Abstract: Acetic acid is manufactured by a method of carbonylating raw material with carbon monoxide, the method comprising: a reaction step of forming a reaction mixture containing acetic acid inside a reactor; and a purification step of purifying the reaction mixture to thereby obtain product acetic acid. The purification step includes: a flash evaporation step of separating the reaction mixture into a vapor-phase mixture and a liquid-phase mixture; a first distillation step of distilling the vapor-phase mixture to thereby separate and remove low-boiling point components and obtain crude acetic acid; and a second distillation step of introducing the crude acetic acid into a heavy ends column and distilling the crude acetic acid to thereby purify the crude acetic acid and obtain product acetic acid. In the second distillation step, the low-boiling point components remaining in the crude acetic acid are drawn out from a column top of the heavy ends column.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon separation system comprising a dividing wall column is disclosed. A catalytic olefins converter is configured to receive a hydrocarbon feed and to produce an effluent. The dividing wall column includes a feed section, top section, bottom section, and side draw section. The feed section is configured to receive and to partially fractionate C3 and hydrocarbon stream. The top section configured to fractionate top product components to produce the first hydrocarbon fraction process stream containing C1, C2-C4 hydrocarbons. The side draw section configured to fractionate the second hydrocarbon fraction process stream containing C5 rich stream hydrocarbons and the bottom section configured to fractionate bottom product components to produce cracked natural gasoline (NG) product stream. Corresponding process and apparatus for separation of hydrocarbon feed are disclosed.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon separation system comprising a dividing wall column is disclosed. The dividing wall column having feed section, top section, bottom section, and side draw section. The top section may be configured to fractionate top product components to produce the first hydrocarbon fraction process stream containing C3 hydrocarbons. The side draw section may be configured to fractionate the second hydrocarbon fraction process stream containing C4 hydrocarbons and the bottom section may be configured to fractionate bottom product consisting of C5+ components to produce natural gasoline (NG) product stream. Corresponding process and apparatus for separation of hydrocarbon feed are disclosed.

Abstract: A dividing wall column or a pair of conventional columns can be used to separate an unstabilized naphtha stream to produce an aromatics-free light naphtha stream as a feed for a catalytic cracking unit for olefins production.

Abstract: A system and method for purifying acetone from a first feed stream and a second feed stream. The system may include a first distillation column for receiving the first feed stream. A second distillation column may be in fluid communication with the first distillation column. The second distillation column may include a caustic inlet to treat contents of the second distillation column with caustic, and outputs purified acetone. A third distillation column may be in a fluid communication with the second distillation column. A caustic treatment vessel may be in fluid communication with the second distillation column and provides a caustic treatment. The first distillation column can be in direct fluid communication with the second feed stream, the second distillation column can be in fluid communication with the second feed stream, and/or the caustic treatment vessel can be in fluid communication between the caustic inlet and the second feed stream.

Abstract: A process and system for continuously converting anhydrous LiOH into Li2S by reacting with a sulfur containing gas such as H2S using a fluidized bed reactor with one or more internals. The process may include a solids recovery system to recycle fines and excess sulfur containing gas to the reactor. The process may include a side stripper to strip Li2S product of excess sulfur containing gas and moisture that can be recycled to the fluidized bed reactor.

Abstract: A dividing wall column or a pair of conventional columns can be used to separate an unstabilized naphtha stream to produce an aromatics-free light naphtha stream as a feed for a catalytic cracking unit for olefins production.

Abstract: Low carbon dioxide-emitting processes and systems for steam cracking hydrocarbons to produce products such as ethylene are described. The processes and systems involve cracking the feed in a furnace that is configured to burn a hydrogen-rich fuel, which produces less carbon dioxide than methane, which is typically used as fuel for such furnaces. The hydrogen-rich stream can be isolated and recycled from the cracker tail gas.

Abstract: A system for processing a selected feedstock using a catalyst includes a reactor, a catalyst recovery system, and a conduit. The reactor receives the catalyst and the selected feedstock. A reaction between the selected feedstock and the catalyst generates a spent catalyst. The catalyst recovery system processes the spent catalyst. The conduit connects the reactor to the catalyst recovery system and has a lateral section. The spent catalyst flows from the reactor through a flow space defined by an inner wall of the lateral section to the catalyst recovery system. The system also includes a fluidizer positioned at the lateral section. The fluidizer includes at least one nozzle. The at least one nozzle is completely inside the flow space. The at least one nozzle forms and directs a jet of a fluidizing agent into the spent catalyst in the lateral section.

Abstract: A system and a method for stabilizing hydrogen flow to a downstream process in a facility determining a hydrogen density and pressure profiles in the hydrogen storage unit for different target net hydrogen flows at different time intervals of a time horizon of a renewable power availability profile, determining an operating target net hydrogen flow of a hydrogen feed to the downstream process, determining a target direct hydrogen flow of a hydrogen feed and a target stored hydrogen flow of a hydrogen feed to the downstream process, and controlling the operation of the downstream process based on the operating target hydrogen flows.

