Abstract: A process for producing a C2-C4 olefin product from an ethane-containing hydrocarbon feed can be carried out using a steam cracker operated with an elevated coil-outlet pressure, thereby reducing the number of stages of compression required for recovering products from the steam cracker effluent. Coke can be effectively managed in the processes of this disclosure.

Abstract: Disclosed is a staged-air burner device capable of high energy efficiency, high flame stability, combusting multiple readily switchable fuels ranging from pure hydrogen, to any hydrogen/methane mixture, to pure methane, and generating a low level of NOx. The burner device can include: a primary air chamber receiving a primary air and a flue gas; a burner tube capable of receiving a fuel jet and drawing in the air-flue gas mixture from the primary air chamber; a burner tip discharging the fuel-air-flue gas mixture formed in the burner tube to a first combustion zone and a second combustion zone via center orifices and side orifices on the burner tip, respectively; and a staged air chamber receiving staged air and discharging it via staged air ports into a third combustion zone. Combustion of the fuel occurs in at least one of the first, second, and third combustion zones.

Abstract: Conduits for cooling a hydrocarbon stream and processes for using same. The conduit can include a first inner wall defining a first bore, a second inner wall defining a second bore, and an outer wall disposed about the first and second inner walls. The conduit can also include an annular support wall connected to an inner surface of the outer wall. An end of the second inner wall and an end of the annular support wall can define a perimeter opening that can be in fluid communication with the second bore. An annular flexible ring can be bonded to the annular support wall and can flexibly contact the first inner wall. A substantially annular cavity can be disposed between the second inner and the outer walls and in fluid communication with the perimeter opening. A quench fluid introduction port can be configured to introduce a quench fluid into the cavity.

Abstract: An exhaust steam stream having an absolute pressure from 200 kPa to 1,050 kPa and shaft power are produced from an extraction turbine and/or a back-pressure turbine. The exhaust steam stream can be supplied to an amine regenerator of an amine CO2 separation process. The shaft power can be utilized to drive equipment in a hydrocarbon processing plant such as an olefins production plant.

Abstract: Processes and systems for hydrocarbon pyrolysis. In some embodiments, a hydrocarbon can be heated within a convection section of a steam cracking furnace and combined with an aqueous fluid to produce a heated mixture. A heavy feed that includes a plastic material can be introduced into a vessel and a portion of the plastic material can be cracked therein. Liquid and vapor effluents exiting the vessel can be obtained. At least a portion of the liquid effluent can be heated to produce a heated fluid stream that can be recycled to the vessel. The vapor effluent can be combined with the heated mixture to produce a combined mixture that can be heated within the convection section to produce a heated combined mixture. At least a portion of the heated combined mixture can be cracked within a radiant section of the steam cracking furnace to produce a steam cracker effluent.

Abstract: Processes for removing deposits from a pump-around loop or simply loop. The process can include isolating a first and a second end of the loop in fluid communication with a vessel to provide an isolated section. The isolated section can include a first conduit disposed within a convection section of a steam cracking furnace or a heat exchanger that is external to the steam cracking furnace that can include char therein. The first end can be connected to an aqueous fluid/oxidant source. The second end can be connected to a second conduit disposed within the convection section. An aqueous fluid/oxidant mixture can be introduced into the first end that can be heated by flowing through the isolated section. The heated mixture can flow through the second conduit to produce a second heated mixture that can be introduced into a radiant section of the steam cracking furnace.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing ethane steam cracking at elevated coil inlet pressures and/or elevated coil outlet pressures in small diameter furnace coils. Instead of performing steam cracking of ethane at a coil outlet pressure of ˜22 psig or less (˜150 kPa-g or less), the steam cracking of ethane can be performed in small diameter furnace coils at a coil outlet pressure of 30 psig to 75 psig (˜200 kPa-g to ˜520 kPa-g), or 40 psig to 75 psig (˜270 kPa-g to ˜520 kPa-g). In order to achieve such higher coil outlet pressures, a correspondingly higher coil inlet pressure can also be used, such as a pressure of 45 psig (˜310 kPa-g) or more, or 50 psig (˜340 kPa-g) or more.

