Process for mixing dilution steam with liquid hydrocarbons before steam cracking

US11407950B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Lummus Technology LLC · US
• Saudi Aramco Technologies Company · SA

Inventors

• Dennis Maloney · Houston, US
• Kandasamy Sundaram · Houston, US
• Raghu Narayan · Bloomfield, US
• Abdul Rahman Zafer Akhras · Dhahran, SA

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 16, 2020
• Grant date: Aug 9, 2022
• Expiry date: Mar 16, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C10G2400/30
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process for steam cracking a whole crude including a volatilization step performed to maintain a relatively large hydrocarbon droplet size. The process may include contacting a whole crude with steam to volatilize a portion of the hydrocarbons, wherein the contacting of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam is conducted at an initial relative velocity of less than 30 m/s, for example. The resulting vapor phase, including volatilized hydrocarbons and steam may then be separated from a liquid phase comprising unvaporized hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons in the vapor phase may then be forwarded to a steam pyrolysis reactor for steam cracking of the hydrocarbons in the vapor phase.