Abstract:
One exemplary embodiment can be a process for hydrocarbon conversion. The process can include providing a feed to a slurry hydrocracking zone, obtaining a hydrocarbon stream including one or more C16-C45 hydrocarbons from the at least one separator, providing another feed to a hydrocracking zone, and providing hydrogen from a three-stage compressor to the slurry hydrocracking zone and the hydrocracking zone. Moreover, the slurry hydrocracking zone may include a slurry hydrocracking reactor and at least one separator.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention generally relates to a process for hydrocarbon conversion and a process for hydrogen distribution in an apparatus. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Many configurations have been proposed to reduce capital costs by integrating processing units. Often, hydroprocessing units may utilize similar feeds, catalysts, process conditions, and various utilities. As such, hydroprocessing units can share make-up and recycle gas systems, such as those systems that provide hydrogen. The hydrogen can be compressed to the pressure required by the individual units. Such compression is usually undertaken with a compressor. Thus, it can be desirable to minimize the cost and number of compressors, as compressors can be an expensive component for a hydroprocessing unit. As a result, any integration and sharing of equipment can reduce the costs of manufacturing and maintaining the hydroprocessing facility. Therefore, it can be desirable to manufacture hydroprocessing facilities in an economic and efficient manor to minimize capital costs and increase opportunities for sharing equipment infrastructure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One exemplary embodiment can be a process for hydrocarbon conversion. The process can include providing a feed to a slurry hydrocracking zone, obtaining a hydrocarbon stream including one or more C16-C45 hydrocarbons from the at least one separator, providing another feed to a hydrocracking zone, and providing hydrogen from a three-stage compressor to the slurry hydrocracking zone and the hydrocracking zone. Moreover, the slurry hydrocracking zone may include a slurry hydrocracking reactor and at least one separator. 
     Another exemplary embodiment can be a process for hydrogen distribution for an apparatus. The process may include providing a three-stage compressor having a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage; providing hydrogen from the first stage to at least one of a naphtha hydrotreating zone and an isomerization zone; providing hydrogen from the second stage to a hydrotreating zone; and providing hydrogen from the third stage to at least one of a slurry hydrocracking zone and a hydrocracking zone. 
     A further exemplary embodiment may be a process for hydrogen distribution for an apparatus. The process can include providing a three-stage compressor including a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage; providing hydrogen from the first stage to at least one of a naphtha hydrotreating zone and an isomerization zone; providing hydrogen from the second stage to a hydrotreating zone; providing hydrogen from the third stage to a slurry hydrocracking zone; and providing hydrogen from the third stage to a hydrocracking zone. The hydrocracking zone may include a hydrocracking reactor, a hot separator, a cold separator, a hot flash drum, and a cold flash drum. Also, the hydrotreating zone can include a hydrotreating reactor, a hot separator, a cold separator, and a recycle gas compressor. Often, hydrogen is recycled from the cold separator to the hydrotreating reactor. Additionally, the slurry hydrocracking zone may include a slurry hydrocracking reactor, a hot separator, a warm separator, a cold separator, and a recycle gas compressor. Generally, hydrogen is recycled from the slurry hydrocracking zone cold separator to the slurry hydrocracking reactor. 
     The embodiments provided herein can allow the integration of make-up and recycle gas systems for hydrogen provided to a slurry hydrocracking zone, a hydrocracking zone, and a hydrotreating zone. As an example, integrating compression systems from two zones can allow a single spare to be utilized for the compressors operating with each respective zone, thereby eliminating capital costs. The embodiments disclosed herein can provide a three-stage compressor providing hydrogen to several zones and thus further reduce costs. 
     DEFINITIONS 
     As used herein, the term “stream” can include various hydrocarbon molecules, such as straight-chain, branched, or cyclic alkanes, alkenes, alkadienes, and alkynes, and optionally other substances, such as gases, e.g., hydrogen, or impurities, such as heavy metals, and sulfur and nitrogen compounds. A stream can also include aromatic and non-aromatic hydrocarbons, or other gases absent hydrocarbons, such as hydrogen. Moreover, the hydrocarbon molecules may be abbreviated C1, C2, C3 . . . Cn where “n” represents the number of carbon atoms in the one or more hydrocarbon molecules. Furthermore, a superscript “+” or “−” may be used with an abbreviated one or more hydrocarbons notation, e.g., C3 +  or C3 − , which is inclusive of the abbreviated one or more hydrocarbons. As an example, the abbreviation “C3 + ” means one or more hydrocarbon molecules of three carbon atoms and/or more. 
