Hydroprocessing Process Description

 

Hydroprocessing covers a range of catalytic processes including hydrotreating and hydrocracking for removal of sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen and metals. The process is critical in the production of low sulfur fuels to reduce emissions, as removing the S reduces SOx emissions when fuels are combusted. Sulfur also poisons downstream noble metal reformer catalysts and must be removed (<0.5 ppm S is a typical naphtha feed spec). This “clean-up” also saturates olefins to yield easier-to-process intermediates.

 

Reaction & Catalysts:

 

The reaction is carried out in a hydrogen rich environment over a fixed catalyst bed. The process replaces sulfur or nitrogen contaminants in the hydrocarbon chains with hydrogen, making the process a consumer of hydrogen. Protection of the catalyst beds from fouling is critical to maintaining long term hydrotreating efficiency. Treated products are then stabilized with heat to remove H2S and light ends. Use of direct steam injection is common, especially on diesel.

 

Refinery Needs from Hydroprocessing

 

  • Achieve production quotas of low sulfur gasolines and diesels via reliable hydrotreatment of straight run and cracked products that otherwise become a bottleneck
  • Provide consistent “clear and bright” transportation fuel quality
  • Protect against downtime from fouling of the feed/effluent heat exchanger
  • Protect against downtime from catalyst bed differential pressure rise
  • Protect against downtime from premature loss of catalyst activity
  • Meet steadily increasing clean fuels specifications
  • Reduce hazy product issues and high salt costs from overloaded downstream salt beds
  • Achieve dryness specifications downstream of vacuum dryers and avoid dryer bottlenecking due to excessive water

 

Production Challenge/Pall Solution In Hydroprocessing

Challenge - Unscheduled Downtime

 

Shortened campaigns and unscheduled downtime due to bed fouling and reduced catalyst bed activity.

Solution

 

Improve refinery productivity and extend hydrotreater/hydrocracker bed life by removing solids from the feed to protect the feed/effluent heat exchanger and/or catalyst bed. 

 

  •  A range of absolute and nominal rated filter elements is available to reduce suspended solids levels in the feed, to protect the exchanger and/or catalyst bed from fouling.

 

 

Challenge - Meeting Product Specifications

 

Products failing to meet specifications due to stripper fouling, or from solids and water carryover after direct injection steam stripping.

Solution

 

Improve product quality by removal of water and solids both upstream and downstream of the steam stripper.

 

  •  A range of absolute and nominal rated filter elements is available to reduce suspended solids to <5 ppmw, and extend the coalescer life.
  •  High efficiency PhaseSep®, AquaSep® Plus or XS liquid/liquid coalescers reliably meet ‘clear and bright’ product specification and/or reduce the cost for downstream dehydration.

 

 

 

Challenge – Fouling & Erosion of Compressor

 

Hydrogen recycle and makeup gas compressors requiring rebuilds and downtime due to liquid and solid carryover from separator causing severe fouling and erosion of compressor internals.

Solution

 

Reduced maintenance of the recycle and make-up gas compressors by removal of liquids and solids in the hydrogen recycle stream from separator. 

 

  •  KO pots, mesh pads, cyclonic devices and conventional filter-separators may not effectively remove aerosol-sized liquid hydrocarbon droplets or fine solids.
  •  High efficiency SepraSol™ Plus and Medallion™ HP liquid/gas coalescers provide 99.999% removal at 0.3 microns per the DOP test and 1 ppb downstream per the modified ANSI/CAGI400-1999 test procedure. Both provide excellent compressor protection.

Diagram of Hydroprocessing

 

 

 

Key Application/Filter Recommendations For Hydroprocessing (other applications not shown)

Application

1.

Hydrotreater feed filtration

Customer Benefits

 

Assured HDT profitability by protection from unscheduled reactor downtime or off-spec product due to exchanger fouling, catalyst bed activity loss or high delta P due to bed fouling

2.

Hydrotreater feed water removal

 

Assured HDT profitability by protection from unscheduled reactor downtime or off-spec product due to exchanger fouling, catalyst bed activity loss or high delta P due to bed fouling

3.

Liquid/liquid coalescer protection

 

Low operating costs by ensuring long coalescer life while meeting particulate specifications for final products

4.

Sour water removal from hydrotreated product

 

Reduced steam stripper corrosion and capacity loss

5.

Liquid/liquid coalescer protection

 

Low operating costs by ensuring long coalescer life while meeting particulate specifications for final products

6.

Water removal from stabilized product

 

AquaSep XS or AquaSep Plus liquid/liquid coalescers

 

Reliably meet ‘clear and bright’ final product specification

 

Improve water removal via downstream vacuum dryers by removing the free water load, enabling full vacuum attainment and maximum drying efficiency

7.

Hydrocarbon removal from sour water

 

AquaSep EL or PhaseSep liquid/liquid coalescers

 

Reduced contamination load to sour water stripper reduces stripper maintenance costs, capacity loss and extra loading on water treatment plant

8.

Hydrogen recycle and make-up gas compressors protection

 

SepraSol™ Plus and Medallion™ HP liquid/gas coalescers

 

Eliminate cost and revenue losses due to compressor rebuilds and unscheduled downtime due to fouling

9.

Low NOx burner protection

 

SepraSol™ Plus and Medallion™ HP liquid/gas coalescers

 

Elimination of burner tip fouling leading to burner maintenance costs, potential unit downtime or productivity loss due to poor burner performance

 

 

For fast track upgrades, NO CAPEX:

 

Pall replacement filter and Coalescer retrofits enable a move to Pall quality without change to your existing filter housing

 

Pall filter and coalescer housing rentals enable a technology upgrade for rapid problem resolution

For more information on improving the efficiency of your processes, contact our team of filtration experts.

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