Abstract: Processes for regenerating ionic liquid catalyst by contacting the ionic liquid catalyst with hydrogen gas in a regeneration reactor. The amount of hydrogen is less than 550 SCF/BBL (97.96 m3/m3) of spent ionic liquid catalyst, or less than 500 SCF/BBL (89.05 m3/m3) of spent ionic liquid catalyst, or between 550 and 45 SCF/BBL (97.96 and 8.015 m3/m3) of spent ionic liquid catalyst, or between 500 and 50 SCF/BBL (89.05 and 8.905 m3/m3) of spent ionic liquid catalyst. Alkylation processes are also disclosed.

Abstract: An integrated reactor system for performing an ionic liquid-catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion is provided. The integrated reactor system provides intimate and rapid mixing between hydrocarbon reactants and ionic liquid catalysts while simultaneously removing reaction heat with a heat exchanger that is internal to the hydrocarbon conversion reactor.

Abstract: A process for injecting an immiscible liquid stream comprising a co-catalyst for a hydrocarbon conversion into a larger liquid stream that is an ionic liquid catalyst for the hydrocarbon conversion, comprising: a. feeding the immiscible liquid stream towards one or more injection quills in an additive delivery system comprising a transfer drum; b. transferring the immiscible liquid stream from the additive delivery system to the one or more injection quills in a solvent flushing system, fluidly connected downstream from the additive delivery system, wherein the solvent flushing system injects a solvent into one or more additive addition lines in the solvent flushing system; and c. continuously injecting the immiscible liquid stream into the larger liquid stream in an additive injection and mixing system comprising the one or more injection quills.

Abstract: An integrated system comprising: a. an additive delivery system comprising a transfer drum that feeds an immiscible liquid stream towards one or more injection quills; b. a solvent flushing system, comprising one or more additive addition lines that transfer the immiscible liquid stream from the additive delivery system; and c. an additive injection and mixing system comprising the one or more injection quills, wherein the immiscible liquid stream is injected into a larger liquid stream. Also, a process comprising: a. feeding the immiscible liquid stream to a transfer drum; b. transferring the immiscible liquid stream from the transfer drum to injection quills in a solvent flushing system, wherein the solvent flushing system injects a solvent into one or more additive addition lines in the solvent flushing system; and c. injecting the immiscible liquid stream into the larger liquid stream in an additive injection and mixing system comprising injection quills.

Abstract: We provide an integrated reactor system for performing an ionic liquid-catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion, comprising: a. a bundle of a heat exchanger tubing that extends predominantly through an internal length of a hydrocarbon conversion reactor; b. baffles extending across at least a portion of the hydrocarbon conversion reactor; c. multiple high speed jet flow nozzles configured to direct an ionic liquid catalyst and reactants into the hydrocarbon conversion reactor, external to the heat exchanger tubing; and d. a settling zone internal to the hydrocarbon conversion reactor.

Abstract: We provide systems for ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion that comprise a modular reactor comprising a plurality of mixer modules. The mixer modules may be arranged in series. One or more feed modules are disposed between the mixer modules. Such systems may be used for ionic liquid catalyzed alkylation reactions. Processes for ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion are also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for injecting an immiscible liquid stream comprising a co-catalyst for a hydrocarbon conversion into a larger liquid stream that is an ionic liquid catalyst for the hydrocarbon conversion, comprising: a. feeding the immiscible liquid stream towards one or more injection quills in an additive delivery system comprising a transfer drum; b. transferring the immiscible liquid stream from the additive delivery system to the one or more injection quills in a solvent flushing system, fluidly connected downstream from the additive delivery system, wherein the solvent flushing system injects a solvent into one or more additive addition lines in the solvent flushing system; and c. continuously injecting the immiscible liquid stream into the larger liquid stream in an additive injection and mixing system comprising the one or more injection quills.

Abstract: An integrated system for monitoring a chemical concentration in an ionic liquid, comprising: a. an online FTIR instrument with an ATR window; b. a sample conditioning station that removes light hydrocarbons and produces a degassed ionic liquid that is analyzed by FTIR; and c. a solvent flushing system that flows solvent across the ATR window. Also, a process for monitoring the chemical concentration, comprising: a. degassing the ionic liquid in the sample conditioning station; b. passing the degassed ionic liquid over an ATR window; c. periodically redirecting a flow of the degassed ionic liquid via a bypass line or an on-off valve that isolates the ATR window from the process unit that elutes the ionic liquid; and d. flowing a solvent and a purging gas over the ATR window during the periodically redirecting step c); and e. resuming the passing of the degassed ionic liquid over the ATR window.

