Enhanced treatment of renewable feedstocks with integrated off-gas processing
A system for treating non-petroleum or renewable feedstocks containing oxygen and contaminants of one or more of metals, gums, and resins comprises a reactor having a heat source for heating an interior of the reactor. The reactor is configured to receive the feedstock at a flow velocity of from 20 ft/sec to 100 ft/sec within the interior to facilitate heating the feedstock to a temperature of from 700° F. to 1100° F. to form a reactor product. A heat exchanger is configured to cool the reactor product and a separator unit is configured to separate metals, water, and gases comprising C 1 or greater hydrocarbons from the cooled reactor product to form a final product. A reformer unit is configured to receive at least a portion of the gases for converting the at least one of C 1 or greater hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen gas from the C 1 or greater hydrocarbons.
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.