Apparatus for Separating Oxygenate Modifier from Oligomerization Effluent by Water Wash

Abstract

It has now been disclosed that by directing the effluent from an oligomerization reactor to a water wash column to remove alcohol modifier from the hydrocarbon stream before sending it to a fractionation column offers flexibility in providing a bottoms product of a desired vapor pressure without increasing the concentration of alcohol modifier in the overhead stream beyond alcohol concentration limits.

1 . An apparatus for oligomerizing light olefins and recovering heavy olefins comprising: 
 an oligomerization reactor vessel including a feed inlet for delivering light olefins to the reactor vessel and a product outlet for removing light olefins and heavy olefins from the reactor vessel;    a water wash column including a hydrocarbon inlet in communication with said product outlet of said reactor vessel, a water inlet near a top thereof, a water outlet near a bottom thereof and a hydrocarbon outlet near a top thereof; and    a separation column including a hydrocarbon feed inlet in communication with said hydrocarbon outlet of said water wash column, a light olefin outlet near a top thereof and a heavy olefin outlet near a bottom thereof.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further including a stripper column having an inlet in communication with said water outlet of said water wash column.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said inlet to said stripper column is near a top of said stripper column.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said stripper includes a water outlet in communication with said water inlet of said water wash column for recycling water from said stripper column to said water wash column.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said stripper includes a modifier outlet in communication with said oligomerization reactor vessel.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said modifier outlet is in communication with said feed inlet to said oligomerization reactor vessel.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus for oligomerizing light olefins and recovering heavy olefins comprising: 
 an oligomerization reactor vessel including a feed inlet for delivering light olefins to the reactor vessel and a product outlet for removing light olefins and heavy olefins from the reactor vessel;    a water wash column including a hydrocarbon inlet in communication with said product outlet of said reactor vessel, a water inlet near a top thereof, a water outlet near a bottom thereof and a hydrocarbon outlet near a top thereof;    a separation column including a hydrocarbon feed inlet in communication with said hydrocarbon outlet of said water wash column, a light olefin outlet near a top thereof and a heavy olefin outlet near a bottom thereof; and    a stripper column having an inlet in communication with said water outlet of said water wash column, said stripper column having a water outlet in communication with said water inlet of said water wash column for recycling water from said stripper column to said water wash column.    
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said inlet to said stripper column is near a top of said stripper column.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said stripper includes a modifier outlet in communication with said oligomerization reactor vessel.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said modifier outlet is in communication with said feed inlet to said oligomerization reactor vessel.