Mobile hydrocarbon refineries and related methods

Abstract

A mobile refinery includes a plurality of trailers that are each configured to be towed by a vehicle. In addition, the mobile refinery includes a plurality of processing units supported on the plurality of trailers. The plurality of processing units are configured to refine crude oil into one or more fuels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile refinery comprising:
 a plurality of trailers that are each configured to be towed by a vehicle; and   a plurality of processing units supported on the plurality of trailers that are configured to refine crude oil from a crude oil source into one or more hydrocarbon products, wherein the plurality of processing units includes:
 an atmospheric distillation unit (ADU) supported on a first trailer of the plurality of trailers, the ADU including a distillation tower configured to separate the crude oil into a light stream and a residual stream; and 
 a heater skid unit supported on a second trailer of the plurality of trailers, the heater skid unit including a heater in fluid communication with the crude oil source and the distillation tower so that the heater is configured to combust at least a portion of the residual stream to heat the crude oil and to output the crude oil to the distillation tower. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile refinery of  claim 1 , wherein the distillation tower comprises a first distillation tower and the light stream comprises a first light stream, and wherein the ADU also includes a second distillation tower in fluid communication with the first distillation tower so that the second distillation tower is configured to separate the first light stream into a diesel stream and a second light stream. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile refinery of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of processing units further includes a hydrotreater unit that is supported on a third trailer of the plurality of trailers. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile refinery of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the residual stream is provided to the hydrotreater unit to produce a low sulfur fuel oil. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile refinery of  claim 3 , wherein the heater skid unit includes a second heater in fluid communication with the second distillation tower and the hydrotreater unit so that the second heater is configured to heat at least a portion of the diesel stream and to output the diesel stream to the hydrotreater unit. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile refinery of  claim 5 , wherein the ADU further includes a separation drum in fluid communication with the second distillation tower so that the separation drum is configured to separate a naphtha stream from the second light stream. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile refinery of  claim 6 , wherein the second heater is in fluid communication with the separation drum so that the second heater is configured to combust at least a portion of the naphtha stream to heat the diesel stream. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile refinery of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of processing units further comprises a generator unit supported on a fourth trailer of the plurality of trailers, wherein the generator unit includes an electrical generator and a fuel tank, and wherein the fuel tank is in fluid communication with the second distillation tower so that the second distillation tower is configured to output at least a portion of the diesel stream to the fuel tank. 
     
     
         9 . A method of refining crude oil provided from a crude oil source with a mobile refinery, the mobile refinery including a plurality of trailers that are each configured to be towed by a vehicle and a plurality of processing units supported on the plurality of trailers, the method comprising:
 (a) separating the crude oil into a light stream and a residual stream by use of an atmospheric distillation unit (ADU) of the plurality of processing units, the ADU being supported on a first trailer of the plurality of trailers;   (b) heating the crude oil in a heater of a heater skid unit of the plurality of processing units before (a), the heater skid unit being supported on a second trailer of the plurality of trailers;   (c) combusting at least a portion of the residual stream in the heater to heat the crude oil during (b); and   (d) producing at least one fuel stream from the light stream by use of the mobile refinery.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the light stream comprises a first light stream, and wherein (d) comprises separating the light stream into a diesel stream and a second light stream by use of the ADU. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 (e) routing at least a portion of the diesel stream to a hydrotreater unit of the plurality of processing units, the hydrotreater unit being supported on a third trailer of the plurality of trailers.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the heater comprises a first heater, and further comprising:
 (f) heating the diesel stream in a second heater of the heater skid unit before (e); and   (g) combusting at least a portion of the second light stream in the second heater during (f).   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein (g) comprises:
 (g1) separating a naphtha stream from the second light stream; and   (g2) combusting at least a portion of the naphtha stream in the second heater.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 (h) combusting at least a portion of the diesel stream to generate electrical power with a generator unit of the plurality of processing units, the generator unit being supported on a fourth trailer of the plurality of trailers.   
     
     
         15 . A mobile refinery comprising:
 a plurality of trailers that are each configured to be towed by a vehicle; and   a plurality of processing units supported on the plurality of trailers that are configured to refine crude oil from a crude oil source into a product diesel stream, wherein the plurality of processing units includes:
 an atmospheric distillation unit (ADU) supported on a first trailer of the plurality of trailers, the ADU configured to separate the crude oil into a sour diesel stream and a naphtha stream; and 
 a heater skid unit supported on a second trailer of the plurality of trailers, the heater skid unit configured to combust at least a portion of the naphtha stream to heat the sour diesel stream; and 
 a hydrotreater unit supported on a third trailer of the plurality of trailers, the hydrotreater unit being in fluid communication with the heater skid unit and configured to remove sulfur from the sour diesel stream and produce the product diesel stream. 
   
     
     
         16 . The mobile refinery of  claim 15 , wherein the ADU comprises a plurality of distillation towers that are connected in series and that are configured to separate the crude oil into a first light stream and a residual stream and to separate the first light stream into a second light stream and the sour diesel stream. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile refinery of  claim 16 , wherein the ADU comprises a separation drum that is configured to separate the naphtha stream from the second light stream. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile refinery of  claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of distillation towers includes an upper section and a lower section, the upper section being removable from the lower section to reduce a height of ADU for travel via the first trailer. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile refinery of  claim 15 , wherein the heater skid unit is configured to heat the crude oil upstream of the ADU. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile refinery of  claim 19 , wherein the heater skid unit is configured to combust a stream separated from the crude oil via the ADU to heat the crude oil.