     As used herein, the term “zone” can refer to an area including one or more equipment items and/or one or more sub-zones. Equipment items can include one or more reactors or reactor vessels, heaters, exchangers, pipes, pumps, compressors, and controllers. Additionally, an equipment item, such as a reactor, dryer, or vessel, can further include one or more zones or sub-zones. 
     As used herein, the term “megapascal” may be abbreviated “MPa”. 
     As used herein, the term “liquid hourly space velocity” may be abbreviated “LHSV”. 
     As used herein, the term “overhead stream” can mean a stream withdrawn at or near a top of a vessel, typically a distillation column or flash drum. 
     As used herein, the term “bottom stream” can mean a stream withdrawn at or near a bottom of a vessel, typically a distillation column or flash drum. 
     As depicted, process flow lines in the FIGURE can be referred to interchangeably as, e.g., lines, pipes, feeds, products, parts, portions, or streams. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The FIGURE is a schematic depiction of an exemplary apparatus. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the FIGURE, an exemplary apparatus  10  can include a three-stage compressor  100 , a slurry hydrocracking zone  200 , a hydrocracking zone  300 , and a hydrotreating zone  400 , and a separation zone  500 . Optionally, the apparatus  10  may also include a naphtha hydrotreatment zone  170  and an isomerization zone  180 . An exemplary naphtha hydrotreatment zone is disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,727,490 and an exemplary isomerization zone is disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,223,898. Often, the apparatus  10  can be any suitable refinery or chemical manufacturing facility. Generally, the apparatus  10  can include a make-up hydrogen system that includes the three-stage compressor  100  and a recycle hydrogen system that may permit recycling of hydrogen in and among the zones  200 ,  300 , and  400 . Generally, the recycle hydrogen system contains hydrogen that has higher amounts of impurities, such as one or more C1-C3 hydrocarbons, as compared to the make-up hydrogen system. These hydrogen systems will be discussed in further detail hereinafter and are indicated in the FIGURE by dashed lines. 
     The three-stage compressor  100  can include a first stage compressor  110 , a second stage compressor  120 , and a third stage compressor  130  and provide make-up hydrogen to the zones  170 ,  180 ,  200 ,  300 , and  400 . Hence, the three-stage compressor  100  can include several stages integrated together and can provide hydrogen to the various hydroprocessing zones at the requisite pressure. Particularly, the first stage compressor  110  can receive a hydrogen stream  104  and provide an outlet or discharge stream  114 ; the second stage compressor  120  can receive a portion  118  of the outlet or discharge stream  114  and provide an outlet or discharge stream  122  at a higher pressure; and the third stage compressor  130  can receive a portion  126  of the second stage outlet or discharge stream  122  and provide an outlet or discharge stream  132  at an even higher pressure. 
     The suction pressure for the first stage compressor  110  can be about 2.0-about 3.0 MPa, the suction pressure for the second stage compressor  120  can be about 4.0-about 6.0 MPa, and the suction pressure for the third stage compressor  130  can be about 8.0-about 12.0 MPa. The discharge pressure for the first stage compressor  110  may be about 4.0-about 6.0 MPa; for the second stage compressor  120  may be about 8.0-about 12.0 MPa, preferably about 8.0-about 10.0 MPa; and for the third stage compressor  130  may be about 16.0-about 24.0 MPa, preferably about 16.0-about 19.0 MPa. Generally, the first stage compressor  110  and the second stage compressor  120  may have respective coolers and knock-out pots prior to, respectively, the suction of the second stage compressor  120  and the third stage compressor  130 . 
     Often, parallel compressors are installed. In a typical installation, a total of ten stages of compression can be eliminated from the slurry hydrocracking zone  200  and the hydrotreating zone  400  by increasing the size of the hydrocracking zone  300  compressors. Using the three-stage compressor  100  may reduce cost by at least 25% by integrating the compression systems for the various zones  200 ,  300 , and  400 . Additional savings may be obtained by utilizing larger compressors. 
     The slurry hydrocracking zone  200  can include a slurry hydrocracking reactor  210 , at least one separator  220 , a recycle gas scrubber  280 , and a recycle gas compressor  286 . Generally, the slurry hydrocracking reactor  210  can operate at any suitable conditions, such as a temperature of about 400-about 500° C. and a pressure of about 3-about 24 MPa. Exemplary slurry hydrocracking zones are disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,955; U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,977; US 2009/0127161; US 2010/0248946; US 2011/0306490; and US 2011/0303580. Often, slurry hydroprocessing is carried out using reactor conditions sufficient to crack at least a portion of a feed  204  to lower boiling products, such as one or more distillate hydrocarbons, naphtha, and/or C1-C4 products. The feed  204  can include hydrocarbons boiling from about 340-about 570° C., and may include one or more of a crude oil atmospheric distillation column residuum boiling above about 340° C., a crude oil vacuum distillation column residuum boiling above about 560° C., tars, a bitumen, coal oils, and shale oils. A catalyst may be combined with the feed  204  to obtain a solids content of about 0.01-about 10%, by weight, before being combined with hydrogen, as hereinafter described. 
