Abstract: Processes for improving hydrocarbon feedstock compatibility are provided. More specifically, a process for preparing a liquid hydrocarbon product includes heat soaking a tar stream to produce a reduced reactivity tar and blending the reduced reactivity tar with a utility fluid comprising recycle solvent to produce a lower viscosity, reduced reactivity tar. The process also includes hydroprocessing the lower viscosity, reduced reactivity tar at a temperature of greater than 350° C. to produce a total liquids product containing the liquid hydrocarbon product and the recycle solvent. The process further includes separating the recycle solvent from the total liquids product, where the recycle solvent has the SBN of greater than 110, and flowing the recycle solvent to the reduced reactivity tar for blending to produce the lower viscosity, reduced reactivity tar.

Abstract: This invention relates to thermally-treating and hydroprocessing pyrolysis tar to produce a hydroprocessed pyrolysis tar, but without excessive foulant accumulation during the hydroprocessing. The invention also relates to upgrading the hydroprocessed tar by additional hydroprocessing; to products of such processing; to blends comprising one or more of such products; and to the use of such products and blends, e.g., as lubricants, fuels, and/or constituents thereof.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for hydroprocessing of heavy oils, such as pyrolysis tars. For example, a process for preparing a liquid hydrocarbon product includes providing a first process stream comprising a reduced reactivity tar, and blending the first process stream with a utility fluid to produce a second process stream comprising solids and a reduced reactivity, lower viscosity tar. The method can includes introducing the second process stream into a guard reactor without sulfiding the guard reactor catalyst(s) prior to introducing the second process stream into the guard reactor. The method includes hydroprocessing the second process stream in the guard reactor under mild hydroprocessing conditions to produce a third process stream. The method includes hydroprocessing the third process stream to produce a fourth process stream having a bromine number (BN) lower than 12 and comprising the liquid hydrocarbon product and the utility fluid.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide a process for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed. The process includes providing a hydrocarbon feed and a utility fluid. Then selectively extracting from the feed at least a portion of particulates to produce a raffinate and an extract. Third hydroprocessing at least a portion of the raffinate.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for determining the suitability of pyrolysis tar, such as steam cracker tar, for upgrading using hydroprocessing without excessive fouling of the hydroprocessing reactor. A pyrolysis tar is sampled, the sample is analyzed to determine one or more characteristics of the tar related to tar reactivity, and the analysis is used to determine conditions under which the tar can be blended, pre-treated, and/or hydroprocessed.

Abstract: This invention relates to thermally-treating and hydroprocessing pyrolysis tar to produce a hydroprocessed pyrolysis tar, but without excessive foulant accumulation during the hydroprocessing. The invention also relates to upgrading the hydroprocessed tar by additional hydroprocessing; to products of such processing; to blends comprising one or more of such products; and to the use of such products and blends, e.g., as lubricants, fuels, and/or constituents thereof.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for automatically assigning weights to attributes of media content based in part on how many users actually viewed or listened to the content, as well as how many users “liked” or otherwise indicated a preference for the content. The content items can be any type of audio or visual media content, such as songs, videos, or movies, as well as written content, such as books, articles, journals, advertisements, or magazines. A first similarity score is determined based on a similarity between user preferences for content items. A second similarity score is determined based on a similarity between one or more common attributes of the content items. These attributes are assigned ratings that represent the number of users who consumed the corresponding content. Next, weights are assigned to each of the attributes based on the first and second similarity scores using, for example, linear equation regression techniques.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for determining the suitability of pyrolysis tar, such as steam cracker tar, for upgrading using hydroprocessing without excessive fouling of the hydroprocessing reactor. The invention includes establishing a reference activity for the thermally treating the pyrolysis tar to produce a treated tar having a lesser reactivity.

Abstract: In one example, a method for processing data includes receiving information that identifies an ad hoc group of size ‘n’ of files F1 . . . Fn, each file F including a respective file sequence S that includes K data segments. Next, each file sequence S is sampled to obtain a sequence SS of data segments from the file sequence S, and a non-random sampling of data segments is sampled from each sequence SS to obtain a set SSU of the sequence SS. The data segments of each set SSU are then sampled to obtain a sample subset SSUS of the set SSU, and a compression ratio is determined for each data segment in each sample subset SSUS. Finally, an average data compression RF1 . . . Fn is estimated and output for the files F in the group of size ‘n’, based on the compression ratios.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a human-machine interactive method based on artificial intelligence and a human-machine interactive device based on artificial intelligence. The method includes: receiving a query from a user; processing the query based on a pre-generated model, and obtaining an answer with a human conversation style corresponding to the query, wherein the model is generated based on a human conversation corpus; and feeding back the answer to the user.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon conversion process comprises providing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising an effluent fraction from a pyrolysis process, wherein the effluent fraction has an initial boiling point at atmospheric pressure of at least 177° C. and a final boiling point at atmospheric pressure of no more than 343° C. and comprises at least 0.5 wt. % of olefinic hydrogen atoms based on the total weight of hydrogen atoms in the effluent fraction. The hydrocarbon feedstock is hydroprocessed in at least one hydroprocessing zone in the presence of treatment gas comprising molecular hydrogen under catalytic hydroprocessing conditions to produce a hydroprocessed product comprising less than 0.5 wt. % of olefinic hydrogen atoms based on the total weight of hydrogen atoms in the hydroprocessed product. The hydroprocessing conditions comprise a temperature from 150 to 350° C. and a pressure from 500 to 1500 psig (3550 to 10445 kPa-a).

