Enhanced treatment of renewable feedstocks with integrated off-gas processing

1 . A system for treating non-petroleum or renewable feedstocks containing oxygen and contaminants of one or more of metals, gums, and resins, the system comprising:

a reactor having a heat source for heating an interior of the reactor, the reactor being a catalyst-free reactor configured to receive a feedstock of a non-petroleum or renewable feedstock containing oxygen or contaminants of one or more of metals, gums, and resins at a flow velocity from 20 ft/sec to 100 ft/sec within the interior to facilitate heating the feedstock to a temperature from 700° F. to 1100° F. to form a reactor product having one or more of gums and resins in the feedstock removed or reduced;

a heat exchanger configured to cool the reactor product;

a separator unit configured to separate metals, water, and non-condensed gases comprising at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons from the cooled reactor product to form a final product from the remaining cooled reactor product; and

a reformer unit configured to receive at least a portion of the non-condensed gases for converting the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons of the non-condensed gases to produce hydrogen gas from the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons, and further comprising:

a hydroprocessing reactor containing a hydroprocessing catalyst configured to receive at least a portion of the cooled reactor product as a feedstock to produce a hydroprocessed product; and wherein

the separator unit is configured to receive the hydroprocessed product to separate metals, water, and non-condensed gases comprising at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons from the hydroprocessed product to form the final product from the remaining hydroprocessed product.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the reformer unit is in communication with the hydroprocessing reactor to deliver at least a portion of the formed hydrogen gas to the hydroprocessing reactor to facilitate hydroprocessing.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a gas scrubber or gas purification unit configured to receive the at least a portion of the non-condensed gases to remove undesirable compounds prior to the at least a portion of the non-condensed gases being received by the reformer unit.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the reactor constitutes a primary reactor; and further comprising

at least one secondary reactor configured to receive a reactor discharge from the primary reactor, the primary reactor and the at least one secondary reactor facilitate forming the reactor product.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a solids separator configured to receive the cooled reactor product from the heat exchanger to remove solids from the cooled reactor product to form a separated product without the removed solids, and wherein the hydroprocessing reactor is configured to receive the separated product as the feedstock to produce the hydroprocessed product.

6 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising:

a liquid/vapor separator configured to receive the separated product to form a separated liquid stream and a separated vapor phase, and wherein the hydroprocessing reactor is configured to receive the separated vapor phase as the feedstock to form the hydroprocessed product.

7 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising:

a second heat exchanger configured to cool the separated liquid stream from the liquid/vapor separator;

a second separator unit configured to separate metals, water, liquid hydrocarbons, and non-condensed gases comprising at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons from the separated liquid stream; and

the reformer unit being configured to receive the non-condensed gases from the second separator unit as a feedstock to produce hydrogen gas from the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons and deliver at least a portion of the produced hydrogen gas to the hydroprocessing reactor to facilitate hydroprocessing.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the separator unit is composed of two or more separator units to separate metals, water, and non-condensed gases comprising at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons from the cooled reactor product to form the final product from the remaining cooled reactor product; and wherein

the reformer unit is configured to receive at least a portion the non-condensable gases comprising at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons from at least one of the two or more separator units to produce hydrogen gas from the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one of a stabilization unit, an isomerization unit, and a fractionation unit for further treating the final product.

10 . A system for treating non-petroleum or renewable feedstocks containing oxygen and contaminants of one or more of metals, gums, and resins, the system comprising:

a reactor having a heat source for heating an interior of the reactor, the reactor being a catalyst-free reactor configured to receive a feedstock of a non-petroleum or renewable feedstock containing oxygen or contaminants of one or more of metals, gums, and resins at a flow velocity from 20 ft/sec to 100 ft/sec within the interior to facilitate heating the feedstock to a temperature from 700° F. to 1100° F. to form a reactor product having one or more of gums and resins in the feedstock removed or reduced;

a first heat exchanger configured to cool at least a portion of the reactor product to a reduced temperature to facilitate forming a reduced-temperature reactor product; and

a hydroprocessing reactor containing a hydroprocessing catalyst configured to receive at least a portion of the reduced-temperature reactor product as a feedstock to produce a hydroprocessed product;

a second heat exchanger configured to receive the hydroprocessed product to cool the hydroprocessed product to form a cooled hydroprocessed product;

a separator unit configured to separate metals, water, and non-condensed gases comprising at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons from the cooled hydroprocessed product to form a final product from the remaining cooled hydroprocessed product; and

a reformer unit configured to receive at least a portion of the non-condensed gases for producing hydrogen gas from the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons.

