Using supercritical fluids to refine hydrocarbons

Yarbro, Stephen Lee

Title: Using supercritical fluids to refine hydrocarbons

Abstract

A system and method for reactively refining hydrocarbons, such as heavy oils with API gravities of less than 20 degrees and bitumen-like hydrocarbons with viscosities greater than 1000 cp at standard temperature and pressure, using a selected fluid at supercritical conditions. A reaction portion of the system and method delivers lightweight, volatile hydrocarbons to an associated contacting unit which operates in mixed subcritical/supercritical or supercritical modes. Using thermal diffusion, multiphase contact, or a momentum generating pressure gradient, the contacting unit separates the reaction products into portions that are viable for use or sale without further conventional refining and hydro-processing techniques.

Inventors:: Yarbro, Stephen Lee

Issue Date:: 2015-06-09

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1183937

Patent Number(s):: 9051521

Application Number:: 13/838,746

Assignee:: LANL

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01D - SEPARATION

C - CHEMISTRY C10 - PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES C10G - CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS

Show more

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01D - SEPARATION
B01D3/009 - {in combination with chemical reactions}

C - CHEMISTRY C10 - PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES C10G - CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS
C10G1/047 - {Hot water or cold water extraction processes}
C10G21/06 - characterised by the solvent used
C10G2300/4006 - Temperature
C10G2300/4012 - Pressure
C10G2300/4043 - Limiting CO2 emissions
C10G2300/405 - Limiting CO, NOx or SOx emissions
C10G27/04 - with oxygen or compounds generating oxygen
C10G31/08 - by treating with water
C10G47/32 - in the presence of hydrogen-generating compounds
C10G53/14 - including at least one oxidation step
C10G55/04 - including at least one thermal cracking step
C10G9/00 - Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils

C - CHEMISTRY C10 - PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES C10K - PURIFYING OR MODIFYING THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE
C10K3/04 - reducing the carbon monoxide content {, e.g. water-gas shift [WGS]}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02P - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
Y02P20/10 - General improvement of production processes causing greenhouse gases [GHG] emissions
Y02P20/54 - characterised by the solvent

Show less

DOE Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25396

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; 02 PETROLEUM

Citation Formats


                    Yarbro, Stephen Lee. Using supercritical fluids to refine hydrocarbons.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
        Web.

Copy to clipboard


                    Yarbro, Stephen Lee. Using supercritical fluids to refine hydrocarbons.  United States.

Copy to clipboard


                    Yarbro, Stephen Lee. Tue .  
        "Using supercritical fluids to refine hydrocarbons".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1183937.

Copy to clipboard


                    
@article{osti_1183937,

  title        = {Using supercritical fluids to refine hydrocarbons},

  author       = {Yarbro, Stephen Lee},

  abstractNote = {A system and method for reactively refining hydrocarbons, such as heavy oils with API gravities of less than 20 degrees and bitumen-like hydrocarbons with viscosities greater than 1000 cp at standard temperature and pressure, using a selected fluid at supercritical conditions. A reaction portion of the system and method delivers lightweight, volatile hydrocarbons to an associated contacting unit which operates in mixed subcritical/supercritical or supercritical modes. Using thermal diffusion, multiphase contact, or a momentum generating pressure gradient, the contacting unit separates the reaction products into portions that are viable for use or sale without further conventional refining and hydro-processing techniques.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2015},

  month        = {6}

}

Copy to clipboard

Patent:

Save / Share:

Export Metadata

Save to My Library

Works referenced in this record:

Process for recovering and upgrading hydrocarbons from oil shale and tar sands
patent, April 1976

McCollum, John D.; Quick, Leonard M.
US Patent Document 3,948,754
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/3948754

Process for recovering and upgrading hydrocarbons from oil shale and tar sands
patent, April 1976

McCollum, John D.; Quick, Leonard M.
US Patent Document 3,948,755
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/3948755

Upgrading heavy hydrocarbons with supercritical water and light olefins
patent, November 1984

Paspek, Stephen C.
US Patent Document 4,483,761
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/4483761

Process and plant for purifying spent oil
patent, June 1998

Aussillous, Marcel; Briot, Patrick; Bigeard, Pierre-Henri
US Patent Document 5,759,385
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/5759385

Method and apparatus for continuous separation and reaction using supercritical fluid
patent, November 2004

Alkhalidl, Abdulhaq E.
US Patent Document 6,821,413
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/6821413

Deep separation method and processing system for the separation of heavy oil through granulation of coupled post-extraction asphalt residue
patent-application, January 2007

Zhao, Suoqi; Xu, Chunming; Wang, Ren'an
US Patent Application 11/265468; 20070007168
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20070007168

Reactor and process for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon oils
patent-application, May 2008

He, Zunqing; Li, Lin; Li, Lixiong
US Patent Application 11/555211; 20080099374
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20080099374

Extraction of solid fuels with sub- and supercritical water
journal, November 1994

