Multi-Stage Process and Device for Distributive Production of a Low Sulfur Heavy Marine Fuel Oil
A multi-stage process for the distributive production of an ISO8217 compliant Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from ISO 8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil involving a core desulfurizing process that is distributed in a Reaction System composed of multiple reaction vessels. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil has a sulfur level has a maximum sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.05 mass % to 1.0 mass. A process plant for conducting the process for conducting the distributive process is disclosed that can utilize a modular reactor vessel contained within a frame work based on ISO 40 foot or ISO 20 foot container dimensions.
1 . A process for the distributive production of a Heavy Marine Fuel Oil, the process comprising: mixing a quantity of Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil with a quantity of Activating Gas mixture to give a Feedstock Mixture; contacting the Feedstock Mixture with one or more catalysts under reactive conditions in a Reaction System to form a Process Mixture from said Feedstock Mixture; receiving said Process Mixture and separating the liquid components of the Process Mixture from the bulk gaseous components of the Process Mixture; subsequently separating any residual gaseous components and by-product hydrocarbon components from the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil; and, discharging the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil; wherein the Reaction System comprises two or more reactor vessels wherein said reactor vessels are configured in a matrix of at least 2 reactors by 2 reactors.
2 . The process of claim 1 wherein the Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil complies with ISO 8217 (2017) and has a sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 5.0 mass % to 1.0 mass % and wherein the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil complies with ISO 8217 (2017) and has a sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.50 mass % to 0.05 mass %.
3 . The process of claim 2 , wherein said Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil has: a maximum of kinematic viscosity at 50° C. (ISO 3104) between the range from 180 mm 2 /s to 700 mm 2 /s; a density at 15° C. (ISO 3675) between the range of 991.0 kg/m 3 to 1010.0 kg/m 3 ; a CCAI in the range of 780 to 870; a flash point (ISO 2719) no lower than 60° C.; a total sediment—aged (ISO 10307-2) of less than 0.10 mass %; a carbon residue—micro method (ISO 10370) less than 20.00 mass %; a vanadium content (ISO 14597) less than 450 ppm mg/kg; and an aluminum plus silicon (ISO 10478) content less than 60 mg/kg.
4 . The process of claim 2 , wherein said Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil has: a maximum of kinematic viscosity at 50° C. (ISO 3104) between the range from 180 mm 2 /s to 700 mm 2 /s; a density at 15° C. (ISO 3675) between the range of 991.0 kg/m 3 to 1010.0 kg/m 3 ; a CCAI in the range of 780 to 870; a flash point (ISO 2719) no lower than 60° C.; a total sediment—aged (ISO 10307-2) of less than 0.10 mass %; a carbon residue—micro method (ISO 10370) less than 20.00 mass %; a vanadium content (ISO 14597) less than 450 ppm mg/kg; and an aluminum plus silicon (ISO 10478) content less than 60 mg/kg.
5 . The process of claim 1 wherein the one or more catalysts comprises: a porous inorganic oxide catalyst carrier and a transition metal catalyst, wherein the porous inorganic oxide catalyst carrier is at least one carrier selected from the group consisting of alumina, alumina/boria carrier, a carrier containing metal-containing aluminosilicate, alumina/phosphorus carrier, alumina/alkaline earth metal compound carrier, alumina/titania carrier and alumina/zirconia carrier, and wherein the transition metal catalyst is one or more metals selected from the group consisting of group 6, 8, 9 and 10 of the Periodic Table; and wherein the Activating Gas is selected from mixtures of nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, gaseous water, and methane, such that Activating Gas has an ideal gas partial pressure of hydrogen (p H2 ) greater than 80% of the total pressure of the Activating Gas mixture (P).
6 . The process of claim 1 wherein the reactive conditions comprise: the ratio of the quantity of the Activating Gas to the quantity of Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil is in the range of 250 scf gas/bbl of Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil to 10,000 scf gas/bbl of Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil; a the total pressure is between of 250 psig and 3000 psig; and, the indicated temperature is between of 500° F. to 900° F., and, wherein the liquid hourly space velocity is between 0.05 oil/hour/m 3 catalyst and 1.0 oil/hour/m 3 catalyst.
7 . The process of claim 1 wherein the Reaction System comprises at least six reactor vessels wherein said reactor vessels are configured in a matrix of at least 3 reactors arranged in series to form two reactor trains and wherein the 2 reactor trains arranged in parallel and configured such that Process Mixture can be distributed across the matrix.
8 . The process of claim 7 , wherein the first reactor in each reactor train is loaded with a first catalyst mixture, the second reactor in each reactor is loaded within a second catalyst mixture and the third reactor is loaded with a third catalyst mixture, and wherein the first catalyst mixture, second catalyst mixture and third catalyst mixture are not the same.
