Process for producing steam and/or power from oil residues with high sulfur content

Abstract

Power is produced using fuel, preferably with a sulfur content larger than 1% wt, from raw and/or preprocessed oil residues which are burned alone, i.e. without any addition of sorbents, diluents or the like, with a CFB boiler, a pitch boiler or a downshot boiler to generate high pressure steam and/or power and residual emissions. Residual emissions are cleaned to simultaneously remove PM, NO x and SO 2 therefrom. The sulfur in emissions can be used to produce sulfuric acid. The process uses a low cost fuel, generates steam, and/or power and sulfuric acid and meets all emission requirements for PM, NO x and SO 2 .

1 . A clean process for producing steam and/or power and using fuel from raw and/or preprocessed oil residues, comprising the steps of:
 (a) burning alone the oil residues having a sulfur content larger than 1% wt as a fuel in a CFB (circulating fluidized bed) boiler, a pitch boiler, or a downshot boiler to generate high pressure steam, and/or power and residual emissions; and   (b) cleaning the residual emissions to generally and simultaneously remove PM, NO x  and SO 2  therefrom, the SO 2  residual emissions being processed through a sulfuric acid plant cleaning unit, said sulfuric acid plant cleaning unit transforming the SO 2  emissions into gaseous sulfuric acid while the SO 2  emissions are in a gaseous phase.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the oil residues have a sulfur content larger than 3% wt, and wherein cleaning improves an efficiency of the burning of the oil residues, said sulfur content of said oil residues increasing the thermal efficiency of the burning process because of an exothermic chemical reaction in the production of the gaseous sulfuric acid. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein in step (b), the cleaning unit includes a denox unit. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein in step (b), the cleaning removal process of PM, NO x  and SO 2  produces some waste materials, the waste materials being water free. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein in step (a), the burning is performed at a temperature between about 1350° F. and about 1700° F. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the burning is performed at a temperature between about 1500° F. and about 1600° F. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the raw and/or preprocessed oil residues include crude oil and/or bitumen, the process further include, prior to the step (a), the step of de-hydrating and desalting the crude oil and/or bitumen. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein in step (b), the cleaning removal process of PM, NO x  and SO 2  produces some waste materials, the waste materials being water free.