Abstract: An integrated system for monitoring a chemical concentration in an ionic liquid, comprising: a. an online FTIR instrument with an ATR window; b. a sample conditioning station that removes light hydrocarbons and produces a degassed ionic liquid that is analyzed by FTIR; and c. a solvent flushing system that flows solvent across the ATR window. Also, a process for monitoring the chemical concentration, comprising: a. degassing the ionic liquid in the sample conditioning station; b. passing the degassed ionic liquid over an ATR window; c. periodically redirecting a flow of the degassed ionic liquid via a bypass line or an on-off valve that isolates the ATR window from the process unit that elutes the ionic liquid; and d. flowing a solvent and a purging gas over the ATR window during the periodically redirecting step c); and e. resuming the passing of the degassed ionic liquid over the ATR window.

Abstract: We provide a process for regenerating a spent acidic ionic liquid, comprising contacting the spent acidic ionic liquid with hydrogen and without an addition of a hydrogenation catalyst; wherein a conjunct polymer content is decreased in the spent acidic ionic liquid to produce regenerated acidic ionic liquid. We also provide a process for making an alkylate gasoline blending component, comprising: a) alkylating a mixture of isoparaffins and olefins using an acidic ionic liquid and an alkyl halide or a hydrogen halide, wherein a conjunct polymer accumulates in a spent acidic ionic liquid; and b) feeding the spent acidic ionic liquid and a hydrogen, and without an addition of a hydrogenation catalyst, to a regeneration reactor operated under selected hydrogenation conditions to produce a regenerated acidic ionic liquid that is used for the alkylating, wherein the conjunct polymer in the regenerated acidic ionic liquid is decreased by at least 50 wt %.

Abstract: A process is provided for separating an ionic liquid from a liquid hydrocarbon, using an integrated coalescing system. The integrated coalescing system for separating ionic liquid from a liquid hydrocarbon may comprise: a. a bulk settler, that separates an emulsion comprising the dispersed ionic liquid with a wide range of droplet sizes into a clean ionic liquid phase and a separated liquid hydrocarbon phase comprising retained droplets; b. a pre-coalescer that receives the separated liquid hydrocarbon phase, separates out solid particles from the separated liquid hydrocarbon phase, and begins to form coalesced droplets of the retained droplets; and c. a coalescer that receives an effluent from the pre-coalescer, wherein the at least one coalescer comprises multiple layers of media having a fine pore size, and produces a clean hydrocarbon stream that is essentially free of the dispersed ionic liquid and additional amounts of the clean ionic liquid phase.

Abstract: We provide a segmented reactor for regenerating a spent acidic ionic liquid via a hydrogenation reaction and hydrocracking, comprising: no solid hydrogenation catalyst; a gas inlet on one side for feeding a gas feed comprising a hydrogen; a liquid inlet on an opposite side for feeding a spent acidic ionic liquid; partitions along an axis of the reactor that create segments, wherein each segment functions as a bubble column reactor; and an outlet from which a regenerated acidic ionic liquid flows out of the segmented reactor.

Abstract: An integrated system comprising: a. an additive delivery system comprising a transfer drum that feeds an immiscible liquid stream towards one or more injection quills; b. a solvent flushing system, comprising one or more additive addition lines that transfer the immiscible liquid stream from the additive delivery system; and c. an additive injection and mixing system comprising the one or more injection quills, wherein the immiscible liquid stream is injected into a larger liquid stream. Also, a process comprising: a. feeding the immiscible liquid stream to a transfer drum; b. transferring the immiscible liquid stream from the transfer drum to injection quills in a solvent flushing system, wherein the solvent flushing system injects a solvent into one or more additive addition lines in the solvent flushing system; and c. injecting the immiscible liquid stream into the larger liquid stream in an additive injection and mixing system comprising injection quills.

Abstract: An integrated coalescing system for separating ionic liquid from a liquid hydrocarbon is provided, comprising: a. a bulk settler, that separates an emulsion comprising the dispersed ionic liquid with a wide range of droplet sizes into a clean ionic liquid phase and a separated liquid hydrocarbon phase comprising retained droplets; b. a pre-coalescer that receives the separated liquid hydrocarbon phase, separates out solid particles from the separated liquid hydrocarbon phase, and begins to form coalesced droplets of the retained droplets; and c. a coalescer that receives an effluent from the pre-coalescer, wherein the at least one coalescer comprises multiple layers of media having a fine pore size, and produces a clean hydrocarbon stream that is free of the dispersed ionic liquid and additional amounts of the clean ionic liquid phase. Also, a process is provided for separating an ionic liquid from a liquid hydrocarbon, using the integrated coalescing system.