Abstract: Furnace systems and methods for steam cracking hydrocarbons to produce ethylene and other light olefins are provided herein. A furnace system for cracking hydrocarbons includes a radiant firebox containing a plurality of burners and an injection nozzle, a primary transfer line exchanger fluidly coupled to and downstream of the radiant firebox, and a flow restrictor fluidly coupled to and downstream of the primary transfer line exchanger. The furnace system also includes a decoke vessel containing an effluent inlet, a fluid outlet, and a coke outlet, where the effluent inlet is fluidly coupled to and downstream of the flow restrictor and the fluid outlet is fluidly coupled to and upstream of the injection nozzle of the radiant firebox, and a coke collection bin is coupled to the coke outlet of the decoke vessel.

Abstract: Processes and systems for steam cracking hydrocarbon feeds. The process can include introducing a first hydrocarbon feed into radiant coil(s) disposed within a first segment of a firebox to produce a first steam cracker effluent having a first coil outlet temperature. A second hydrocarbon feed can be introduced into radiant coil(s) disposed within a second segment of the firebox to produce a second steam cracker effluent having a second coil outlet temperature. The first and second segments can each include one or more burners providing heat thereto. The burner(s) in each segment can be operated at substantially the same firing rate such that an amount of heat produced by each burner can be substantially the same. A feed rate of the first hydrocarbon feed can be controlled based, at least in part, on a composition of the first hydrocarbon feed and the first coil outlet temperature.

Abstract: Processes and systems for quenching an effluent. In certain embodiments, the process can include contacting a pyrolysis effluent and a first quench medium to produce a first quenched effluent. A bottoms stream that can include tar and an overhead stream that can include ethylene and propylene can be obtained from the first quenched effluent. The first quench medium can include a first portion of the bottoms stream that can include a first portion of the tar. In certain embodiments, the process can also include hydroprocessing a second portion of the bottoms stream that can include a second portion of the tar to produce a hydroprocessed product. A hydroprocessed bottoms stream can be obtained from the hydroprocessed product. In certain embodiments, the process can also include contacting at least a portion of the hydroprocessed bottoms stream and the first portion of the bottoms stream to produce the first quench medium.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to processes, methods, systems, and apparatus for steam cracking hydrocarbon in a pyrolysis furnace having a convection zone and a radiant zone. The convection zone includes three heat exchangers in series with a serpentine arrangement. A fluid source is disposed each heat exchanger to provide steam into the heat exchangers. The present disclosure further relates to a process of adjusting the stream flow rate for each fluid source to control operating conditions such as flue gas temperature, stack temperatures, and temperatures of other components of the furnace.

Abstract: Processes and systems for pyrolysing a hydrocarbon. In some examples, the process can include mixing a cooled hydrocarbon effluent and a cooled de-coking effluent to produce a combined effluent. The combined effluent can be introduced into an inlet conduit of a separator under conditions that provide >80 wt. % of the plurality of coke particles with a Stokes number of >10. From a first exit conduit of the separator >55 wt. % of the plurality of coke particles in the combined effluent can be removed, and from a second exit conduit of the separator a coke-lean hydrocarbon effluent that includes <45 wt. % of the plurality of coke particles in the combined effluent can be removed. The first exit conduit and the second exit conduit can be coupled to the inlet conduit.

Abstract: Conduits for cooling a hydrocarbon stream and processes for using same. The conduit can include a first inner wall defining a first bore, a second inner wall defining a second bore, and an outer wall disposed about the first and second inner walls. The conduit can also include an annular support wall connected to an inner surface of the outer wall. An end of the second inner wall and an end of the annular support wall can define a perimeter opening that can be in fluid communication with the second bore. An annular flexible ring can be bonded to the annular support wall and can flexibly contact the first inner wall. A substantially annular cavity can be disposed between the second inner and the outer walls and in fluid communication with the perimeter opening. A quench fluid introduction port can be configured to introduce a quench fluid into the cavity.

