阅读说明：本技术 用于液态烃脱硫的系统和方法 (System and method for desulfurizing liquid hydrocarbons ) 是由 J.沃尔德伦 K.史密斯 于 2018-06-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：用于液态烃脱硫的系统,其具有至少一个反应子系统,所述反应子系统包括至少一个高强度混合器和汽提站。可以使用多个反应子系统。同样地公开了用于液态烃脱硫的方法。(A system for the desulfurization of liquid hydrocarbons having at least one reaction subsystem including at least one high intensity mixer and a stripping station. Multiple reaction subsystems may be used. Also disclosed is a process for the desulfurization of liquid hydrocarbons.)

1. A system for desulfurizing a liquid hydrocarbon, comprising:

-at least one reaction subsystem comprising

-a high intensity mixer having a feed device and a discharge device, and a mixing agitator; and

a stripping station comprising a feed device, a discharge device and a stripping structure,

-wherein the outlet means of the high intensity mixer is one of directly and indirectly fluidly connected to the inlet means of the stripping station,

-wherein the feed device of the high intensity mixer is structurally configured to receive a hydrocarbon fuel and an aqueous, and wherein the discharge device of the stripping structure is structurally configured to distribute the hydrocarbon fuel.

2. The system for desulfurization of liquid hydrocarbons of claim 1, wherein said stripping structure comprises one of a solid sorbent and a liquid sorbent structurally configured to adsorb oxidized sulfur.

3. The system for desulfurizing a liquid hydrocarbon of claim 1, further comprising:

-a separator having a feed means, an aqueous discharge means and a hydrocarbon fuel discharge means;

-wherein the feeding means are fluidly connected to the outfeed means of the high intensity mixer and the hydrocarbon fuel outfeed means are one of indirectly and directly connected to the feeding means of the stripping station.

4. The system for liquid hydrocarbon desulfurization of claim 3, wherein the aqueous discharge is located near the bottom of the separator, wherein the hydrocarbon fuel discharge is located above the aqueous discharge.

5. The system for liquid hydrocarbon desulfurization of claim 3, further comprising a retention tank having a feed device and an exit device, wherein the feed device of the retention tank is fluidly connected to the hydrocarbon fuel exit device, and wherein the exit device of the retention tank is fluidly connected to the feed device of the stripping station.

6. The system for liquid hydrocarbon desulfurization of claim 5, wherein the retention tank further comprises an agitator therein structurally configured to agitate the hydrocarbon fuel introduced into the retention tank from the separator.

7. The system for liquid hydrocarbon desulfurization of claim 1, wherein said at least one reaction subsystem comprises at least two reaction subsystems defining at least a first reaction subsystem and a second reaction subsystem, each having a high intensity mixer and a stripping station.

8. The system for liquid hydrocarbon desulfurization of claim 7, wherein the second reaction subsystem further includes a separator having a feed, an aqueous effluent, and a hydrocarbon fuel effluent, the aqueous effluent of the separator of the second reaction subsystem being fluidly connected to the feed of the high intensity mixer of the first reaction subsystem, and the effluent of the stripping station of the first reaction system being fluidly connected to the feed of the second high intensity mixer.

9. The system for liquid hydrocarbon desulfurization of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second reaction subsystems further comprises a separator having a feed device and an aqueous discharge device and a hydrocarbon discharge device, the aqueous discharge device of the separator of the first reaction sub-assembly being fluidly connected to the feed device of the high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem and the discharge device of the stripping station of the first reaction sub-system being fluidly connected to the feed device of the high intensity mixer of the second reaction sub-system.

