System and method for rapid dump tank heating

1. A method of operating a dump tank of a polymer production process, the method comprising:

transferring all or a portion of a content of a polymerization reactor into the dump tank, wherein the reactor contents comprise solid polymer, and liquid and gaseous non-product components; and

removing at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components from the dump tank by:

reducing a pressure of the dump tank, whereby a flash gas comprising a first portion of the at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components is recovered from the dump tank;

subjecting the solid polymer to a first cleaning stage comprising heating the solid polymer by introducing a first heated treatment gas comprising primarily one or more hydrocarbons into the dump tank until a first cleaning stage temperature of the solid polymer is attained and recovering a first gas comprising at least a portion of the first heated treatment gas and a second portion of the at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components from the dump tank during the first cleaning stage; and

removing a portion of the one or more hydrocarbons from the first gas to yield recovered hydrocarbons and a treated first gas,

further comprising subjecting the solid polymer to a second cleaning stage comprising purging the solid polymer by introducing a second heated treatment gas comprising primarily nitrogen into the dump tank and recovering a second gas comprising a third portion of the at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components from the dump tank during the second cleaning stage.

2. A method of operating a dump tank of a polymer production process, the method comprising:

transferring all or a portion of a content of a polymerization reactor into the dump tank, wherein the reactor contents comprise solid polymer, and liquid and gaseous non-product components; and

removing at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components from the dump tank by:

reducing a pressure of the dump tank, whereby a flash gas comprising a first portion of the at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components is recovered from the dump tank;

subjecting the solid polymer to a first cleaning stage comprising heating the solid polymer by introducing a first heated treatment gas comprising primarily one or more hydrocarbons into the dump tank until a first cleaning stage temperature of the solid polymer is attained and recovering a first gas comprising at least a portion of the first heated treatment gas and a second portion of the at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components from the dump tank during the first cleaning stage; and

removing a portion of the one or more hydrocarbons from the first gas to yield recovered hydrocarbons and a treated first gas,

further comprising recycling a portion of the recovered hydrocarbons to the polymerization reactor, the dump tank, or both and

further comprising subjecting the solid polymer to a second cleaning stage comprising purging the solid polymer by introducing a second heated treatment gas comprising primarily nitrogen into the dump tank and recovering a second gas comprising a third portion of the at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components from the dump tank during the second cleaning stage.

3. A method of operating a dump tank of a polymer production process, the method comprising:

transferring all or a portion of a content of a polymerization reactor into the dump tank, wherein the reactor contents comprise solid polymer, and liquid and gaseous non-product components; and

removing at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components from the dump tank by:

reducing a pressure of the dump tank, whereby a flash gas comprising a first portion of the at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components is recovered from the dump tank;

subjecting the solid polymer to a first cleaning stage comprising heating the solid polymer by introducing a first heated treatment gas comprising primarily one or more hydrocarbons into the dump tank until a first cleaning stage temperature of the solid polymer is attained and recovering a first gas comprising at least a portion of the first heated treatment gas and a second portion of the at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components from the dump tank during the first cleaning stage; and

removing a portion of the one or more hydrocarbons from the first gas to yield recovered hydrocarbons and a treated first gas,

further comprising recycling a portion of the recovered hydrocarbons to the polymerization reactor, the dump tank, or both,

further comprising flaring at least a portion of the treated first gas, and

further comprising subjecting the solid polymer to a second cleaning stage comprising purging the solid polymer by introducing a second heated treatment gas comprising primarily nitrogen into the dump tank and recovering a second gas comprising a third portion of the at least a portion of the liquid and gaseous non-product components from the dump tank during the second cleaning stage.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing a portion of the nitrogen from the second gas to yield recovered nitrogen and a treated second gas.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising removing a portion of the nitrogen from the second gas to yield recovered nitrogen and a treated second gas.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising removing a portion of the nitrogen from the second gas to yield recovered nitrogen and a treated second gas.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising recycling a portion of the recovered nitrogen to the dump tank.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising recycling a portion of the recovered nitrogen to the dump tank.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising recycling a portion of the recovered nitrogen to the dump tank.

10. The method of claim 4 , further comprising flaring at least a portion of the treated second gas.

11. The method of claim 5 , further comprising flaring at least a portion of the treated second gas.

12. The method of claim 6 , further comprising flaring at least a portion of the treated second gas.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising flaring at least a portion of the treated second gas.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising flaring at least a portion of the treated second gas.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising flaring at least a portion of the treated second gas.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polymer production process comprises an isobutane nitrogen recovery unit (INRU), and wherein at least a portion of the nitrogen introduced into the dump tank via the second treatment gas comprises nitrogen recovered from the INRU.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising introducing the second gas into the INRU or another separation apparatus operable to separate nitrogen from the second gas.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising recycling a portion of the recovered hydrocarbons to the polymerization reactor, the dump tank, or both.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising flaring at least a portion of the treated first gas.

20. The method of claim 2 , further comprising flaring at least a portion of the treated first gas.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising flaring at least a portion of the treated first gas.