Abstract: An exhaust steam stream having an absolute pressure from 200 kPa to 1,050 kPa and shaft power are produced from an extraction turbine and/or a back-pressure turbine. The exhaust steam stream can be supplied to an amine regenerator of an amine CO2 separation process. The shaft power can be utilized to drive equipment in a hydrocarbon processing plant such as an olefins production plant.

Abstract: An H2-rich fuel gas production plant comprising a syngas production unit can be advantageously integrated with an olefins production plant comprising a steam cracker in at least one of the following: (i) fuel gas supply and consumption; (ii) feed supply and consumption; and (iii) steam supply and consumption, to achieve considerable savings in capital and operational costs, enhanced energy efficiency, and reduced CO2 emissions, compared to operating the plants separately.

Abstract: An H2-rich fuel gas stream can be advantageously produced by reforming a hydrocarbon/steam mixture in to produce a reformed stream, followed by cooling the reformed stream in a waste-heat recovery unit to produce a high-pressure steam stream, shifting the cooled reformed stream a first shifted stream, cooling the first shifted stream, shifting the cooled first shifted stream to produce a second shifted stream, cooling the second shifted stream, abating water from the cooled second shifted stream to obtain a crude gas mixture stream comprising H2 and CO2, and recovering a CO2 stream from the crude gas mixture stream. The H2-rich stream can be advantageously combusted to provide thermal energy needed for residential, office, and/or industrial applications including in the H2-rich fuel gas production process. The H2-rich fuel gas production process can be advantageously integrated with an olefins production plant comprising a steam cracker.

Abstract: A high-pressure steam stream produced from the waste heat recovery system of a syngas producing unit may be superheated and then supplied to a steam turbine in a hydrocarbon production plant to produce an expanded steam stream and shaft power. A portion of the expanded stream can be fed into the reforming reactor in the syngas producing unit. The shaft power can be used to drive compressors and pumps in an olefins production plant. Considerable energy efficiency and capital investment savings can be realized by such steam integration compared to running the olefins production plant separately.

Abstract: Furnace systems and methods for steam cracking hydrocarbons to produce ethylene and other light olefins are provided herein. A furnace system for cracking hydrocarbons includes a radiant firebox containing a plurality of burners and an injection nozzle, a primary transfer line exchanger fluidly coupled to and downstream of the radiant firebox, and a flow restrictor fluidly coupled to and downstream of the primary transfer line exchanger. The furnace system also includes a decoke vessel containing an effluent inlet, a fluid outlet, and a coke outlet, where the effluent inlet is fluidly coupled to and downstream of the flow restrictor and the fluid outlet is fluidly coupled to and upstream of the injection nozzle of the radiant firebox, and a coke collection bin is coupled to the coke outlet of the decoke vessel.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing ethane steam cracking at elevated coil inlet pressures and/or elevated coil outlet pressures in small diameter furnace coils. Instead of performing steam cracking of ethane at a coil outlet pressure of ˜22 psig or less (˜150 kPa-g or less), the steam cracking of ethane can be performed in small diameter furnace coils at a coil outlet pressure of 30 psig to 75 psig (˜200 kPa-g to ˜520 kPa-g), or 40 psig to 75 psig (˜270 kPa-g to ˜520 kPa-g). In order to achieve such higher coil outlet pressures, a correspondingly higher coil inlet pressure can also be used, such as a pressure of 45 psig (˜310 kPa-g) or more, or 50 psig (˜340 kPa-g) or more.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of reducing thermal shock in one or more radiant tubes of a pyrolysis furnace is provided. The apparatus is a furnace comprising a blower and blower bypass conduit providing separate fluid communication paths for flue gas from the convection section to a natural draft flue gas stack. The method comprises the steps of: redirecting at least a portion of the flue gas through the blower bypass conduit when a blower shut-off event is indicated as well as reducing the firing rate of the furnace.