Methods and systems for upgrading hydrocarbon

Abstract

Methods and systems for upgrading hydrocarbon material, including bituminous material such as tar sands. A hydrocarbon material and a cracking material can be injected into separate injection ports of a nozzle reactor to produce a hydrocarbon product. The hydrocarbon product can be injected directly into a coker so that heavy hydrocarbon compounds can be upgraded into lighter hydrocarbon compounds, or the hydrocarbon product can first be injected into a separation vessel to separate hydrocarbons having higher boiling point temperature from hydrocarbons having lower boiling point temperature. The hydrocarbons having higher boiling point temperature can then be injected into a coker.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A hydrocarbon upgrading system comprising:
 a nozzle reactor having an hydrocarbon product outlet;   a separation vessel having a hydrocarbon product inlet and a residual hydrocarbon outlet, wherein the hydrocarbon product outlet of the nozzle reactor is in fluid communication with the hydrocarbon product inlet of the separation vessel; and   a coker having a residual hydrocarbon inlet and a cracked hydrocarbon outlet, wherein the residual hydrocarbon outlet of the separation vessel is in fluid communication with the residual hydrocarbon inlet of the coker.   
     
     
         2 . The hydrocarbon upgrading system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the separation vessel comprises a vacuum distillation tower; an atmospheric distillation tower; or a separator cyclone. 
     
     
         3 . The hydrocarbon upgrading system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the coker is a delayed coker, a fluid coker, or a flexicoker. 
     
     
         4 . A hydrocarbon upgrading system comprising:
 a nozzle reactor having an hydrocarbon product outlet; and   a coker having a hydrocarbon product inlet and a cracked hydrocarbon outlet, wherein the hydrocarbon product outlet of the nozzle reactor is in fluid communication with the hydrocarbon inlet of the coker.   
     
     
         5 . The hydrocarbon upgrading system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the coker is a delayed coker, a fluid coker, or a flexicoker. 
     
     
         6 . A method of upgrading hydrocarbon comprising:
 injecting hydrocarbon material into a feed injection port of a nozzle reactor;   injecting a cracking material into a cracking material injection port of a nozzle reactor;   collecting a hydrocarbon product exiting the nozzle reactor;   injecting the hydrocarbon product into a separation vessel and separating a portion of the hydrocarbon product from a residual hydrocarbon stream; and   injecting the residual hydrocarbon stream into a coker.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  6 , wherein the hydrocarbon material comprises bituminous material. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the cracking material is injected into the nozzle reactor at a direction transverse to the direction in which hydrocarbon material is injected into the nozzle reactor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the cracking material is accelerated to supersonic speed inside the nozzle reactor and prior to interacting with the hydrocarbon material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the cracking material is steam. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the separation vessel is an atmospheric distillation tower, a vacuum distillation tower, or a cyclone separator. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the coker is a delayed coker, a fluid coker, or a flexicoker. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the residual hydrocarbon stream comprises predominantly hydrocarbons having a boiling point temperature above about 1,050° F. 
     
     
         14 . A method of upgrading hydrocarbon comprising:
 injecting hydrocarbon material into a feed injection port of a nozzle reactor;   injecting a cracking material into a cracking material injection port of a nozzle reactor;   collecting hydrocarbon product exiting the nozzle reactor; and   injecting the hydrocarbon product into a coker.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the hydrocarbon material comprises bituminous material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the cracking material is injected into the nozzle reactor at a direction transverse to the direction in which hydrocarbon material is injected into the nozzle reactor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the cracking material is accelerated to supersonic speed inside the nozzle reactor and prior to interacting with the hydrocarbon material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the cracking material is steam. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the coker is a delayed coker, a fluid coker, or a flexicoker. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of collecting an upgraded hydrocarbon material from the coker, wherein the upgraded hydrocarbon material comprises predominantly hydrocarbons having a boiling point temperature less than 1,050° F.