Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for pretreatment and upgrading of crude bio oils for further processing and/or use as fuel products. Crude bio oils can be treated by one or more of flash fractionation and thermal cracking to generate fractions suitable for further processing, such as further hydroprocessing. Blending of crude bio oil fractions with mineral feeds can also be used to reduce metals contents to levels suitable for refinery processing.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for pretreatment and upgrading of crude bio oils for further processing and/or use as fuel products. Crude bio oils can be treated by one or more of flash fractionation and thermal cracking to generate fractions suitable for further processing, such as further hydroprocessing. Blending of crude bio oil fractions with mineral feeds can also be used to reduce metals contents to levels suitable for refinery processing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for upgrading pyrolysis tar in the presence of a utility fluid. The utility fluid contains 1-ring and/or 2-ring aromatics and has a final boiling point ?430° C. The invention also relates to the upgraded pyrolysis tar, and to the use of the upgraded pyrolysis tar, e.g., for fuel oil blending.

Abstract: Methods are provided herein for co-processing of biocomponent feeds as well processing of mineral feeds in a reaction system at hydrogen partial pressures of about 500 psig (3.4 MPag) or less. The methods include using stacked beds of both CoMo and NiMo catalysts. The stacked catalyst beds provided unexpectedly high catalyst activity as the input feed to a reaction system was switched between a mineral feed and a feed containing both mineral and biocomponent portions. Additionally, use of stacked catalyst beds can allow for maintenance of the activity for the catalyst system in a reaction system while still achieving a desired activity for both types of feeds.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon feeds can be hydrotreated in a continuous gas-phase environment and then dewaxed in a liquid-continuous reactor. The liquid-continuous reactor can advantageously be operated in a manner that avoids the need for a hydrogen recycle loop. A contaminant gas can be added to the hydrogen input for the liquid-continuous reactor to modify the hydrogen consumption in the reactor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for upgrading pyrolysis tar in the presence of a utility fluid. The utility fluid contains 1-ring and/or 2-ring aromatics and has a final boiling point ?430° C. The invention also relates to the upgraded pyrolysis tar, and to the use of the upgraded pyrolysis tar, e.g., for fuel oil blending.

Abstract: Diesel fuel is produced from a feedstock that is at least partially biocomponent in origin. A feedstock is treated in a reactor including one or more hydrotreating zones having a continuous gas phase. The liquid effluent from the hydrotreating zones is then hydroprocessed in a hydroprocessing zone having a continuous liquid phase, such as a hydroprocessing zone in the same reactor. The hydroprocessing zone can be operated under effective catalytic dewaxing conditions.

Abstract: Technologies are described herein for regulating memory bandwidth usage in virtual machines via CPU scheduling. A virtual machine monitor (“VMM”) executing on a host computer detects excessive memory bandwidth usage by programs executing in a virtual machine on a processor of the host computer. The VMM may detect excessive memory bandwidth usage by monitoring cache-misses occurring in the processor, for example. Upon detecting excessive memory bandwidth usage, the VMM penalizes the virtual machine currently executing on the processor through the CPU-scheduling algorithm utilized to allocate processor time among the virtual machines.

Abstract: Processes are provided for producing a diesel fuel product having a sulfur content of 10 ppm by weight or less from feed sources that include up to 10% by weight of a biocomponent feedstock. The mineral hydrocarbon portions of the feed sources can be distillate or heavier feed sources.

Abstract: Processes are provided for deoxygenation of a biocomponent feedstock with reduced hydrogen consumption. The biocomponent feedstock can be processed under relatively low hydrogen partial pressures and at a relatively low treat gas ratio compared to the hydrogen need of the feedstock. The relatively low pressure, relatively low treat gas ratio hydroprocessing can result in reduced production of water and carbon monoxide and in increased production of carbon dioxide compared to relatively higher pressure process conditions.

Abstract: Processes are provided for producing a diesel fuel product having a sulfur content of 10 ppm by weight or less from feed sources that include up to 50% by weight of a biocomponent feedstock. The biocomponent feedstock is co-processed with a heavy oil feed in a severe hydrotreating stage. The product from the severe hydrotreatment stage is fractionated to separate out a diesel boiling range fraction, which is then separately hydrotreated.