Abstract: Marine fuel oil compositions are provided that exhibit unexpectedly high cetane numbers after addition of a cetane improver. Methods of making such compositions are also provided. The unexpected nature of the marine fuel oil compositions is based in part on the ability to achieve a substantial improvement in estimated cetane number by addition of a cetane improver to a hydrocarbonaceous composition with a natural estimated cetane number of less than 35. These unexpectedly high increases in estimated cetane number for fuels or fuel blending components with low natural estimated cetane numbers can allow for production of fuel compositions with desirable combustion characteristics while also maintaining a higher level of aromatic compounds and/or reducing or minimizing the amount of distillate boiling range components in the fuel or fuel blending component.

Abstract: Methods are provided for converting lignin-containing biomass into compounds that are more readily processed to form fuel and/or chemical products. The methods can allow for removal of at least a portion of the oxygen in lignin, either during or after depolymerization of lignin to single ring aromatic compounds, while optionally reducing or minimizing aromatic saturation performed on the aromatic compounds. The methods can include use of quench solvent to control reactions within the product stream from a pyrolysis process and/or use of a solvent to assist with hydroprocessing of lignin, lignin-containing biomass, or a pyrolysis oil.

Abstract: A multi-stage process is described for upgrading pyrolysis tar, such as steam cracker tar, by hydroprocessing in at least two stages. Hydroprocessing in a first stage is performed in the presence of a utility fluid. The utility fluid has a boiling point distribution from about 120° C. to about 480° C. and is separated from the first stage product.

Abstract: A first hydroprocessed product and a second hydroprocessed product produced from a multi-stage process for upgrading pyrolysis tar, such as steam cracker tar, are provided herein. Fuel blends including the first hydroprocessed product and/or the second hydroprocessed product are also provided herein as well as methods of lowering pour point of a gas oil using the first hydroprocessed product and the second hydroprocessed product.

Abstract: A multi-stage process for upgrading tars is provided. A predominantly hydrotreating stage can be applied before a cracking stage, which can be a hydrocracking or a thermal cracking stage. Alternatively, a predominantly cracking stage, which can be a hydrocracking or a thermal cracking stage, can be applied before a hydrotreating stage. Apparatus suitable for performing the method is also provided.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon conversion process comprises providing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising an effluent fraction from a pyrolysis process, wherein the effluent fraction has an initial boiling point at atmospheric pressure of at least 177° C. and a final boiling point at atmospheric pressure of no more than 343° C. and comprises at least 0.5 wt. % of olefinic hydrogen atoms based on the total weight of hydrogen atoms in the effluent fraction. The hydrocarbon feedstock is hydroprocessed in at least one hydroprocessing zone in the presence of treatment gas comprising molecular hydrogen under catalytic hydroprocessing conditions to produce a hydroprocessed product comprising less than 0.5 wt. % of olefinic hydrogen atoms based on the total weight of hydrogen atoms in the hydroprocessed product. The hydroprocessing conditions comprise a temperature from 150 to 350° C. and a pressure from 500 to 1500 psig (3550 to 10445 kPa-a).

Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide a process for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed. The process includes providing a hydrocarbon feed and a utility fluid. Then selectively extracting from the feed at least a portion of particulates to produce a raffinate and an extract. Third hydroprocessing at least a portion of the raffinate.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to the conversion of methane to hydrocarbon of greater molecular weight, including aromatic hydrocarbon such as xylenes, to materials and equipment useful in such conversion, and to the use of such conversion for, e.g., natural gas upgrading.

Abstract: A process is provided for determining the suitability of pyrolysis tar, such as steam cracker tar, for upgrading using hydroprocessing without long term fouling of the hydroprocessing reactor. The process includes heating a sample of the tar, quenching the sample, and measuring the total free radical content of the quenched sample. A pyrolysis tar can be blended with one having a lesser total free radical content to produce a blend that can be hydroprocessed with decreased fouling.