Hydrothermal feedstock treatment

Abstract

The disclosure provides a process for a hydrothermal feedstock treatment including direct steam injection and cooling, which may be performed in the absence of a reactor. The process can be used to reduce inorganic and organic contaminants, such as salts, minerals, metals, asphaltenes, polymers, and coke precursors in both renewable and non-renewable feedstocks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for treating a feedstock comprising:
 i) injecting steam directly into a feedstock, forming a heated feedstock and water stream,   wherein the mass ratio of steam to the heated feedstock and water stream is between about 0.1:10 and 10:0.1;   ii) immediately cooling the heated feedstock and water stream; and   iii) producing a cooled product stream.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 i) depressurizing the cooled product stream; and   ii) separating the cooled product stream by supplying the cooled product stream to a separator, thereby producing a treated feedstock and a separated water stream, optionally further purifying the treated feedstock.   
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising preheating the feedstock before the step of injecting steam. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising enzymatic degumming, water degumming, or a combination thereof, before the step of injecting steam. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the separating step comprises gravimetric separation. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the feedstock comprises a petroleum-based feedstock or a renewable feedstock, and a contaminant. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the renewable feedstock comprises a glyceride-based lipid. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the feedstock has a pressure of from 3 to 10 MPa; and wherein the steam has a pressure of from 3 to 10 MPa. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the steam injection step heats the feedstock to a temperature above 200° C. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling step comprises reducing the temperature of the heated feedstock and water stream to 90° C. or less over a period of 30 seconds to 15 minutes, 30 seconds to 10 minutes, 30 seconds to 5 minutes, or 30 seconds to 1 minute, inclusive. 
     
     
         11 . A process for treating a feedstock comprising:
 i) injecting steam directly into the feedstock, forming a heated feedstock and water stream,   wherein the mass ratio of steam to the heated feedstock and water stream is between about 0.1:10 and 10:0.1;   ii) maintaining the heated feedstock and water stream at a laminar flow for a time; and   iii) producing a cooled product stream.   
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 ii) depressurizing the cooled product stream; and   iii) separating the cooled product stream by supplying the cooled product stream to a separator, thereby producing a treated feedstock and a separated water stream, optionally further purifying the treated feedstock.   
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 11 , further comprising pre-heating the feedstock to a temperature of from 150° C. to 300° C., inclusive, prior to steam injection. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 11 , further comprising enzymatic degumming, water degumming, or a combination thereof, before the step of injecting steam. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the separating step comprises gravimetric separation. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the maintaining step comprises providing the heated feedstock and water stream to a reactor,
 wherein the laminar flow has a Reynolds number of less than 2000.   
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the maintaining step comprises providing the heated feedstock and water stream to a pipe,
 wherein the laminar flow has a Reynolds number of less than 2000.   
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the feedstock comprises a petroleum-based feedstock or a renewable feedstock, and a contaminant. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18 , wherein the renewable feedstock comprises a glyceride-based lipid. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the treated feedstock comprises less than or equal to 2 ppm of a metal contaminant. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the treated feedstock comprises chlorophyll in a total amount of about 30 to 50 ppb chlorophyll or 15 to 30 ppb chlorophyll, inclusive. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the feedstock has a pressure of from 3 to 10 MPa; and wherein the steam has a pressure of from 3 to 10 MPa. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the steam injection step heats the feedstock to a temperature above 200 C. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the laminar flow has a Reynolds number of 1000 to 1999 or 500 to 1000, inclusive. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the time is from 30 to 60 seconds, 5 seconds to 5 minutes, 1 to 3 minutes inclusive.