US 12,291,681 B2
Method of producing hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics
Ramasamy Marappa Gounder, Perak (MY); Anita Ramli, Perak (MY); and Kim Heong Khor, Selangor (MY)
Assigned to INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PETRONAS SDN. BHD., Perak (MY); and TRANSWATER TENAGA SDN. BHD., Selangor (MY)
Appl. No. 18/036,874
Filed by Institute of Technology Petronas SDN. BHD.; and Transwater Tenaga SDN. BHD., Shah Alam (MY)
PCT Filed Oct. 28, 2021, PCT No. PCT/MY2021/050095
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 12, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/103251, PCT Pub. Date May 19, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. PI2020005930 (MY), filed on Nov. 12, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0416618 A1, Dec. 28, 2023
Int. Cl. C10G 59/02 (2006.01)
CPC C10G 59/02 (2013.01) [C10G 2300/305 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4006 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4081 (2013.01); C10G 2400/30 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of producing hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics from naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) comprising the steps of:
i. feeding naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) and liquified petroleum gases, LPG (101a and 101b) into reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) to yield a mixture (102 or 102a), wherein the naphtha feedstock (100 or 100a) and the LPG (101a and 101b) have an initial temperature of below 100° C. prior to the step (i) and wherein the mixture (102 or 102a) achieves a temperature in the range between 350° C. to 500° C. in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300);
ii. channeling the mixture (102 or 102a) obtained from the step (i) into at least one reactor via integrated heater to produce hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics, wherein the integrated heater raises the temperature of the mixture (102 or 102a) to at most 550° C.;
iii. channeling effluent obtained from the step (ii) into the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) for reducing its temperature to below 100° C. before it is transferred to a cooling tank (203), wherein the temperature of the effluent is reduced by transferring the heat to the incoming mixture (102 or 102a);
iv. cooling the effluent obtained from the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) in the step (iii) in the cooling tank (203) to a temperature below 40° C.;
v. introducing cooled effluent obtained from the step (iv) into first stage separator (204) to obtain light gases, wherein the separation is carried out at a temperature below 40° C. and at a pressure ranging between 5 to 30 bars;
vi. transferring the remaining liquid obtained from the first stage separator (204) in the step (v) into second stage separator (206) and separating the remaining liquid in the second stage separator (206) to yield LPG (101b), wherein the separation is carried out at temperatures and pressures above the temperatures and the pressures in the first stage separator (204); and
vii. directing the effluent obtained from the second stage separator (206) in the step (vi) into stabilizer (207) to separate off gas, LPG (101c) and reformate, wherein the reformate is the hydrocarbon mixtures rich in aromatics,
wherein the mixture (102 or 102a) achieves a temperature in the range between 350° C. to 500° C. in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) in the step (i) by way of heat exchange from the effluents obtained from step (ii) to the mixture (102 or 102a) in the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300), wherein the integrated heater generate waste heat that is recycled into air preheater (208a) to raise the temperature of air from around 30° C. to at least 100° C. by way of heat exchange from the waste heat to the incoming air that is eventually used along with fuel as heating source to run the integrated heater and wherein the LPG (101b) is recycled back into the reactor effluent/feed heat exchanger (200 or 300) without using a compressor.