10. A method for the desulfurization of liquid hydrocarbons comprising the steps of:

-providing a reaction subsystem comprising

-a high intensity mixer having a feed device and a discharge device, and a mixing agitator; and

a stripping station comprising a feed device, a discharge device and a stripping structure,

-wherein the discharge means of the high intensity mixer is one of directly and indirectly fluidly connected to the feed means of the stripping station, and

-wherein the feed device of the high intensity mixer is structurally configured to receive a hydrocarbon fuel and an aqueous, and wherein the discharge device of the stripping structure is structurally configured to distribute the hydrocarbon fuel;

-a feed device for introducing a hydrocarbon fuel to the high intensity mixer of a first of the at least one reaction subsystem;

-a feed device for introducing an aqueous to the high intensity mixer of a first of the at least one reaction subsystem;

-oxidizing at least some of the sulfur in the hydrocarbon fuel in the high intensity mixer to form oxidized sulfur;

-introducing at least some of the hydrocarbon fuel to a stripping station of a first of the at least one reaction subsystem; and

-stripping oxidized sulphur from hydrocarbons in a stripping station of a first reaction subsystem of the at least one reaction subsystem.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first reaction subsystem further comprises a separator having a feed device, an aqueous outlet device, and a hydrocarbon fuel outlet device, the feed device being fluidly connected to the outlet device of the high intensity mixer, and the hydrocarbon fuel outlet device being fluidly connected to the feed device of the stripping station, the method further comprising the steps of:

-separating the aqueous from the hydrocarbon fuel in a separator of a first of the at least one reaction subsystem.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

-providing a second reaction subsystem having

-a high intensity mixer having a feed device and a discharge device, and a mixing agitator; and

a stripping station comprising a feed device, a discharge device and a stripping structure,

-wherein the outlet means of the high intensity mixer is one of directly and indirectly fluidly connected to the inlet means of the stripping station,

-wherein the feed device of the high intensity mixer is structurally configured to receive a hydrocarbon fuel and an aqueous, and wherein the discharge device of the stripping structure is structurally configured to distribute the hydrocarbon fuel,

-connecting the discharge of the stripping station of the first reaction subsystem to the feed of the high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem;

-introducing hydrocarbon fuel from a stripping station of the first reaction subsystem to a feed of a high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem;

-a feed device for introducing an aqueous to the high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem;

-oxidizing at least some of the sulfur in the hydrocarbon fuel in a high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem to form oxidized sulfur;

-directing at least some of the hydrocarbon fuel to a stripping station of the second reaction subsystem; and

-stripping oxidized sulphur from hydrocarbons in a stripping station of the second reaction subsystem.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first reaction subsystem further comprises a separator having a feed device, an aqueous outlet device, and a hydrocarbon fuel outlet device, the feed device being fluidly connected to the outlet device of the high intensity mixer and the hydrocarbon fuel outlet device being fluidly connected to the feed device of the stripping station, and wherein the second reaction subsystem further comprises a separator having a feed device, an aqueous outlet device, and a hydrocarbon fuel outlet device, the feed device being fluidly connected to the outlet device of the high intensity mixer and the hydrocarbon fuel outlet device being fluidly connected to the feed device of the stripping station, the method further comprising the steps of:

-separating the aqueous from the hydrocarbon fuel in a separator of the first reaction subsystem prior to the step of introducing the hydrocarbon fuel into a stripping station of the first reaction subsystem;

-separating the aqueous from the hydrocarbon fuel in a separator of the second reaction subsystem; and

-one of the following:

-directing the aqueous substance from the aqueous substance outlet of the separator of the second reaction subsystem to the feed of the high intensity mixer of the first reaction subsystem, or

-directing the aqueous from the aqueous outlet of the separator of the first reaction subsystem to the inlet of the high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the aqueous species comprises at least a strong acid and an oxidizing agent.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the strong acid comprises one of: sulfuric acid or nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, trifluoroacetic acid.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the oxidizing agent comprises hydrogen peroxide.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the aqueous further comprises an organic acid, which may be selected from the group consisting of: acetic acid, formic acid, benzoic acid or other acids of the family of carboxylic acids.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the aqueous further comprises an ionic liquid.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the stripping station comprises a stripping structure comprising at least one of a solid absorbent and a liquid absorbent.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the solid absorbent is selected from the group consisting of: alumina, silica gel, certain clays, zeolites, and ion exchange resins.

21. The process of claim 19, wherein the liquid absorbent is selected from the group consisting of acetonitrile, methanol, and liquid ion exchange fluids.