Abstract: We provide a process for regenerating a spent acidic ionic liquid, comprising contacting the spent acidic ionic liquid with hydrogen and without an addition of a hydrogenation catalyst; wherein a conjunct polymer content is decreased in the spent acidic ionic liquid to produce regenerated acidic ionic liquid. We also provide a process for making an alkylate gasoline blending component, comprising: a) alkylating a mixture of isoparaffins and olefins using an acidic ionic liquid and an alkyl halide or a hydrogen halide, wherein a conjunct polymer accumulates in a spent acidic ionic liquid; and b) feeding the spent acidic ionic liquid and a hydrogen, and without an addition of a hydrogenation catalyst, to a regeneration reactor operated under selected hydrogenation conditions to produce a regenerated acidic ionic liquid that is used for the alkylating, wherein the conjunct polymer in the regenerated acidic ionic liquid is decreased by at least 50 wt %.

Abstract: An integrated coalescing system for separating ionic liquid from a liquid hydrocarbon is provided, comprising: a. a bulk settler, that separates an emulsion comprising the dispersed ionic liquid with a wide range of droplet sizes into a clean ionic liquid phase and a separated liquid hydrocarbon phase comprising retained droplets; b. a pre-coalescer that receives the separated liquid hydrocarbon phase, separates out solid particles from the separated liquid hydrocarbon phase, and begins to form coalesced droplets of the retained droplets; and c. a coalescer that receives an effluent from the pre-coalescer, wherein the at least one coalescer comprises multiple layers of media having a fine pore size, and produces a clean hydrocarbon stream that is free of the dispersed ionic liquid and additional amounts of the clean ionic liquid phase. Also, a process is provided for separating an ionic liquid from a liquid hydrocarbon, using the integrated coalescing system.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments include an apparatus for imaging a volume of material contained inside a vessel. The apparatus includes a plurality of synchronized acoustic sensors positioned at a periphery of an inner volume of the vessel. A processor combines the outputs of the acoustic sensors to identify at least one ambient noise source of the industrial process generating a noise field that illuminates an internal volume of the vessel and to provide an image of the material by temporal and spatial coherent processing of the transmission and reflection of the noise field generated by the noise source.

Abstract: We provide a segmented reactor for regenerating a spent acidic ionic liquid via hydrogenation and hydrocracking, comprising: no solid hydrogenation catalyst; a gas inlet for feeding a gas feed comprising a hydrogen; a liquid inlet for feeding a spent acidic ionic liquid; partitions along an axis of the reactor that create segments, wherein each segment functions as a bubble column reactor; and an outlet from which a regenerated acidic ionic liquid flow out of the segmented reactor. We also provide a process for regenerating a spent acidic ionic liquid, comprising contacting the spent acidic ionic liquid with hydrogen and without an addition of a solid hydrogenation catalyst in the segmented reactor.

Abstract: Systems and apparatus for ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion, such as alkylation, using vaporization to remove reaction heat from an ionic liquid reactor and to provide mixing therein, wherein hydrocarbon vapors are withdrawn from the ionic liquid reactor and the withdrawn hydrocarbon vapor is recovered by a hydrocarbon vapor recovery unit in fluid communication with the ionic liquid reactor for recycling condensed hydrocarbons to the ionic liquid reactor. Processes for ionic liquid catalyzed alkylation are also disclosed.

Abstract: We provide a process for regenerating a spent acidic ionic liquid, comprising contacting the spent acidic ionic liquid with hydrogen and without an addition of a hydrogenation catalyst; wherein a conjunct polymer content is decreased in the spent acidic ionic liquid to produce regenerated acidic ionic liquid. We also provide a process for making an alkylate gasoline blending component, comprising: a) alkylating a mixture of isoparaffins and olefins using an acidic ionic liquid and an alkyl halide or a hydrogen halide, wherein a conjunct polymer accumulates in a spent acidic ionic liquid; and b) feeding the spent acidic ionic liquid and a hydrogen, and without an addition of a hydrogenation catalyst, to a regeneration reactor operated under selected hydrogenation conditions to produce a regenerated acidic ionic liquid that is used for the alkylating, wherein the conjunct polymer in the regenerated acidic ionic liquid is decreased by at least 50 wt %.