Abstract: The invention comprises a process for cracking liquid hydrocarbon feed to produce cracked gaseous hydrocarbons comprising feeding a liquid hydrocarbon feed stream to an olefins furnace; cracking the liquid hydrocarbon feed stream in the olefins furnace to produce a gaseous cracked effluent stream; feeding the cracked effluent from the olefins furnace to a primary transfer line heat exchanger (TLE) having two sections; injecting a first wetting fluid in a weight ratio of wetting fluid to hot gaseous effluent tangentially into the hot gaseous effluent stream at a particular location in the second section of the primary TLE; feeding the hot gaseous effluent stream exiting from the TLE to a separator; separating a separator bottoms stream comprising tar and heavier hydrocarbons and a separator product stream comprising an olefin product; and recovering an olefin product from the separator product stream.

Abstract: The invention comprises a process for cracking liquid hydrocarbon feed to produce cracked gaseous hydrocarbons comprising feeding a liquid hydrocarbon feed stream to an olefins furnace; cracking the liquid hydrocarbon feed stream in the olefins furnace to produce a gaseous cracked effluent stream; feeding the cracked effluent from the olefins furnace to a primary transfer line heat exchanger (TLE) having two sections; injecting a first wetting fluid in a weight ratio of wetting fluid to hot gaseous effluent tangentially into the hot gaseous effluent stream at a particular location in the second section of the primary TLE; feeding the hot gaseous effluent stream exiting from the TLE to a separator; separating a separator bottoms stream comprising tar and heavier hydrocarbons and a separator product stream comprising an olefin product; and recovering an olefin product from the separator product stream.

Abstract: A process for making lower olefins from a wide boiling range hydrocarbon feed by use of a combination of one or more vapor/liquid separation devices, and then pyrolytically cracking the vapor phase in separate sets of pyrolysis radiant tubes, thereby producing a higher level of lower olefin product.

Abstract: A contactor/separator is formed from a vessel; an inlet for receiving a vapor/liquid mixture; an inlet for receiving a superheated vapor; a hub located within the vessel, the hub including a plurality of vanes for imparting a centrifugal motion to the vapor/liquid mixture or the superheated vapor; an outlet in a bottom of the vessel for removing liquid; and an outlet for removing vapor from the vessel. A method is also provided for heating and separating liquid and vapor from a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising introducing a hydrocarbon feedstock into a contactor/separator: introducing a superheated vapor into the contactor/separator such that it contacts and vaporizes a portion of the feedstock within the contactor/separator; separating unvaporized feedstock from vaporized feedstock in the contactor/separator; removing the vaporized feedstock and the superheated vapor through a first outlet; and removing the unvaporized feedstock through a second outlet.

Abstract: A contactor/separator is formed from a vessel; an inlet for receiving a vapor/liquid mixture; an inlet for receiving a superheated vapor; a hub located within the vessel, the hub including a plurality of vanes for imparting a centrifugal motion to the vapor/liquid mixture or the superheated vapor; an outlet in a bottom of the vessel for removing liquid; and an outlet for removing vapor from the vessel. A method is also provided for heating and separating liquid and vapor from a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising introducing a hydrocarbon feedstock into a contactor/separator: introducing a superheated vapor into the contactor/separator such that it contacts and vaporizes a portion of the feedstock within the contactor/separator; separating unvaporized feedstock from vaporized feedstock in the contactor/separator; removing the vaporized feedstock and the superheated vapor through a first outlet; and removing the unvaporized feedstock through a second outlet.

Abstract: A contactor/separator is formed from a vessel; an inlet for receiving a vapor/liquid mixture; an inlet for receiving a superheated vapor; a hub located within the vessel, the hub including a plurality of vanes for imparting a centrifugal motion to the vapor/liquid mixture or the superheated vapor; an outlet in a bottom of the vessel for removing liquid; and an outlet for removing vapor from the vessel. A method is also provided for heating and separating liquid and vapor from a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising introducing a hydrocarbon feedstock into a contactor/separator: introducing a superheated vapor into the contactor/separator such that it contacts and vaporizes a portion of the feedstock within the contactor/separator; separating unvaporized feedstock from vaporized feedstock in the contactor/separator; removing the vaporized feedstock and the superheated vapor through a first outlet; and removing the unvaporized feedstock through a second outlet.

Abstract: A process for making lower olefins from a heavy hydrocarbon feed by use of a combination of thermal cracking and vapor-liquid separation, and, then, pyrolytically cracking the light fraction of the thermally-cracked heavy hydrocarbon feed to thereby produce a lower olefin product.

Abstract: A process for making lower olefins from a heavy hydrocarbon feed by use of a combination of two vapor-liquid separation devices, and, then, pyrolytically cracking the light fraction of the heavy hydrocarbon feed to thereby produce a lower olefin product.

Abstract: A process for making lower olefins from a wide boiling range hydrocarbon feed by use of a combination of one or more vapor/liquid separation devices, and then pyrolytically cracking the vapor phase in separate sets of pyrolysis radiant tubes, thereby producing a higher level of lower olefin product.

Abstract: A contactor/separator is formed from a vessel; an inlet for receiving a vapor/liquid mixture; an inlet for receiving a superheated vapor; a hub located within the vessel, the hub including a plurality of vanes for imparting a centrifugal motion to the vapor/liquid mixture or the superheated vapor; an outlet in a bottom of the vessel for removing liquid; and an outlet for removing vapor from the vessel. A method is also provided for heating and separating liquid and vapor from a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising introducing a hydrocarbon feedstock into a contactor/separator: introducing a superheated vapor into the contactor/separator such that it contacts and vaporizes a portion of the feedstock within the contactor/separator; separating unvaporized feedstock from vaporized feedstock in the contactor/separator; removing the vaporized feedstock and the superheated vapor through a first outlet; and removing the unvaporized feedstock through a second outlet.

Abstract: A process for making lower olefins from a heavy hydrocarbon feed by use of a combination of thermal cracking and vapor-liquid separation, and, then, pyrolytically cracking the light fraction of the thermally-cracked heavy hydrocarbon feed to thereby produce a lower olefin product.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for determining the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the liquid fraction of a pyrolysis product by determining the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the pyrolysis product gas fraction and subtracting the thus determined value from the determined hydrogen-to-carbon of the hydrocarbon feed to the pyrolysis furnace. The determined value for the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the liquid fraction is used as a measure of cracking severity and in the control of the pyrolysis furnace in response to differences between the desired and actual hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the liquid fraction.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for determining the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the liquid fraction of a pyrolysis product by determining the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the pyrolysis product gas fraction and subtracting the thus determined value from the determined hydrogen-to-carbon of the hydrocarbon feed to the pyrolysis furnace. The determined value for the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the liquid fraction is used as a measure of cracking severity and in the control of the pyrolysis furnace in response to differences between the desired and actual hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the liquid fraction.

Abstract: In a first embodiment of the invention, a method for determining the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of a liquid hydrocarbon fraction is presented. A sample of the liquid fraction is subjected to an ultra-violet absorption analysis. The results of the analysis correlate directly to the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the hydrocarbon fraction and, with a knowledge of this correlation, the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the sample under analysis may be determined. Another embodiment provides a method for monitoring the performance of a process for the preparation of olefins by the thermal cracking of a hydrocarbon feedstock. A liquid fraction is recovered from the product of the thermal cracking and subjected to an ultra-violet absorption analysis. The result of the analysis correlates directly to the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the product, which in turn correlates to the cracking severity being applied in the thermal cracking process.