Abstract: Methods are provided herein for co-processing of biocomponent feeds as well processing of mineral feeds in a reaction system at hydrogen partial pressures of about 500 psig (3.4 MPag) or less. The methods include using stacked beds of both CoMo and NiMo catalysts. The stacked catalyst beds provided unexpectedly high catalyst activity as the input feed to a reaction system was switched between a mineral feed and a feed containing both mineral and biocomponent portions. Additionally, use of stacked catalyst beds can allow for maintenance of the activity for the catalyst system in a reaction system while still achieving a desired activity for both types of feeds.

Abstract: A process for preparing fuels, such as diesel fuels or jet fuels, by hydrotreating vegetable oils or fatty acid derivatives that may be applied to existing equipment for treating fossil fuels. The process comprises feeding hydrotreating a combined oxygenate feed stream, such as FAME, and a hydrocarbon feed stream until not more than 86 wt % of the esters in the oxygenate feed stream are converted to hydrocarbons, and optionally further hydrotreating the product stream within at least a second hydrotreatment reaction zone until at least 90 wt % of the esters in the oxygenate feed stream are converted to hydrocarbons, before removing and separating a hydrocarbon stream suitable for use as fuel.

Abstract: A mineral feed can be hydrotreated in a trickle-bed reactor or other stage in a continuous gas-phase environment. The effluent from the hydrotreatment stage can be separated to remove gas-phase impurities. The remaining liquid effluent from the hydrotreating stage can then be introduced, in total or in part, into a second stage/reactor. A feed of biocomponent origin can also be introduced into the second stage/reactor. The second stage/reactor can be operated to perform deoxygenation of the mixture of biocomponent feed and hydrotreated liquid effluent in a continuous liquid phase environment.

Abstract: Processes are provided for producing a diesel fuel product having a sulfur content of 10 ppm by weight or less from feed sources that include up to 50% by weight of a biocomponent feedstock. The biocomponent feedstock is co-processed with a heavy oil feed in a severe hydrotreating stage. The product from the severe hydrotreatment stage is fractionated to separate out a diesel boiling range fraction, which is then separately hydrotreated.

Abstract: A divided wall column can allow for fractionation of multiple streams while maintaining separate product qualities. Effluents from multiple stages of a reaction system can be processed in a single divided wall column. The divided wall column can produce multiple cuts from each separated area, as well as at least one output from a common area. At least one reaction stage can advantageously have a continuous liquid phase environment.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to geothermal power generation systems. The systems can comprise a first separator is in fluid communication with the geothermal fluid source, the first separator having a high pressure steam outlet and a liquid fraction outlet. A high pressure turbine is in fluid communication with the high pressure steam outlet and is coupled to a first power generator. A high pressure condenser is in fluid communication with the high pressure turbine. A low pressure separator is in fluid communication with the liquid fraction outlet of the first separator, the low pressure separator being capable of separating steam from the liquid fraction outflow and providing low pressure steam through a low pressure steam conduit. A low pressure turbine is in fluid communication with the low pressure steam conduit, the low pressure turbine being coupled to a second power generator. A main condenser is in fluid communication with the low pressure turbine.

Abstract: Methods for hydroprocessing of hydrocarbon feedstocks, including hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrogenation, using rejuvenated supported metallic catalysts are provided. The supported metallic catalysts comprised of a Group VIII metal, a Group VIB metal, are rejuvenated by a process making use of these metals, an organic complexing agent, and optionally an organic additive. The rejuvenation includes stripping and regeneration of a spent or partially spent catalyst, followed by impregnation with metals and at least one organic compound. The impregnated, regenerated catalysts are dried, calcined, and sulfided.

Abstract: Processes for producing diesel fuel having sulfur content of 10 ppm by weight or less from feed sources including up to 20% by weight of a biocomponent feedstock. The process includes hydrotreating the feed sources in a first reaction zone under hydrotreating conditions, separating the first hydrotreated stream effluent from gas components and hydrotreating the first hydrotreated stream effluent in a second reaction zone under hydrotreating conditions. The mineral hydrocarbon of the feed sources can be distillate or heavier feed sources.

Abstract: A mineral feed can be hydrotreated in a trickle-bed reactor or other stage in a continuous gas-phase environment. The effluent from the hydrotreatment stage can be separated to remove gas-phase impurities. The remaining liquid effluent from the hydrotreating stage can then be introduced, in total or in part, into a second stage/reactor. A feed of biocomponent origin can also be introduced into the second stage/reactor. The second stage/reactor can be operated to perform deoxygenation of the mixture of biocomponent feed and hydrotreated liquid effluent in a continuous liquid phase environment.