Reduction of acid condensation catalyst coke yield by selective vaporization of the hydrodeoxygenation heavies stream

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for producing a C4+ compound, including the steps of: (i) reacting an aqueous feed stream comprising an oxygenated hydrocarbon with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) catalyst to produce an HDO product stream; (ii) vaporizing the HDO product stream in a vaporizer to produce a gaseous HDO product stream comprising C1+O1-3 hydrocarbons; and (iii) reacting the gaseous HDO product stream in the presence of an acid condensation (AC) catalyst at a condensation temperature and condensation pressure to produce an AC product stream comprising the C4+ compound.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of producing a C 4+  compound, the method comprising:
 (i) reacting an aqueous feed stream comprising an oxygenated hydrocarbon with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) catalyst to produce an HDO product stream; 
 (ii) vaporizing the HDO product stream in a vaporizer to produce a gaseous HDO product stream comprising C 1+ O 1-3  hydrocarbons; and 
 (iii) reacting the gaseous HDO product stream in the presence of an acid condensation (AC) catalyst at a condensation temperature and condensation pressure to produce an AC product stream comprising the C 4+  compound. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the HDO product stream is introduced to a packed bed in an upper section of the vaporizer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a first portion of the AC product stream is recycled to the vaporizer and contacted with the HDO product stream, such that the gaseous HDO product stream is produced from vaporizing the HDO product stream and the recycled AC product stream; optionally wherein at least a second portion of the AC product stream is recycled to the gaseous HDO product stream. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the AC product stream recycled to the vaporizer is a gas. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the temperature of the gaseous AC product stream entering the vaporizer has an inlet temperature of at least 160° C. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the AC product stream recycled to the vaporizer enters the vaporizer at a location below the packed bed to which the HDO product stream is introduced. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (ii) further comprises introducing a superheated high-pressure steam to the vaporizer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the superheated high-pressure steam enters the vaporizer at a location below the AC product stream recycled to the vaporizer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the HDO product stream is preheated before entering the vaporizer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the ratio of the feed rate of the AC product stream recycled to the vaporizer to the feed rate of the HDO product stream is about 0.5:1 to about 10:1. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vaporizer is operated at a temperature of at about 150° C. to about 300° C. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the HDO catalyst comprises:
 a metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Re, Fe, Ru, Ir, Co, Rh, Pt, Pd, Ni, W, Os, Mo, Ag, Au, an alloy thereof, and a combination thereof; and   a support selected from the group consisting of nitride, carbon, silica, alumina, zirconia, titania, vanadia, ceria, zinc oxide, chromia, boron nitride, heteropolyacids, kieselguhr, hydroxyapatite, and a combination thereof.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the acid condensation catalyst comprises carbides, nitrides, zirconia, alumina, silica, aluminosilicates, phosphates, zeolites, titanium oxides, zinc oxides, vanadium oxides, lanthanum oxides, yttrium oxides, scandium oxides, magnesium oxides, cerium oxides, barium oxides, calcium oxides, hydroxides, heteropolyacids, inorganic acids, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the acid condensation catalyst further comprises a modifier selected from the group consisting of Ce, La, Y, Sc, P, B, Bi, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous feed stream is derived from biomass. 
     
     
         16 . A system for producing a C 4+  compound, the system comprising:
 (i) an hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reactor, in which an aqueous feed stream comprising an oxygenated hydrocarbon reacts with hydrogen in the presence of an HDO catalyst to produce an HDO product stream; 
 (ii) a vaporizer, in which the HDO product stream is vaporized to produce a gaseous HDO product stream comprising C 1+ O 1-3  hydrocarbons; and 
 (iii) an acid condensation (AC) reactor, in which the gaseous HDO product stream reacts in the presence of an AC catalyst at a condensation temperature and condensation pressure to produce an AC product stream comprising the C 4+  compound. 
 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , which is configured to recycle at least a portion of the AC product stream to the vaporizer to contact with the HDO product stream. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , which is configured to recycle at least a portion of the AC product stream to the gaseous HDO product stream. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , which is configured to introduce a superheated high-pressure steam to the vaporizer. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , which is configured to preheat the HDO product stream before entering the vaporizer.