Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP

Chevron Philips Chemical Company, LP

Anurag Gupta

Ralph W Romig

Robert R McElvain

John D Hottovy

Scott E Kufeld

Timothy O Odi

Donald W Verser

David H Burns

James E Hein

John H Tait

Dale A Zellers

Richard Peacock

Carl W Fenderson

Penny A Zellers, Legal Representative

Larry W Ezell

Joseph A Curren

John D Stewart

Anne M Balinsky

Robert F Parrott

Joel A Mutchler

Reza Khankal

Enrique Mancillas

Robert S Murphy

Michael A Watts

Robert R Mcelvain

Donal W Verser

Disclosed are systems and processes for distributing reactor coolant flow to the cooling jackets of a loop slurry reactor, where the reactor coolant is used to control the temperature of the loop slurry reactor in olefin polymerization. Also disclosed are systems and processes for controlling the temperature of the reactor coolant that is used for cooling olefin polymerization reactors, which can be used in combination with traditional coolant distribution regimes and in combination with the coolant distribution systems and processes that are disclosed herein.

Loop slurry reactor cooling processes and systems

Reactor systems, reactor coolant systems, and associated processes for polymerizing polyolefins are described. The reactor systems generally include a reactor pipe and a coolant system, in which the coolant system includes a jacket pipe surrounding at least a portion of the reactor pipe to form an annulus therebetween, at least one spacer coupling the jacket to the reactor pipe, and a coolant which flows through the annulus to remove heat from the reactor pipe. At least one of the external surface of the reactor pipe, the internal surface of the jacket, and at least one spacer, are independently modified, for example by polishing, coating, or reshaping, to reduce the fluid resistance of the coolant flow through the annulus.

Reactor jacket design

A system and method for a polyolefin reactor temperature control system having a first reactor temperature control path, a second reactor temperature control path, and a shared temperature control path. The shared temperature control path is configured to combine and process coolant return streams, and to provide coolant supply for the first reactor temperature control path and the second reactor temperature control path.

Unified cooling for multiple polyolefin polymerization reactors

A process is described for introducing a catalyst into a polymerization zone by detecting one or a combination of (i) a change in a concentration of the catalyst in a catalyst feed stream upstream of the polymerization zone, (ii) a change in a concentration of monomer in the polymerization zone, and (iii) a change in a polymer production rate of the polymerization zone, adjusting a first catalyst flow rate of the catalyst in the catalyst feed stream to a second catalyst flow rate based on the one or a combination of (i), (ii), and (iii), and introducing the catalyst into the polymerization zone downstream of a location in the catalyst feed stream where the step of adjusting is performed. A catalyst injection system for carrying out such a process is also provided.

Polymerization catalyst delivery

A system and method for startup of a polyolefin reactor temperature control system having a first reactor temperature control path, a second reactor temperature control path, and a shared temperature control path. In some embodiments, during startup the second reactor temperature control path is configured to allow the temperature of a second reactor to rise due to the heat of the exothermic polymerization reaction occurring within the reactor until reaching a predetermined setpoint temperature. In other embodiments, during startup a first reactor temperature control path is configured to include a heat exchanger used as a cooler, and a second reactor temperature control path is configured to include a heat exchanger used as a heater, to raise the temperature of the second reactor until reaching a predetermined setpoint temperature.

A system and method for startup of a polyolefin reactor temperature control system having a first reactor temperature control path, a second reactor temperature control path, and a shared temperature control path. In some embodiments, during startup the second reactor temperature control path is configured to allow the temperature of a second reactor to rise due to the heat of the exothermic polymerization reaction occurring within reactor until reaching a predetermined setpoint temperature. In other embodiments, during startup a first reactor temperature control path is configured to include a heat exchanger used as a cooler, and a second reactor temperature control path is configured to include a heat exchanger used as a heater, to raise the temperature of the second reactor until reaching a predetermined setpoint temperature.

Unified cooling in multiple polyolefin polymerization reactors

A manufacturing system for producing polyolefin includes a polymerization reactor, a flash chamber, and a purge column. In certain embodiments, the purge column may receive a solids stream directly from the flash chamber. Further, the purge column may function as a feed tank for an extruder within an extrusion/loadout system. According to certain embodiments, the manufacturing system may be configured to consume less than 445 kilowatt-hours of energy per metric ton of polyolefin produced based on consumption of electricity, steam, and fuel gas.

Energy efficient polyolefin process

The disclosure includes a polymerization process and an olefin polymerization system. A polymerization product is produced, a vapor phase is recovered from the polymerization product, the vapor phase is fractionated in a first column to yield a fraction stream, and the fraction stream is fractionated in a second column. A first stream of the second column, which comprises a diluent, can be recycled to a first polymerization reactor. A second stream of the second column, which comprises olefin monomer, diluent, and hydrogen, can be recycled to a second polymerization reactor. Comonomer may be recycled from the first column to the first polymerization reactor, the second polymerization reactor, or both.

Monomer/diluent recovery

Growing community of inventors

Sugar Land, TX, United States of America

Anurag Gupta