Abstract: Methods are provided for processing crude oil feeds with reduced or minimized energy usage, reduced or minimized numbers of processing steps, improved allocation of hydrogen, and reduced or minimized formation of low value products. The methods reduce or minimize the use of vacuum distillation, and in many aspects reduce or minimize the use of both atmospheric and vacuum distillation. The methods also reduce or minimize the use of coking and fluid catalytic cracking processes.

Abstract: Methods are provided for processing crude oil feeds with reduced or minimized energy usage, reduced or minimized numbers of processing steps, improved allocation of hydrogen, and reduced or minimized formation of low value products. The methods reduce or minimize the use of vacuum distillation, and in many aspects reduce or minimize the use of both atmospheric and vacuum distillation. The methods also reduce or minimize the use of coking and fluid catalytic cracking processes.

Abstract: A reactor for the autorefrigerant alkylation process has a reactor vessel with a lower end inlet for the refrigerant reactant and the sulfuric acid and a series of inlets for the olefin reactant at vertically spaced intervals. A flow path for the reactants is provided by co-acting baffles which define sequential reaction zones. The baffles interact with a rotary mixer with multiple impellers to provide agitation. Outlets for the vaporized refrigerant and the reaction effluent are provided at the upper end of the vessel. In the alkylation process, the liquid isoparaffin hydrocarbon reactant/refrigerant with a sulfuric acid alkylation catalyst is introduced into the lower end and passed along the extended reactant flow path with the olefin reactant introduced at intervals along the path. The reaction mixture flows in the sequence of serial reaction zones within the reactor to promote mixing of the isoparaffin reactant with the acid catalyst.

Abstract: A reactor for the autorefrigerant alkylation process has a reactor vessel with a lower end inlet for the refrigerant reactant and the sulfuric acid and a series of inlets for the olefin reactant at vertically spaced intervals. A flow path for the reactants is provided by co-acting baffles which define sequential reaction zones. The baffles interact with a rotary mixer with multiple impellers to provide agitation. Outlets for the vaporized refrigerant and the reaction effluent are provided at the upper end of the vessel. In the alkylation process, the liquid isoparaffin hydrocarbon reactant/refrigerant with a sulfuric acid alkylation catalyst is introduced into the lower end and passed along the extended reactant flow path with the olefin reactant introduced at intervals along the path. The reaction mixture flows in the sequence of serial reaction zones within the reactor to promote mixing of the isoparaffin reactant with the acid catalyst.

Abstract: A reactor for the autorefrigerant alkylation process has a cylindrical upright reactor vessel with the inlet for the refrigerant reactant and the sulfuric acid at its lower end and a series of inlets for the olefin reactant at vertically spaced intervals up the length of the reactor. An extended, sinuous flow path for the reactants is provided by means co-acting baffles co-acting baffles having, alternately along the length of the reactor, central flow passages and peripheral flow passages for the reaction mixture to define sequential reaction zones in which alkylation takes place. The baffles interact with a rotary mixer with multiple impellers located on the reactor axis. The reaction mixture flows alternately towards and away from the reactor walls in the sequence of serial reaction zones within the reactor to promote mixing of the isoparaffin reactant with the acid catalyst.

Abstract: A cross-linked polyvinyl sulfate, copolymer of polyvinyl sulfate and polyvinyl alcohol, or Nafion® membrane is used for recovering sulfuric acid from a feed mixture comprising predominantly acid and water under reverse osmosis conditions wherein sulfuric acid is enriched in the retentate stream and water is removed in the permeate stream.

Abstract: An improved reactor for an HF alkylation unit of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger type has an axial tube bundle to provide cooling for the reactor and a centrally-located axial sparger system for injecting and dispersing the hydrocarbon reactants into the flow path in the reactor. The sparger comprises an axially-extensive tube with outlet nozzles for the hydrocarbon reactants arranged around the tube, preferably with differing radial angles, at different locations along the length of the sparger.

Abstract: An improved reactor for the autorefrigerant alkylation process has a generally cylindrical upright reactor vessel with the inlet for the refrigerant reactant and the sulfuric acid at its lower end and a series of inlets for the olefin reactant at vertically spaced intervals up the length of the reactor. An extended, sinuous flow path for the reactants is provided by means co-acting baffles which define sequential reaction zones in which alkylation takes place. The baffles interact with a rotary mixer with multiple impellers located on the reactor axis which provides agitation to the mixture ascending the reactor additional to that created by the ebullition of the refrigerant. Outlets for the vaporized refrigerant and the reaction effluent are provided at the upper end of the vessel.

Abstract: An HF alkylation process for producing gasoline boiling range alkylate product by the alkylation of a light olefin with an isoparaffin in the presence of hydrogen fluoride as an alkylation catalyst, in which the content of organic fluorides in the alkylation product stream is reduced by recontact with additional HF alkylation acid after which the hydrocarbon phase and the denser acid-containing phase are separated in a hydrocyclone. The use of the hydrocyclone enables the acid inventory of the unit to be significantly reduced which still achieving satisfactory removal of the unwanted fluoride by-products.

Abstract: An improved reactor for an HF alkylation unit of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger type has an axial tube bundle to provide cooling for the reactor and a centrally-located axial sparger system for injecting and dispersing the hydrocarbon reactants into the flow path in the reactor. The sparger comprises an axially-extensive tube with outlet nozzles for the hydrocarbon reactants arranged around the tube, preferably with differing radial angles, at different locations along the length of the sparger.

Abstract: An HF alkylation process for producing gasoline boiling range alkylate product by the alkylation of a light olefin with an isoparaffin in the presence of hydrogen fluoride as an alkylation catalyst, in which the content of organic fluorides in the alkylation product stream is reduced by recontact with additional HF alkylation acid after which the hydrocarbon phase and the denser acid-containing phase are separated in a hydrocyclone. The use of the hydrocyclone enables the acid inventory of the unit to be significantly reduced which still achieving satisfactory removal of the unwanted fluoride by-products.

Abstract: A crosslinked polymeric polyvinyl sulfate membrane or crosslinked copolymer polyvinyl sulfate and polyvinyl alcohol membrane, or Nafion® or polytetrafluoroethylene suitable for use in an acid environment, and its use for recovering or reconstituting acid from a feed mixture comprising predominantly acid and water, the method comprising: processing said mixture using a first polymeric membrane such as Nafion® or polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTFE”) for example, to form a first retentate containing a substantially greater concentration of acid than said feed mixture and a first permeate containing a substantially greater concentration of water than said mixture, said first polymeric membrane selectively excluding permeance of the acid over the water found in the mixture, and recovering the first retentate; said first retentate can be processed further using a second water reduction membrane system mean to form a retentate stream containing a substantially greater concentration of acid than the first retentate and a