11 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a liquid/vapor separator configured to receive the reduced-temperature reactor product to form a separated liquid stream and a separated vapor phase, and wherein the hydroprocessing reactor is configured to receive the separated vapor phase as the feedstock to produce the hydroprocessed product.

12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a separated-liquid-stream heat exchanger configured to receive and cool the separated liquid stream to form a cooled liquid stream;

a liquid-hydrocarbon separator configured to receive the cooled liquid stream and separate liquid hydrocarbons from non-condensed gases comprising at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons present in the cooled liquid stream, the liquid-hydrocarbon separator being in fluid communication with the reactor to deliver at least a portion of separated liquid hydrocarbons to the reactor as recycle; and

the reformer unit or a second reformer unit is configured to receive at least a portion of the non-condensed gases from the liquid-hydrocarbon separator to produce hydrogen gas from the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein:

the separator unit is composed of two or more separator units to separate metals, water, and non-condensed gases comprising at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons from the cooled reactor product to form the final product; and wherein

the reformer unit is configured to receive at least a portion the non-condensed gases from at least one of the two or more separator units to produce hydrogen gas from the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons.

14 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a bypass line for selectively directing at least a portion of the reactor discharge as the reactor product from the reactor directly to the first heat exchanger bypassing the at least one secondary reactor.

15 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a solids separator configured to receive the reduced-temperature reactor product from the first heat exchanger to remove solids from the reduced-temperature reactor product to form a separated product without the removed solids, and wherein the hydroprocessing reactor is configured to receive the separated product to produce the hydroprocessed product.

16 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a filter unit configured to receive the final product and remove solids from the final product.

17 . The system of claim 10 , wherein:

a gas scrubber or gas purification unit configured to receive the at least a portion of the non-condensed gases to remove undesirable compounds prior to the at least a portion of the non-condensed gases being received by the reformer unit.

18 . A system for treating non-petroleum or renewable feedstocks containing oxygen and contaminants of one or more of metals, gums, and resins, the system comprising:

a reactor having a heat source for heating an interior of the reactor, the reactor being configured to receive a feedstock of a non-petroleum or renewable feedstock containing oxygen or contaminants of one or more of metals, gums, and resins at a flow velocity from 20 ft/sec to 100 ft/sec within the interior to facilitate heating the feedstock to a temperature from 700° F. to 1100° F. to form a reactor product having one or more of gums and resins in the feedstock removed or reduced;

a heat exchanger configured to cool the reactor product;

a separator unit configured to separate metals, water, and non-condensed gases comprising at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons from the cooled reactor product to form a final product from the remaining cooled reactor product;

a reformer unit configured to receive at least a portion of the non-condensed gases for converting the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons of the non-condensed gases to produce hydrogen gas from the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons; and wherein

the reactor constitutes a primary reactor; and further comprising

at least one secondary reactor configured to receive a reactor discharge from the primary reactor, the primary reactor and the at least one secondary reactor facilitate forming the reactor product; and

a bypass line for selectively directing at least a portion of the reactor discharge as the reactor product from the primary reactor directly to the heat exchanger bypassing the at least one secondary reactor.

19 . A system for treating non-petroleum or renewable feedstocks containing oxygen and contaminants of one or more of metals, gums, and resins, the system comprising:

a reactor having a heat source for heating an interior of the reactor, the reactor being a catalyst-free reactor configured to receive a feedstock of a non-petroleum or renewable feedstock containing oxygen or contaminants of one or more of metals, gums, and resins at a flow velocity from 20 ft/sec to 100 ft/sec within the interior to facilitate heating the feedstock to a temperature from 700° F. to 1100° F. to form a reactor product having one or more of gums and resins in the feedstock removed or reduced;

a heat exchanger configured to cool the reactor product;

a separator unit configured to separate metals, water, and non-condensed gases comprising at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons from the cooled reactor product to form a final product from the remaining cooled reactor product; and

a reformer unit configured to receive at least a portion of the non-condensed gases for converting the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons of the non-condensed gases to produce hydrogen gas from the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons; wherein

the reactor constitutes a primary reactor; and further comprising

at least one secondary reactor configured to receive a reactor discharge from the primary reactor, the primary reactor and the at least one secondary reactor facilitate forming the reactor product.

20 . The system of claim 19 , further comprising:

a bypass line for selectively directing at least a portion of the reactor discharge as the reactor product from the primary reactor directly to the heat exchanger bypassing the at least one secondary reactor.