2. Background of the invention

Environmental concerns continue to increase with the increased use of hydrocarbon fuels, and have increased significantly with the use of these fuels in regions of the world where environmental regulations may not be as advanced as other regions of the world.

One contaminant of hydrocarbon fuels is sulfur, which is commonly found in organic compounds such as thiophenes. Once burned, it is oxidized, which has several deleterious effects when present in the atmosphere. One of these effects is the component that becomes acid rain. Traditionally, the sulfur content of liquid hydrocarbons has been reduced by hydrodesulfurization, a process that requires relatively high temperatures and pressures in the presence of hydrogen to function economically. However, this technique is relatively costly, time consuming and expensive, which in turn limits the ability to quickly assist countries in reducing sulfur emissions.

Other methods have been developed for desulfurization. One of which is oxidative desulfurization and the other is biological oxidation. These methods also have disadvantages; they are promising overall. Oxidative desulfurization, among other drawbacks, makes it difficult to effectively use the reagents used during the oxidation step. The oxidant is consumed in the reaction and is costly. Although in some systems, the oxidant may be recycled, it is still difficult. Furthermore, there are operational problems associated with their implementation.

Although there are many patents in the prior art relating to oxidative desulfurization, it is still difficult to develop an industrial process for such innovation. Among such prior art patents are U.S. patent No. 3,163,593 to Webster; U.S. patent No. 8,574,428 to Schucker; U.S. patent No. 7,758,745 to Cheng; U.S. patent No. 7,314,545 to Karas; U.S. patent No. 7,774,749 to Martinie; U.S. patent No. 6,596,914 to Gore; PCT publication No. WO2013/051202 to Ellis and European application publication No. 0482841 to Collins. Each of the above patents is incorporated herein in its entirety.

Brief summary of the disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a system for the desulfurization of liquid hydrocarbons comprising at least one reaction subsystem comprising at least one high intensity mixer and a stripping station. Single or multiple reaction subsystems may be used. Further, the reaction subsystems may be the same or may be different. As described below, a number of parameters may be varied.

The present disclosure also relates to a process for the desulfurization of liquid hydrocarbons comprising the steps of: introducing a hydrocarbon into the reaction subsystem; introducing an aqueous reagent system (commonly referred to as an aqueous) into the reaction subsystem; oxidizing at least some of the sulfur from the hydrocarbon; stripping the oxidized sulfur from the hydrocarbon.

Furthermore, a separation step may be incorporated after the step of introducing the hydrocarbon and the aqueous. The oxidation step may be carried out in a separate holding tank. A variety of variations are contemplated. The method may be accomplished by repeating the process in a plurality of reaction subsystems, which may be substantially identical or may be different from each other.

In one aspect of the disclosure, the disclosure relates to a system for desulfurizing a liquid hydrocarbon. The system includes at least one reaction subsystem. The reaction subsystem includes a high intensity mixer and a stripping station. The high intensity mixer has a feed device and a discharge device, and a mixing agitator. The stripping station comprises a feeding device, a discharging device and a stripping structure. The discharge of the high intensity mixer is fluidly connected to the feed of the stripping station in one of a direct and an indirect manner. The feed device of the high intensity mixer is structurally configured to receive the hydrocarbon fuel and the aqueous. The discharge of the stripping structure is structurally configured to distribute the hydrocarbon fuel.

In some configurations, the stripping structure comprises one of a solid adsorbent and a liquid adsorbent structurally configured to adsorb the oxidized sulfur.

In some configurations, the system further comprises a separator. The separator has a feed device, an aqueous discharge device, and a hydrocarbon fuel discharge device. The feed device is fluidly connected to the discharge device of the high intensity mixer, and the hydrocarbon fuel discharge device is one of indirectly and directly connected to the feed device of the stripping station.

In some configurations, the aqueous outfeed device is located proximate to a bottom of the separator, wherein the hydrocarbon fuel outfeed device is located above the aqueous outfeed device.

In some configurations, the system further comprises a retention tank having a feed device and a discharge device. The feed means of the retention tank is fluidly connected to the hydrocarbon fuel discharge means. The discharge of the retention tank is fluidly connected to the feed of the stripping station.