Canel, Muammer; Missal, Peter
Fuel, Vol. 73, Issue 11, p. 1776-1780
https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-2361(94)90167-8

Similar Records in DOE Patents and OSTI.GOV collections:

Using supercritical fluids to refine hydrocarbons

Patent Yarbro, Stephen Lee

This is a method to reactively refine hydrocarbons, such as heavy oils with API gravities of less than 20.degree. and bitumen-like hydrocarbons with viscosities greater than 1000 cp at standard temperature and pressure using a selected fluid at supercritical conditions. The reaction portion of the method delivers lighter weight, more volatile hydrocarbons to an attached contacting device that operates in mixed subcritical or supercritical modes. This separates the reaction products into portions that are viable for use or sale without further conventional refining and hydro-processing techniques. This method produces valuable products with fewer processing steps, lower costs, increased worker safetymore » « less
Full Text Available
Method for nucleic acid isolation using supercritical fluids

Patent Nivens, David E [11912 Kingsgate Rd., Knoxville, TN 37911]; Applegate, Bruce M [3700 Sutherland Ave. #Q2, Knoxville, TN 37911]

A method for detecting the presence of a microorganism in an environmental sample involves contacting the sample with a supercritical fluid to isolate nucleic acid from the microorganism, then detecting the presence of a particular sequence within the isolated nucleic acid. The nucleic acid may optionally be subjected to further purification.
Full Text Available
Extraction of metals and/or metalloids from acidic media using supercritical fluids and salts

Patent Wai, Chien M [Moscow, ID]; Smart, Neil G [Moscow, ID]; Lin, Yuehe [Moscow, ID]

A method of extracting metalloid and metal species from a solid or liquid material by exposing the material to a fluid solvent, particularly supercritical carbon dioxide, containing a chelating agent is described. The chelating agent forms chelates that are soluble in the fluid to allow removal of the species from the material. In preferred embodiments, the extraction solvent is supercritical carbon dioxide and the chelating agent comprises a trialkyl phosphate, a triaryl phosphate, a trialkylphosphine oxide, a triarylphosphine oxide, or mixtures thereof. The method provides an environmentally benign process for removing contaminants from industrial waste. The method is particularly usefulmore » « less
Full Text Available
Extraction of metals using supercritical fluid and chelate forming legand

Patent Wai, Chien M [Moscow, ID]; Laintz, Kenneth E [Los Alamos, NM]

A method of extracting metalloid and metal species from a solid or liquid material by exposing the material to a supercritical fluid solvent containing a chelating agent is described. The chelating agent forms chelates that are soluble in the supercritical fluid to allow removal of the species from the material. In preferred embodiments, the extraction solvent is supercritical carbon dioxide and the chelating agent is a fluorinated .beta.-diketone. In especially preferred embodiments the extraction solvent is supercritical carbon dioxide, and the chelating agent comprises a fluorinated .beta.-diketone and a trialkyl phosphate, or a fluorinated .beta.-diketone and a trialkylphosphine oxide. Althoughmore » « less
Full Text Available
Methods for producing films using supercritical fluid

Patent Yonker, Clement R.; Fulton, John L.

A method for forming a continuous film on a substrate surface that involves depositing particles onto a substrate surface and contacting the particle-deposited substrate surface with a supercritical fluid under conditions sufficient for forming a continuous film from the deposited particles. The particles may have a mean particle size of less 1 micron. The method may be performed by providing a pressure vessel that can contain a compressible fluid. A particle-deposited substrate is provided in the pressure vessel and the compressible fluid is maintained at a supercritical or sub-critical state sufficient for forming a film from the deposited particles. Themore » « less
Full Text Available

Similar Records

Title: Using supercritical fluids to refine hydrocarbons

Abstract

Citation Formats

Process for recovering and upgrading hydrocarbons from oil shale and tar sands patent, April 1976

Process for recovering and upgrading hydrocarbons from oil shale and tar sands patent, April 1976

Upgrading heavy hydrocarbons with supercritical water and light olefins patent, November 1984

Process and plant for purifying spent oil patent, June 1998

Method and apparatus for continuous separation and reaction using supercritical fluid patent, November 2004

Deep separation method and processing system for the separation of heavy oil through granulation of coupled post-extraction asphalt residue patent-application, January 2007

Reactor and process for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon oils patent-application, May 2008

Extraction of solid fuels with sub- and supercritical water journal, November 1994

Process for recovering and upgrading hydrocarbons from oil shale and tar sands
patent, April 1976

Process for recovering and upgrading hydrocarbons from oil shale and tar sands
patent, April 1976

Upgrading heavy hydrocarbons with supercritical water and light olefins
patent, November 1984

Process and plant for purifying spent oil
patent, June 1998

Method and apparatus for continuous separation and reaction using supercritical fluid
patent, November 2004

Deep separation method and processing system for the separation of heavy oil through granulation of coupled post-extraction asphalt residue
patent-application, January 2007

Reactor and process for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon oils
patent-application, May 2008

Extraction of solid fuels with sub- and supercritical water
journal, November 1994