     Typically, the slurry catalyst composition can include a catalytically effective amount of one or more compounds having iron. Particularly, the one or more compounds can include at least one of an iron oxide, an iron sulfate, and an iron carbonate. Other forms of iron can include at least one of an iron sulfide, a pyrrhotite, and a pyrite. What is more, the catalyst can contain materials other than an iron, such as at least one of molybdenum, nickel, and manganese, and/or a salt, an oxide, and/or a mineral thereof. Preferably, the one or more compounds includes an iron sulfate, and more preferably, at least one of an iron sulfate monohydrate and an iron sulfate heptahydrate. 
     Alternatively, one or more catalyst particles can include about 2-about 45%, by weight, iron oxide and about 20-about 90%, by weight, alumina. In one exemplary embodiment, iron-containing bauxite is a preferred material having these proportions. Bauxite can have about 10-about 40%, by weight, iron oxide, and about 54-about 84%, by weight, alumina and may have about 10-about 35%, by weight, iron oxide and about 55-about 80%, by weight, alumina Bauxite also may include silica and titania in amounts of usually no more than about 10%, by weight, and typically in amounts of no more than about 6%, by weight. Volatiles such as water and carbon dioxide may also be present, but the foregoing weight proportions exclude such volatiles. Typically, iron oxide is also present in bauxite in a hydrated form, but again the foregoing proportions exclude water in the hydrated composition. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, it may be desirable for the catalyst to be supported. Such a supported catalyst can be relatively resilient and maintain its particle size after being processed. As a consequence, such a catalyst can include a support of alumina, silica, titania, one or more aluminosilicates, magnesia, bauxite, coal and/or petroleum coke. Such a supported catalyst can include a catalytically active metal, such as at least one of iron, molybdenum, nickel, and vanadium, as well as sulfides of one or more of these metals. Generally, the catalyst can have about 0.01-about 30%, by weight, of the catalytic active metal based on the total weight of the catalyst. 
     The at least one separator  220  can include a hot separator  230 , a warm separator  240 , and a cold separator  250 . Generally, an effluent  214  from the slurry hydrocracking reactor  210  can be provided to the at least one separator  220  with various hydrocarbon streams being obtained, such as a bottom stream  234  from the hot separator  230 , a bottom stream  244  from the warm separator  240 , and a bottom stream  254  from the cold separator  250 . Often, the hot separator  230  can be about 200-about 480° C., and the warm separator  240  can be about 170-about 380° C. Generally, the cold separator  250  is no more than about 100° C., preferably no more than about 70° C. The streams  234 ,  244 , and  254 , can be provided to the separation zone  500 . Moreover, a top stream  238  from the hot separator  230  can be provided to the warm separator  240 , which in turn can provide a top stream  248  to the cold separator  250 . 
     The hydrocracking zone  300  can include a hydrocracking reactor  320 , a hot separator  340 , a cold separator  350 , a hot flash drum  360 , and a cold flash drum  370 . Generally, the hydrocracking zone  300  can receive another feed  304  to be received within the hydrocracking reactor  320 . The another feed  304  can include a vacuum gas oil or other hydrocarbon fraction having at least about 50%, by weight, of its components boiling at a temperature above about 390° C. 
     Generally, the hydrocracking reactor  320  can operate at any suitable conditions, such as a temperature of about 290-about 470° C. and a pressure of about 3.5-about 21 MPa. Generally, the hydrocracking reactor  320  can include a first bed  324  and a second bed  328  containing any suitable catalyst. Afterwards, the hydrocracking reactor  320  can provide an effluent  332 . Although only one hydrocracking reactor  320  is depicted in the hydrocracking zone  300 , it should be understood that additional hydrocracking reactors may be utilized as well as other suitable reactors, such as a hydrotreating reactor. 
     Suitable hydrocracking catalysts may include amorphous silica-alumina bases or low-level zeolite bases combined with one or more Group VIII or Group VIB metal hydrogenating components. Alternatively, the catalyst may include any crystalline zeolite cracking base with a deposited Group VIII metal hydrogenating component, such as iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium and platinum. Additional hydrogenating components may be selected from Group VIB such as molybdenum and tungsten for incorporation with the zeolite base. 