In some configurations, the retention tank further comprises an agitator therein structurally configured to agitate the hydrocarbon fuel introduced into the retention tank from the separator.

In some configurations, the at least one reaction subsystem comprises at least two reaction subsystems defining at least a first reaction subsystem and a second reaction subsystem, each having a high intensity mixer and a stripping station.

In some configurations, the second reaction subsystem further comprises a separator having a feed, an aqueous discharge, and a hydrocarbon fuel discharge. The aqueous outlet of the separator of the second reaction subsystem is fluidly connected to the inlet of the high intensity mixer of the first reaction subsystem. The discharge of the stripping station of the first reaction system is fluidly connected to the feed of the second high intensity mixer.

In some configurations, each of the first and second reaction subsystems further comprises a separator having a feed device and an aqueous discharge device and a hydrocarbon discharge device. The aqueous outlet of the separator of the first reaction sub-assembly is fluidly connected to the inlet of the high intensity mixer of the second reaction sub-system. The discharge of the stripping station of the first reaction subsystem is fluidly connected to the feed of the high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the present disclosure relates to a method of desulfurizing a liquid hydrocarbon comprising the steps of: providing a reaction subsystem; a feed device for introducing a hydrocarbon fuel to the high intensity mixer of a first of the at least one reaction subsystem; a feed device for introducing an aqueous to the high intensity mixer of the first of the at least one reaction subsystem; oxidizing at least some sulfur in the hydrocarbon fuel in the high intensity mixer to form oxidized sulfur; directing at least some of the hydrocarbon fuel to a stripping station of the first of the at least one reaction subsystem; and stripping oxidized sulfur from the hydrocarbon in a stripping station of the first of the at least one reaction subsystem.

In some configurations, the first reaction subsystem further comprises a separator. The method further includes the step of separating the aqueous from the hydrocarbon fuel in the separator of a first of the at least one reaction subsystem.

In some configurations, the method further comprises the steps of: providing a second reaction subsystem; connecting the discharge of the stripping station of the first reaction subsystem to the feed of the high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem; introducing a hydrocarbon fuel from a stripping station of the first reaction subsystem to a feed device of a high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem; a feed device for introducing an aqueous to the high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem; oxidizing at least some sulfur in the hydrocarbon fuel in a high intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem to form oxidized sulfur; directing at least some of the hydrocarbon fuel to a stripping station of the second reaction subsystem; and stripping oxidized sulfur from the hydrocarbon in a stripping station of the second reaction subsystem.

In some configurations, the first reaction subsystem further comprises a separator. In some such configurations, the method further comprises the steps of: separating the aqueous from the hydrocarbon fuel in a separator of the first reaction subsystem prior to the step of introducing the hydrocarbon fuel to a stripping station of the first reaction subsystem; separating the aqueous from the hydrocarbon fuel in a separator of the second reaction subsystem; and one of the following: and (c) introducing the aqueous material from the aqueous material discharge device of the separator of the second reaction subsystem to the feed device of the high-intensity mixer of the first reaction subsystem, or introducing the aqueous material from the aqueous material discharge device of the separator of the first reaction subsystem to the feed device of the high-intensity mixer of the second reaction subsystem.

In some configurations, the aqueous comprises at least a strong acid and an oxidizing agent. In some such configurations, the strong acid comprises one of: sulfuric acid or nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, trifluoroacetic acid.

In some configurations, the oxidizing agent comprises hydrogen peroxide.

In some configurations, the aqueous further comprises an organic acid, which may be selected from: acetic acid, formic acid, benzoic acid or other acids of the family of carboxylic acids.

In some configurations, the aqueous further comprises an ionic liquid.

In some configurations, the stripping station includes a stripping structure that includes at least one of a solid absorbent and a liquid absorbent.

In some configurations, the solid absorbent is selected from: alumina, silica gel, certain clays, zeolites, and ion exchange resins.

In some configurations, the liquid absorbent is selected from acetonitrile, methanol, and liquid ion exchange fluids.