Mercury removal apparatus for liquid hydrocarbon

1. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon, comprising:

a conversion device which converts a mercury component in a raw liquid hydrocarbon into elemental mercury to obtain a first liquid hydrocarbon containing the elemental mercury; and

a first stripping device which brings the first liquid hydrocarbon into counter-current contact with a first stripping gas, thereby transferring the elemental mercury in the first liquid hydrocarbon to the first stripping gas to obtain a second liquid hydrocarbon in which the amount of the elemental mercury decreases and a first gaseous hydrocarbon containing the elemental mercury.

2. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 1 , further comprising a first adsorption device which adsorptively removes the elemental mercury from the first gaseous hydrocarbon to obtain a second gaseous hydrocarbon.

3. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 2 , wherein the second gaseous hydrocarbon is used as the first stripping gas.

4. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a first gas-liquid separation device which cools the first gaseous hydrocarbon so as to be separated into a third gaseous hydrocarbon and a third liquid hydrocarbon; and

a second adsorption device which adsorptively removes the elemental mercury from the third gaseous hydrocarbon to obtain a fourth gaseous hydrocarbon.

5. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 4 , wherein the fourth gaseous hydrocarbon is used as the first stripping gas.

6. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 4 , further comprising a third adsorption device which adsorptively removes the elemental mercury from the third liquid hydrocarbon to obtain a fourth liquid hydrocarbon.

7. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 4 , wherein the third liquid hydrocarbon is introduced into the first stripping device with the first liquid hydrocarbon.

8. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a preliminary separation device provided before the conversion device, which separates the raw liquid hydrocarbon into a fifth gaseous hydrocarbon whose mercury component is in high concentration and a fifth liquid hydrocarbon whose mercury component is in low concentration, wherein

the fifth liquid hydrocarbon is introduced into the conversion device.

9. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 8 , wherein the preliminary separation device is a second stripping device which brings the raw liquid hydrocarbon into counter-current contact with a second stripping gas so as to be separated into the fifth gaseous hydrocarbon and the fifth liquid hydrocarbon.

10. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 8 , further comprising a fourth adsorption device which adsorptively removes the mercury component from the fifth gaseous hydrocarbon to obtain a sixth gaseous hydrocarbon.

11. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 10 , wherein the sixth gaseous hydrocarbon is used as the first stripping gas.

12. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a second gas-liquid separation device which cools the fifth gaseous hydrocarbon to separate a seventh gaseous hydrocarbon and a sixth liquid hydrocarbon; and

a fifth adsorption device which adsorptively removes the mercury component from the seventh gaseous hydrocarbon to obtain an eighth gaseous hydrocarbon.

13. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 12 , wherein the eighth gaseous hydrocarbon is used as the first stripping gas.

14. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 12 , further comprising a sixth adsorption device which adsorptively removes the mercury component from the sixth liquid hydrocarbon to obtain a seventh liquid hydrocarbon.

15. A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon according to claim 9 , wherein the first gaseous hydrocarbon is used as the second stripping gas.