     Sometimes, the zeolite cracking bases are referred to as molecular sieves and are usually composed of silica, alumina and one or more exchangeable cations such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, and rare earth metals. The hydrocracking conditions may include a temperature of about 290-about 470° C., a pressure of about 3.5-about 20.7 MPa, a LHSV from about 1.0—less than about 2.5 hr −1 , and a hydrogen rate of about 420-about 2,530 Nm 3 /m 3  oil. 
     Often, the effluent  332  is provided to the hot separator  340 , which can provide a top stream  342  and a bottom stream  344 . Typically, the top stream  342  is provided to the cold separator  350 , which in turn provides a bottom stream  354  to the cold flash drum  370 . Often, the hot separator  340  can be about 200-about 470° C. Generally, the cold separator  350  is no more than about 100° C., preferably no more than about 70° C. The bottom stream  344  from the hot separator  340  may be provided to the hot flash drum  360 , which in turn can provide a top stream  362  and a bottom stream  364 . The top stream  362  may be combined with the bottom stream  354  to form a combined stream  366  provided to the cold flash drum  370 . Generally, the cold flash drum  370  provides a top stream  372  and a bottom stream  374 . The streams  364 ,  372 , and  374  exiting the hydrocracking zone  300  can be provided to the separation zone  500 . 
     The hydrotreating zone  400  can include a hydrotreating reactor  420 , a hot separator  430 , a cold separator  440 , a recycle gas scrubber  450 , and a recycle gas compressor  460 . Generally, the hydrotreating zone  400  can desulfurize, denitrify, or saturate a further feed  404 . The further feed  404  can include one or more C8-C21 hydrocarbons and have hydrocarbons boiling from about 180-about 370° C. Typically, the further feed  404  can be a diesel cut. 
     The further feed  404  can be provided to the hydrotreating reactor  420 , which can operate at any suitable conditions, such as a temperature of about 290-about 460° C. and a pressure of about 3.0-about 9.0 MPa. The hydrotreating reactor  420  can contain any suitable number of beds, such as a first bed  424  and a second bed  426 . 
     Suitable hydrotreating catalysts include those which are comprised of at least one Group VIII metal, preferably iron, cobalt and/or nickel, and at least one Group VI metal, preferably molybdenum and/or tungsten, on a high surface area support material, preferably alumina. Other suitable hydrotreating catalysts may include zeolitic catalysts, as well as noble metal catalysts where the noble metal may be selected from palladium and/or platinum. More than one type of hydrotreating catalyst may be used in the same vessel. Often, the Group VIII metal is present in an amount ranging from about 2-about 20%, by weight, and the Group VI metal is present in an amount ranging of about 1-about 25%, by weight. 
     Preferred hydrotreating reaction conditions include a temperature from about 290-about 455° C., a pressure of about 3.0-about 9.0 MPa, an LHSV of about 0.5-about 4 hr −1 , and a hydrogen rate of about 160-about 1,020 Nm 3 /m 3  oil, with a hydrotreating catalyst or a combination of hydrotreating catalysts. Exemplary hydrocracking and hydrotreating zones are disclosed in, e.g., U.S. application Ser. No. 13/076,670 filed 31 Mar. 2011. 
     A hydrotreating effluent  428  can be obtained from the hydrotreating reactor  420  and provided to the hot separator  430 . The hot separator  430  can provide a top stream  434  and a bottom stream  436 . The bottom stream  436  can be provided to the separation zone  500  while the top stream  434  can be provided to the cold separator  440 . Often, the hot separator  430  can be about 200-about 470° C. Generally, the cold separator  440  is no more than about 100° C., preferably no more than about 70° C. The cold separator  440  can provide a bottom stream  446  to the separation zone  500  and a top stream  444 , containing mostly hydrogen, to the recycle gas scrubber  450 . The recycle gas scrubber  450  can receive a lean amine stream  452  to wash the hydrogen by removing sulfur compounds. A rich amine stream  454  can exit a bottom of the recycle gas scrubber  450  that may also provide a top stream  456  that contains mostly hydrogen. The top stream  456  can be provided to the recycle gas compressor  460 , which may provide a recycle or discharge stream  464  that can be recycled within the hydrotreating zone  400 . 
     The separation zone  500  can include any suitable number of separation vessels and/or distillation columns to provide various hydrocarbon products. Although a single separation zone  500  is depicted, it should be understood that the separation zone  500  can include at least one of a separator and a fractionation column, and often includes multiple vessels to produce the desired hydrocarbon products and may include sub-zones. 
