Uop Lcc

Steven P Lankton

Constante P Tagamolila

Michael A Schultz

Robert B James

Phillip F Daly

Raymond E Tucker

Tom N Kalnes

Stephen W Sohn

Robert J Schmidt

Patrick Jerome Bullen

Russell C Schulz

Robert C Mulvaney, Iii

Richard T Maurer

Michael E Fettis

Gary A Peterson

Paul Alvin Sechrist

Joseph Edward Zimmermann

Gregory R Werba

Debarshi Majumder

Joao Jorge Da Silva Ferreira Alves

Bing Sun

Kirit M Patel

Steven Kozup

Mohamed S Shakur

Cynthia K Zimmerman

Jeffrey L Pieper

Robert S Brasier

Franz-Marcus Nowak

Stephen A McColl

Brian J Schiavone

Vapor flow-diverting devices that re-direct upwardly flowing vapor, for example, in a downward direction across condenser tubes disposed in the upper or top section of a vapor-liquid contacting apparatus, are described. These devices are particularly beneficial in tubular condensers within distillation columns and may be used in combination with other associated equipment (e.g., a deflector plate and divider plate) as well as in combination with the tube surface enhancements to improve the heat transfer coefficient.

Re-direction of vapor flow across tubular condensers

Improvements in tubes, which increase the heat exchange capacity of tubular heat exchangers using the tubes, are described. These improvements involve the use of one or more external surface enhancements, optionally combined with an internal enhancement and/or differing tube geometries. These improvements apply, for example, to internal condensers, including those in which the tube bundles are oriented vertically, in vapor-liquid contacting apparatuses such as distillation columns.

Tubular condensers having tubes with external enhancements

Byproduct formation in aromatic alkylation processes is reduced when different polyalkylated aromatic compounds are first fractionated into separate streams enriched in these respective polyalkylated aromatic compounds, and the separate streams are sent to different transalkylation reaction zones, which may or may not be in the same reactor. The different transalkylation reaction zones allow for greater control of the transalkylation of the respective polyalkylated aromatic compounds, such as diisopropylbenzene (DIPB) and triisopropylbenzene (TIPB) that accompany the alkylation of benzene with propylene in a process for cumene production.

Aromatic alkylation process with reduced byproduct formation

Embodiments of processes for producing propylene from paraffins are provided. The process comprises the steps of combining an effluent that comprises propylene and propane from a paraffin dehydrogenation reactor with an offgas stream that comprises propane to form a combined effluent stream. The combined effluent stream is separated into a propylene product stream and a propane-rich recycle stream. The propane-rich recycle stream is introduced to the paraffin dehydrogenation reactor operating at dehydrogenation conditions to convert propane in the propane-rich recycle stream to propylene.

Processes for producing propylene from paraffins

Embodiments of the present invention provide, for an adsorption separation system for separating normal paraffins from a hydrocarbon feed stream, a process for switching the adsorption separation from a triple split desorbent system to a dual split desorbent system, and vice versa. Switching occurs by separating and/or introducing a second flush material in the adsorption separation system. This switching can occur during normal operations.

Process for separating and/or introducing a flush material in an adsorption separation system

A process is presented for the removal of oxygen from a hydrocarbon stream. The oxygen can react and cause polymerization of the hydrocarbons when the hydrocarbon stream is heated. Controlling the removal of the oxygen from the hydrocarbon stream produces a hydrocarbon stream that is substantially free of oxygen and has a reduced activity for generating undesired compounds.

Process for upgrading sweetened or oxygen-contaminated kerosene or jet fuel, to minimize or eliminate its tendency to polymerize or foul when heated

A process is presented for the removal of dissolved oxygen from hydrocarbon streams. The hydrocarbons streams include kerosene and jet fuels. The process includes mixing the hydrocarbons streams with an oxygen free gas to form a gas-liquid mixture. The mixture is allowed to disengage into a gas stream and a liquid stream, thereby removing dissolved oxygen from the hydrocarbon stream.

Simplified process to remove dissolved oxygen from hydrocarbon streams

The apparatus includes an alkylation unit connected to a first benzene recycle conduit, a feed conduit and an alkylation effluent conduit; a transalkylation unit connected to an polyalkylbenzene recycle conduit, a second benzene recycle conduit, and a transalkylation effluent conduit. A dividing wall distillation column is in fluid communication with the transalkylation effluent conduit, the alkylation effluent conduit, a product stream, a bottoms stream conduit and first and second benzene recycle conduits. A polyalkylbenzene fractionation column is connected to the bottoms stream conduit, the polyalkylbenzene recycle conduit and a heavy component conduit.

Apparatus for producing ethylbenzene or cumene

This cumene process involves contacting, in an alkylation zone, a first benzene recycle stream and a propylene feed stream with an alkylation catalyst to form cumene. In a transalkylation zone, a polyisopropylbenzene recycle stream and a second benzene recycle stream are contacted with a transalkylation catalyst to form additional cumene. The effluents are passed into a benzene distillation column. From the benzene distillation column, a first benzene recycle stream is removed as overhead; a second benzene recycle stream is removed as a side draw; and a bottoms stream comprising polyisopropylbenzene, cumene, and heavy aromatics is removed from an end. The bottoms stream is passed to a dividing wall distillation column where the polyisopropylbenzene recycle stream is removed from an intermediate point; a cumene product stream is removed from a first end, and a heavy aromatic stream is removed from a second end.

Process for producing cumene

This cumene process involves contacting, in an alkylation zone, a first benzene recycle stream and a propylene feed stream with an alkylation catalyst to form cumene. In a transalkylation zone, a polyisopropyl benzene recycle stream and a second benzene recycle stream are contacted with a transalkylation catalyst to form additional cumene. The effluents are passed into a dividing wall distillation column. A cumene stream is removed from an intermediate point of the dividing wall fractionation column; a first benzene recycle stream is removed from a first end and a heavy aromatics stream is removed from a second end. A second benzene recycle stream is removed from an intermediate point located between the first end and the cumene stream. A polyisopropyl benzene stream is removed from an intermediate point of located between the second end and the cumene stream.

This ethylbenzene process involves contacting, in an alkylation zone, a first benzene recycle stream and an ethylene feed stream with an alkylation catalyst to form ethylbenzene. In a transalkylation zone, a polyethylbenzene recycle stream and a second benzene recycle stream are contacted with a transalkylation catalyst to form additional ethylbenzene. The effluents are passed into a benzene distillation column. From the benzene distillation column, a first benzene recycle stream is removed as overhead; a second benzene recycle stream is removed as a side draw; and a bottoms stream comprising polyethylbenzene, ethylbenzene, and flux oil is removed from an end. The bottoms stream is passed to a dividing wall distillation column where the polyethylbenzene recycle stream is removed from an intermediate point; an ethylbenzene product stream is removed from a first end, and a heavy oil stream is removed from a second end.

Process for producing ethylbenzene

This ethylbenzene process involves contacting, in an alkylation zone, a first benzene recycle stream and an ethylene feed stream with an alkylation catalyst to form ethylbenzene. In a transalkylation zone, a polyethylbenzene recycle stream and a second benzene recycle stream are contacted with a transalkylation catalyst to form additional ethylbenzene. The effluents are passed into a dividing wall distillation column where a benzene overhead and a benzene side draw are removed and recycled. An ethylbenzene stream product stream is also removed. The remainder, largely polyethylbenzene and tar, is passed to a polyethylbenzene column for separation. The separated polyethylbenzene is recycled to the transalkylation reactor.

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Wheeling, IL, United States of America

Steven P Lankton