Upgrading heavy oil by hydrocracking

Abstract

Methods, systems and other embodiments associated with upgrading heavy oil by hydrocracking are presented. A method of upgrading heavy oil includes mixing raw heavy oil with hydrogen to produce a mixed heavy oil. The mixed heavy oil is heated to produce heated heavy oil. High pressure pulses are created in the heated heavy oil to crack the heated heavy oil to produce cracked oil with a lower viscosity than the raw heavy oil.

1 . A method of upgrading heavy oil by hydrocracking comprising:
 mixing raw heavy oil with hydrogen to produce a mixed heavy oil;   heating the mixed heavy oil to produce heated heavy oil; and   creating high pressure pulses in the heated heavy oil to crack the heated heavy oil to produce cracked oil with a lower viscosity than the raw heavy oil.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of creating high pressure pulses further comprises:
 creating the high pressure pulses in a cavitation valve. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of the creating high pressure pulses is generated by fluid hammering action in the cavitation valve. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of mixing raw heavy oil with hydrogen further comprises:
 mixing the raw heavy oil with a catalyst before the step of heating. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of mixing raw heavy oil with hydrogen further comprises:
 creating a vacuum with a venturi and mixing the hydrogen and raw heavy oil in the venturi. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 separating the cracked oil into an overhead stream, a bottoms stream and an upgraded oil stream. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of creating high pressure pulses further comprises:
 pumping the heated heavy oil through a cavitation valve; and 
 creating the high pressure pulses in the cavitation valve. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the residency time of the heated heavy oil in the cavitation valve is less than three seconds. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the residency time of the heated heavy oil in the cavitation valve is less than one second. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 creating the high pressure pulses that change pressure from about −2000 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) to about 4000 psig, wherein the high pressure pulses have a frequency in a range of 10-100 hertz. 
 
     
     
         11 . A system for upgrading heavy oil by hyrdrocracking comprising:
 a mixer for mixing hydrogen with raw heavy oil to produce mixed heavy oil;   a furnace for heating the mixed heavy oil to create heated heavy oil; and   a reaction chamber configured to receive the heated heavy oil and to generate a controlled cavitation with high pressure differentials to facilitate the local cracking of the heated heavy oil to produce cracked oil that has a lower viscosity than the raw heavy oil.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising:
 a feed line to feed a catalyst with the raw heavy oil before the raw heavy oil enters the mixer. 
 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the reaction chamber is a cavitation valve. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a piston within the cavitation valve, wherein the high pressure differentials are created, at least in part, by a back-and-forth action of the piston.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a heat exchanger to preheat the mixed heavy oil before it enters the furnace, wherein the cracked oil is circulated through the heat exchanger to preheat the mixed heavy oil.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a separator configured to separate the cracked oil into an overhead stream, a bottoms stream and an upgraded oil stream.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a heat exchanger to cool the overhead stream to produce a cool overhead stream; and   an overhead separator to separate the cool overhead stream into non-condensable hydrocarbon gases and a condensate stream.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the mixer is a venturi that creates a vacuum. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the residency time of the heated heavy oil in the reaction chamber is less than three seconds. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the residency time of the heated heavy oil in the reaction chamber is less than one second. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the raw heavy oil to about 450 degrees Celsius, and wherein the reaction chamber is configured to create pressure differentials between −2000 psig and 4000 psig and between 10 to 100 hertz.