Abstract: Advanced control and related methods for a low carbon methanol facility having an methanol synthesis plant that includes systems to supply energy to the facility, wherein at least a portion of the supplied energy is from a low carbon energy source, receiving a forecasted energy profile for the low carbon energy source over a time period, predicting, using an advanced regulatory controller (ARC), the operating conditions of the facility based on the forecasted energy profile for the low carbon energy source, generating, by the ARC, one or more set points to control the facility; controlling the generating of the hydrogen feed using the ARC; and producing methanol by feeding the generated hydrogen feed to the methanol synthesis plant in accordance with one or more set points generated by the ARC.

Abstract: A system for hydrogenation C3 and C4 acetylenes contained within a hydrocarbon stream generated in a stream cracker unit where a debutanizer is placed upstream of a depropanizer for more economical processing of the hydrocarbon stream to produce lighter hydrocarbons, where the system requires only one stripper tower downstream of hydrogenation to remove residual hydrogen.

Abstract: A floating support grid system including a plurality of support beams and a plurality of profile wire screen panels wherein the support beams are connected to the profile wire screen panels via one or more first floating connections, wherein the support beams are configured to connect to a horizontal ammonia converter basket via one or more second floating connections, and wherein at least some the profile wire screen panels are configured to connect to a horizontal ammonia converter basket via one or more third floating connections, wherein each of the first, second, and third floating connections independently defines one or more gaps to accommodate movement caused by thermal expansion.

Abstract: A marine vessel is provided comprising a liquefied gas (LG) handling system. The LG handling system comprises an LG tank which is installed on a portion of the marine vessel. The LG handling system comprises a vent line system which is connected to the LG tank and which has an outlet arranged on a elevated structure on the marine vessel at a vertical distance from the portion of the marine vessel on which the LG tank is installed. Optionally or additionally, the outlet may be arranged on an elevated structure on the marine vessel at a vertical distance from the deck or a working area below the outlet.

Abstract: An integrated steam generator/steam superheater apparatus is disclosed. The disclosed apparatus can be used in a process, such as an ammonia synthesis process, to cool an ammonia converter effluent process gas and to generate superheated steam. The integrated apparatus includes a steam superheater portion wherein hot process gas is used to generate superheated steam by heat transfer to saturated steam. The apparatus also includes a steam generator portion wherein the process gas is used to generate saturated steam by heat transfer to water. Both the superheater and the steam generator are integrated into a single unit, without intervening pluming, etc., thereby saving space and equipment.

Abstract: A method for purifying cumene may include splitting an alkylation reaction product into a first portion and a second portion; feeding the first portion as mostly a liquid into a benzene column; at least partially vaporizing the second portion in a heater; feeding the at least partially vaporized second portion into the benzene column. A method for purifying cumene may also include the steps of providing a benzene column and a cumene column; directing a liquid side draw from the benzene column to the cumene column, the liquid side draw being a liquid substantially free of DIPB; returning a benzene enriched vapor from the cumene column to the benzene column using an overhead line, the benzene enriched vapor having a higher concentration of benzene than the liquid side draw; and drawing purified cumene from the cumene column.

Abstract: A dividing wall column is used in an alkylation process flow scheme to fractionate an alkylate reactor effluent to produce an iso-butane-rich stream as a recycle feed for the alkylation reactor while also separating iso-butane, normal butane and alkylate as separate product streams depending on the reactor effluent composition. In an optional embodiment, the scheme may contain propane.

Abstract: A method for treating effluent from hydrothermal liquification of feedstock that contains plastic oil, pyrolysis oil, synthetic oil or hydrocarbons distillates in a plastic recycle process using supercritical water as a reaction medium into a finished liquid hydrocarbon fuel by removing impurities such as i.e. silicon, chlorides, metals, heteroatoms, etc., in a pre-treatment zone and may be passed into a feed drum or a continuous mixed settler vessel. The feed is introduced into a hydrogen atmosphere reactor. The reactor effluent is passed to a separator for extracting product mixture by addition of make-up or recycled hydrogen to the separator. The overhead product mixture is water washed to remove sour water or salt. The separator effluent is passed to a distillation section for extracting a liquid fuel product stream. A portion of the hydro processing product stream may be recycled to the feed drum or the continuous mixed settler vessel, which reduces concentration of diolefins.

Abstract: A method for purifying cumene may include splitting an alkylation reaction product into a first portion and a second portion; feeding the first portion as mostly a liquid into a benzene column; at least partially vaporizing the second portion in a heater; feeding the at least partially vaporized second portion into the benzene column. A method for purifying cumene may also include the steps of providing a benzene column and a cumene column; directing a liquid side draw from the benzene column to the cumene column, the liquid side draw being a liquid substantially free of DIPB; returning a benzene enriched vapor from the cumene column to the benzene column using an overhead line, the benzene enriched vapor having a higher concentration of benzene than the liquid side draw; and drawing purified cumene from the cumene column.

Abstract: A steam cracking unit including one or more electric resistance heating tubes electrically connected to a current source to generate heat via electrical resistance heating. Each resistance heating tube may include two or more tube sections. Each tube section may be independently supplied with a current. A controller may be configured to adjust the application of the current to one or more tube sections to control the electrical resistance heating of the one or more resistance heating tubes. In examples, the one or more electric heating tubes may be used as preheating tubes, cracking tubes, or both.