     Referring to the make-up hydrogen system, the three-stage compressor  100  can provide several hydrogen streams. As an example, a portion of the discharge stream  114  may be separated at point “C” and be provided as a stream  162  that may in turn be split into streams  164  and  166  and be provided to the respective naphtha hydrotreatment zone  170  and isomerization zone  180 . As such, the pressure of the discharge stream  114  is often suitable for zones requiring a lower pressure. 
     The discharge stream  122  from the second stage compressor  120  can be split into a stream  124  that can be routed at point “D” to the hydrotreating zone  400  and combined with recycled hydrogen from point “E”. The make-up and recycled hydrogen can be provided to the further feed  404  as well as the hydrotreating reactor  420  between the beds  424  and  426 . 
     The hydrogen from the discharge stream  132  can be provided to at least one of the slurry hydrocracking zone  200  and the hydrocracking zone  300 , and split into a stream  140  and collected at a point “H” and then provided, directly or indirectly, to the slurry hydrocracking zone  200 . Particularly, the hydrogen may be provided as a stream  274  and as a stream  298 . A recycled hydrogen stream  276  may be split into a recycled hydrogen portion  262  and a recycled hydrogen portion  268 . The recycled hydrogen portion  262  can combined with the stream  274  to form a combined hydrogen stream  288  provided to the feed  204 . Also, the recycled hydrogen portion  268  can be combined with the stream  298  to form a combined stream  296  provided to the effluent  214 , as hereinafter described. Another portion of the discharge stream  132  can be obtained as a stream  148  and be split into streams  134  and  136  to be provided to, respectively, the another feed  304  for the hydrocracking zone  300  and the hydrocracking reactor  320  along with recycled hydrogen from point “G”, as hereinafter described. 
     In addition, hydrogen gas can be recycled within and optionally among the zones  200 ,  300 , and  400 . Particularly, a top stream  258  can be obtained from the cold separator  250  in the slurry hydrocracking zone  200 . Furthermore, a top stream  264  containing hydrogen can be obtained from the cold separator  350  in the hydrocracking zone  300  and be combined with the stream  258  to form a stream  266  provided to the recycle gas scrubber  280 . The gases can be cleaned by being contacted with the lean amine stream  282  and obtained as a top stream  272  from the recycle gas scrubber  280 . The stream  272  can be sent to the recycle gas compressor  286  to provide a discharge stream  274  that can be split into the stream  276  and a stream  278  at point “G” sent to the hydrocracking zone  300 . This recycled hydrogen can be combined with the make-up hydrogen discussed above, namely a recycled hydrogen stream  138  can be combined with the make-up hydrogen stream  134  to form a combined hydrogen stream  142  added to the another feed  304 , and a recycled hydrogen stream  140  may be combined with the make-up hydrogen stream  136  to form a combined hydrogen stream  144  provided to the hydrocracking reactor  320  between the first and second beds  324  and  328 . 
     In addition, the recycled hydrogen portion  268  split from the recycled hydrogen stream  276  can be combined with the stream  298  to form the combined hydrogen stream  296  before being added to the effluent  214  from the slurry hydrocracking reactor  210 . 
     Moreover, the top stream  444  from the hydrotreating zone  400  can be provided to the recycle gas scrubber  450 . After washing, the hydrogen stream  456  provided to the recycle gas compressor  460  may be discharged as the recycle or discharge stream  464  at point “E”. The recycle gas can be combined with the make-up hydrogen, particularly, recycle streams  468  and  472  may be combined with, respectively, make-up streams  480  and  476  to form combined hydrogen streams  484  and  488 . These combined hydrogen streams  484  and  488  may be provided, respectively, to the further feed  404  and the hydrotreating reactor  420  between the first and second beds  424  and  426 . 
     The embodiments disclosed herein can provide a recycle gas scrubber  280  servicing both a slurry hydrocracking zone  200  and a hydrocracking zone  300  further reducing capital costs. Generally, the hydrocracking zone  300  operates more effectively with a higher purity hydrogen. Therefore, make-up hydrogen can be provided to the inlet of the hydrocracking zone  300  to allow more severe processing. In addition to sharing of the recycle gas scrubber, the zones  200  and  300  may also share the recycle gas compressor  286 , further reducing capital costs. Integration can also reduce utilities, such as wash water and amine systems. 
     Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can, using the preceding description, utilize the present invention to its fullest extent. The preceding preferred specific embodiments are, therefore, to be construed as merely illustrative, and not limitative of the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever. 
     In the foregoing, all temperatures are set forth in degrees Celsius and, all parts and percentages are by weight, unless otherwise indicated. 
     From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.