Method and System for Hydrocarbon Extraction

Abstract

The invention provides a process and system for the depolymerisation of hydrocarbon-containing material for producing diesel oil and/or heating oil comprising a reactor adapted to exceed temperature operation of 390 degrees Celsius and provided with a plant specific exothermal heat source. In a preferred embodiment, raw materials enter the reactor in a liquid or viscous state by pre-heating and introducing it under pressure to the specially adapted reactor where further heating of the raw material takes place under vacuum.

1 . A system for the depolymerisation of hydro-carbon containing material for producing diesel oil and/or heating oil comprising:
 a reactor;   means for pre-heating raw hydro-carbon containing material to a fluidic or viscous state and introducing said pre-heated material under pressure into said reactor;   means for further heating of the raw material under vacuum in said reactor such that that the raw material under vacuum is heated to a desired temperature range; and   means for extracting vapour from said heated raw material to an evaporator area and producing said diesel oil or heating oil.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the desired temperature range operates substantially in the range of 390 to 420 degrees C. 
     
     
         3 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  comprising means for removing heated raw material after vapour extraction from said reactor at intervals to a holding and cooling storage vessel. 
     
     
         4 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactor comprises a heating jacket provided substantially around the reactor to define a heating space between the outer surface of the column and the inner surface of jacket. 
     
     
         5 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said means for heating comprises means for hot gas to be supplied from an external burner and blower system through an inlet to the heating space. 
     
     
         6 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  comprising means for evenly distributing a film of heated raw material on the inside surface of said reactor. 
     
     
         7 . The system as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the reactor is substantially cylindrical in shape and the means for evenly distributing the material comprises a rotor blade rotating about an axis of said reactor. 
     
     
         8 . The system as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the reactor is substantially cylindrical in shape and the means for evenly distributing the material comprises a rotor blade rotating about an axis of said reactor, and said blade is dimensioned to provide a gap between the inner surface of the reactor and the end of the blade to define the thickness of the film of heated raw material. 
     
     
         9 . The system as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the reactor is substantially cylindrical in shape and the means for evenly distributing the material comprises a rotor blade rotating about an axis of said reactor, and said blade is dimensioned to provide a gap between the inner surface of the reactor and the end of the blade to define the thickness of the film of heated raw material, and the gap is selected to generate a highly turbulent zone to provide for high the transfer values to allow vapour to be extracted to the evaporator area. 
     
     
         10 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactor is conical shaped such that the heated raw material being processed is continuously fed into the largest diameter of the reactor and spread towards the shortest diameter end of the reactor. 
     
     
         11 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactor comprises a short path distillation column. 
     
     
         12 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactor comprises a thin film evaporator. 
     
     
         13 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactor comprises means for the removal of residue from the interior walls of the reactor, thus enabling a constant and stable heating of the raw material. 
     
     
         14 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactor comprises means for the removal of residue from the interior walls of the reactor, thus enabling a constant and stable heating of the raw material and the means for removal of residue or solid fraction periodically through an isolating valve system and means for transporting away from the reactor via an extrusion screw to a cooling storage vessel. 
     
     
         15 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactor is provided with means to control the mass balance at the vapour extraction stage. 
     
     
         16 . A process for the depolymerisation of hydro-carbon containing material for producing diesel oil and/or heating oil, said process comprising the steps of:
 pre-heating raw hydro-carbon containing material to a fluidic or viscous state and introducing said pre-heated material under pressure into a reactor;   further heating of the raw material under vacuum in said reactor such that that the raw material under vacuum is heated to a desired temperature range;   extracting vapour from said heated raw material to an evaporator area and producing said diesel oil or heating oil wherein the desired temperature range operates substantially in the range of 390 to 420 degrees C.