9 . A device for the distributed production of a Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil, the device comprising: means for mixing a quantity of Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil with a quantity of Activating Gas mixture to give a Feedstock Mixture; means for heating the Feedstock mixture, wherein the means for mixing and means for heating are in fluid communication with each other; a Reaction System in fluid communication with the means for heating, wherein the Reaction System comprises two or more reactor vessels wherein said reactor vessels are configured in a matrix of at least 2 reactors by 2 reactors and each reactor vessel contains one or more internal structure selected from the group consisting of trays, perforated support plates, catalyst beds, structured catalyst beds, Raschig rings, Dixon rings, and combinations of these to promote the transformation of the Feedstock mixture to a Process Mixture; means for receiving said Process Mixture and separating the liquid components of the Process Mixture from the bulk gaseous components of the Process Mixture, said means for receiving in fluid communication with the reaction System; and means for separating any residual gaseous components and by-product hydrocarbon components from the Process Mixture to form a Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil.
10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil complies with ISO 8217 (2017) and has a sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 5.0 mass % to 1.0 mass % and wherein the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil complies with ISO 8217 (2017) and has a sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.50 mass % to 0.05 mass %.
11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the Reaction Section contains a catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises: a porous inorganic oxide catalyst carrier and a transition metal catalyst, wherein the porous inorganic oxide catalyst carrier is at least one carrier selected from the group consisting of alumina, alumina/boria carrier, a carrier containing metal-containing aluminosilicate, alumina/phosphorus carrier, alumina/alkaline earth metal compound carrier, alumina/titania carrier and alumina/zirconia carrier, and wherein the transition metal catalyst is one or more metals selected from the group consisting of group 6, 8, 9 and 10 of the Periodic Table.
12 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the Reaction System comprises at least six reactor vessels wherein said reactor vessels are configured in a matrix of at least 3 reactors arranged in series to form two reactor trains and wherein the 2 reactor trains arranged in parallel and configured such that Process Mixture can be distributed across the matrix.
13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the first reactor in each reactor train is loaded with a first catalyst mixture, the second reactor in each reactor is loaded within a second catalyst mixture and the third reactor is loaded with a third catalyst mixture, and wherein the first catalyst mixture, second catalyst mixture and third catalyst mixture are not the same.
14 . A modular reactor comprising: a reaction vessel having an exterior shell that defines an interior space; one or more inlet piping connections to provide fluid communication between a source of feedstock and the interior space of reaction vessel; one or more outlet piping connections to provide fluid communication between the interior of the reaction vessel and product removal piping; a supporting framework surrounding the reaction vessel, the supporting frame work providing the reaction vessel with structural support, and wherein the supporting framework is transportable; and one or more internal structures within the interior space of the reaction vessel.
15 . The modular reactor of claim 14 , wherein the internal structures are selected from the group consisting of: trays, perforated support plates, catalyst beds, structured catalyst beds, Raschig rings, Dixon rings, absorbent materials and combinations of these.
16 . The modular reactor of claim 14 , wherein the supporting framework has dimensions of an ISO 40 foot container.
17 . The modular reactor of claim 14 , wherein the supporting framework has dimensions of an ISO 20 foot container.
18 . The modular reactor of claim 14 , wherein the reaction vessel exterior shell is defined by a first hemispherical head; a tubular middle section having a first end and a second end and a second hemispherical head; wherein the first hemispherical head is removably connected to first end of the tubular middle section to form a first head flange and the second hemispherical head is removably connected to the second end of the tubular middle section to form a second head flange.
19 . The modular reactor of claim 14 , wherein the Reaction Section contains a catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises: a porous inorganic oxide catalyst carrier and a transition metal catalyst, wherein the porous inorganic oxide catalyst carrier is at least one carrier selected from the group consisting of alumina, alumina/boria carrier, a carrier containing metal-containing aluminosilicate, alumina/phosphorus carrier, alumina/alkaline earth metal compound carrier, alumina/titania carrier and alumina/zirconia carrier, and wherein the transition metal catalyst is one or more metals selected from the group consisting of group 6, 8, 9 and 10 of the Periodic Table.
20 . The modular reactor of claim 19 , wherein the catalyst is pre-sulfided and coated with oxygen containing hydrocarbon to passivate the catalyst and a secondary protective coating agent that is a long chain waxy hydrocarbon or polymer material to further protect the pre-sulfided catalyst from deactivation, wherein the secondary protective coating agent has a melting point greater than about 60° C. and a melting point of over 80° C. to facilitate transportation of the modular reactor.