Hydrocarbon-conversion process with fractionator overhead vapor recycle

Patent · Tue Jun 16 00:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6353470

Turner, R B; Peters, K D; Bennett, R W

This patent describes a process for recovering the products of a hydrogen-producing hydrocarbon conversion reaction. The improvement comprises: (a) passing a partially condensed hydrocarbon conversion reaction zone effluent stream comprising C/sub 5/+ hydrocarbons, methane, ethane, propane, butane, and hydrogen into a vapor-liquid separation zone which comprises at least two vapor-liquid separators and in which at least one vapor-liquid contacting step is performed. The effluent stream is separated into a hydrogen-rich net gas stream and a liquid stream. The reaction zone effluent stream is initially passed to a first vapor-liquid separator in the vapor-liquid separation zone to yield a first hydrogen-containing vapor stream and a first liquid stream. At least a portion of the hydrogen-containing vapor stream is passed to a second vapor-liquid separator in the vapor-liquid separation zone to yield a second hydrogen-containing vapor stream and a second liquid stream; (b) passing the liquid stream to a fractionation column and recovering a heavy hydrocarbon stream, an overhead vapor stream, and an overhead liquid stream; (c) passing at least a portion of the overhead vapor stream directly to the second of the vapor-liquid separators in the vapor-liquid separation zone; (d) passing the overhead liquid stream to a de-ethanizer column and recovering an overhead vapor stream and a bottoms stream; (e) passing the bottoms stream to a splitter column and recovering an overhead propane stream and a butane stream; and (f) recycling the overhead vapor stream directly to the second vapor-liquid separators in the vapor-liquid separation zone.

• Assignee: UOP Inc., Des Plaines, IL
• Patent Number(s): US 4673488
• OSTI ID: 6353470
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020400* -- Petroleum-- Processing
03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
08 HYDROGEN
080100 -- Hydrogen-- Production
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201 -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
ALKANES
BUTANE
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RECOVERY
ETHANE
FLUIDS
FRACTIONATION
GASES
HEAT RECOVERY
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
LIQUIDS
METHANE
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROPANE
RECOVERY
RECYCLING
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SEPARATION PROCESSES
VAPORS
WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION