor for reacting a heavy oil with supercritical water, a scavenging apparatus filled with a scavenger for scavenging sulfur and vanadium in the heavy oil, and a connecting pipe for connecting the reactor and the scavenging apparatus. The gas turbine power generation system has a burner for burning a heavy oil reformed with the reforming apparatus and a gas turbine driven by a combustion gas generated by the burner.

1 - 6 . (canceled)  
     
     
         7 . A heavy oil reforming method which comprises reacting a heavy oil containing at least one of vanadium and sulfur with water, which is in a state of high temperature and high pressure, in the presence of a reaction accelerator, and then bringing said heavy oil, along with said high-temperature and high-pressure water, into contact with a scavenger for scavenging vanadium and/or sulfur in the heavy oil to thereby eliminate vanadium and/or sulfur from the heavy oil.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the reaction accelerator comprises at least one substance selected from alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, hydrogen peroxide solution, nitric acid, nitrate and formic acid.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for reforming a heavy oil comprising a reactor for reacting a heavy oil containing at least one of vanadium and sulfur with water which is in a state of high temperature and high pressure, a scavenging apparatus filled with a scavenger for scavenging sulfur and/or vanadium in the heavy oil, and a connecting pipe for connecting the reactor and the scavenging apparatus; wherein said scavenging apparatus has an inlet port for introducing the heavy oil along with the high-temperature and high-pressure water after the reaction and has a discharge port for discharging the reformed heavy oil.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the scavenging apparatus is filled with at least one substance selected from iron oxide, nickel oxide, metal oxide which forms composite oxide with vanadium, ceramics which adsorb vanadium oxide, calcium compound, solid carbon, hydrocarbon, alumina and silica.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  further comprising a means for adding a reaction accelerator to the high-temperature and high-pressure water supplied to the reactor.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11  wherein at least one substance selected from alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, hydrogen peroxide solution, nitric acid, nitrate and formic acid is added to the high-temperature and high-pressure water by the reaction accelerator adding means.  
     
     
         13 . A gas turbine power generation system having a gas turbine driven by a combustion gas generated by burning a heavy oil reformed by using the heavy oil reforming apparatus set forth in  claim 9 .  
     
     
         14 . The gas turbine power generation system according to  claim 13  wherein the heavy oil reforming apparatus is disposed in a fuel supply system which supplies fuel to a gas turbine burner.  
     
     
         15 . The gas turbine power generation system according to  claim 14  further comprising an exhaust gas heat exchanger for heating water to be supplied to the reactor in the heavy oil reforming apparatus by the exhaust gas released after the gas turbine has been driven.  
     
     
         16 . A heavy oil reforming method which comprises reacting a heavy oil containing at least one of vanadium and sulfur with water, which is in a state of being heated to 300° C. to 500° C. and pressured to 10 MPa to 30 MPa, in the presence of a reaction accelerator, and then bringing said heavy oil, along with said water, into contact with a scavenger for scavenging vanadium and/or sulfur in the heavy oil to thereby eliminate vanadium and/or sulfur from the heavy oil.  
     
     
         17 . A heavy oil reforming method which comprises reacting a heavy oil containing vanadium with water, which is in a state of being heated to 300° C. to 500° C. and pressured to 10 MPa to 30 MPa, in the presence of a reaction accelerator, and then scavenging the vanadium contained in the heavy oil in the form of vanadium oxide to thereby eliminate vanadium from the heavy oil.