Hydrogen Management for Hydroprocessing Units

Abstract

Improved hydroprocessing processes for upgrading refinery streams via the use of rapid cycle pressure swing absorption having a cycle time of less than 30 s for increasing the concentration of hydrogen in the vapor phase product recycled to the hydroprocessing zone.

1 . A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed in a hydroprocessing process unit, comprising:
 a) contacting said hydrocarbon feed in a hydroprocessing zone with hydrogen, a portion of which is obtained from a hydrogen-containing make-up gas, and a catalytically effective amount of a hydroprocessing catalyst at hydroprocessing conditions thereby resulting in a liquid phase and a vapor phase;   b separating said liquid phase product and said vapor phase, which vapor phase product contains hydrogen and light hydrocarbons;   c) removing at least a portion of the light hydrocarbons from the hydrogen-containing make-up treat gas, the vapor phase product, or both, in a rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption unit containing a plurality of adsorbent beds and having a total cycle time of less than about 30 seconds and a pressure drop within each adsorbent bed of greater than about 5 inches of water per foot of bed length;   d) recycling at least a portion of the vapor phase of step c) above having a higher concentration of hydrogen to the hydroprocessing zone.   
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbon feed is selected from the group consisting of naphtha boiling range feeds, kerosene and jet fuel boiling range feeds, distillate boiling range feeds, resides and crudes. 
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the hydrocarbon feed is a naphtha boiling range feed selected from the group consisting of straight run naphtha, cat cracked naphtha, coker naphtha, hydrocracker naphtha, resid hydrotreater naphtha. 
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the hydrocarbon feed is a distillate and higher boiling range feed selected from the group consisting of cycle oils produced from the Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC), atmospheric and vacuum gas oils, atmospheric and vacuum residua, pyrolysis gasoline, Fischer-Tropsch liquids, raffinates, waxes, lube oils, and crudes. 
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the hydroprocessing processing is a hydrotreating process for the removal of heteroatoms from the hydrocarbon feed and wherein hydrogen sulfide is also a component of the vapor phase and wherein at least a portion of the hydrogen sulfide is removed in an acid gas scrubbing zone prior to having light hydrocarbons removed by rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption. 
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 5  wherein the total cycle time or rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption is less than about 15 seconds. 
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 6  wherein the total cycle time is less than about 10 seconds and the pressure drop of each adsorbent bed is greater than about 10 inches of water per foot of bed length. 
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the total cycle time is less than about 5 seconds. 
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 8  wherein the pressure drop of greater than about 20 inches of water per foot of bed length. 
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the cycle time is less than about 10 seconds and the pressure drop is greater than about 10 inches of water per foot of bed length. 
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 10  wherein the cycle time is less than about 5 seconds and the pressure drop is greater than about 20 inches of water per foot of bed length. 
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the hydroprocessing process is hydrocracking wherein a hydrocarbon feed is converted to lower boiling products. 
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 12  wherein the total cycle time or rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption is less than about 15 seconds. 
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 13  wherein the total cycle time is less than about 10 seconds and the pressure drop of each adsorbent bed is greater than about 10 inches of water per foot of bed length. 
   
   
       15 . The process of  claim 14  wherein the total cycle time is less than about 5 seconds. 
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 15  wherein the pressure drop of greater than about 20 inches of water per foot of bed length. 
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the hydroprocessing process is hydroisomerization wherein molecules of the hydrocarbon feed are isomerized. 
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 17  wherein the total cycle time or rapid pressure swing adsorption is less than about 15 seconds. 
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 18  wherein the total cycle time is less than about 10 seconds and the pressure drop of each adsorbent bed is greater than about 10 inches of water per foot of bed length. 
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 19  wherein the total cycle time is less than about 5 seconds. 
   
   
       21 . The process of  claim 20  wherein the pressure drop of greater than about 20 inches of water per foot of bed length. 
   
   
       22 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the hydroprocessing process is hydrogenation wherein unsaturates and aromatics are hydrogenated. 
   
   
       23 . The process of  claim 22  wherein the total cycle time or rapid pressure swing adsorption is less than about 15 seconds. 
   
   
       24 . The process of  claim 23  wherein the total cycle time is less than about 10 seconds and the pressure drop of each adsorbent bed is greater than about 10 inches of water per foot of bed length. 
   
   
       25 . The process of  claim 24  wherein the total cycle time is less than about 5 seconds. 
   
   
       26 . The process of  claim 24  wherein the pressure drop of greater than about 20 inches of water per foot of bed length.