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Title: Process and apparatus for ethylene production

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5390770

A thermal cracking process and apparatus are disclosed for economical manufacture of lower olefins and valuable coproducts by pyrolysis of liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon feedstocks ranging from ethane to tar sands particularly feedstocks, such as gas oil, naphtha, residual oils or tar sands. The pyrolysis unit is a riser reactor heated by hot agglomerated ash particles and designed for short residence time to minimize the time of contact of the feedstock with the hot ash. The agglomerated ash is continually produced in a fluidized bed combustion unit by burning particles of coal or other solid carbonaceous material, and the hot agglomerated ash is continually forced upwardly through the riser by superheated steam which is further superheated in the riser reactor and which serves as dilution steam for hydrocarbon partial pressure reduction. Additional dilution steam enters the reactor with the preheated feedstock. A water quench at the outlet of the reactor slows down or stops secondary reactions as the cracked gases are separated from the hot ash in a roughing cyclone separator. The ash particles, which are coated with coke or char after reaction, are preferably steam stripped to remove occluded hydrocarbon and are thereafter recycled to the bed of the combustion unit. If the feedstock is tar sand or a feedstock with high coking tendencies, it may be preferable to burn at least part of the char or coke coated ash and/or sand particles from the riser reactor in a separate burner and thus dispose of some of the solids before the ash recycle to the main combustion unit.

Assignee:
Arthur G. McKee and Co.
Patent Number(s):
US 4172857
OSTI ID:
5390770
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: Filed date 3 Apr 1978
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English