SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND OPTIMIZING HYDROTHERMAL PROCESS OF REFINING HEAVY CRUDE OIL AND BITUMEN Russian patent published in 2019 - IPC C10G9/14 C10G31/08 C10G47/36 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to processing of hydrocarbons. Invention relates to a system for refining a continuous process stream comprising heavy crude oil (TSN) containing a liquid flow path configured to continuously deliver a process stream along said route in a flow direction, wherein the flow path includes a reactor. Reactor receives process flow together with water at inlet temperature of approximately 60–200 °C. Reactor includes one or more flow tubes, having a total length approximately 30 times greater than their crosswise cross sectional size, and gradually heats process flow to outlet temperature T(max)1 within approximately 260–400 °C. Reactor maintains pressure in process flow sufficient to ensure single-phase flow at T(max)1. Controller selectively controls the rate of process flow passing through the reactor in order to maintain total residence time within the range of approximately 1 to 25 minutes. Regeneration section located at outlet part of reactor along flow path includes one or more separators made with possibility to separate water, light hydrocarbons (LC) and any other volatile components having boiling point at atmospheric pressure below a predetermined maximum TC value (LU1), Note here that process flow retains heavy hydrocarbon components with boiling points higher than that of LC to form process flow. Said flow rate, said lengths of flow meters and said heat supply are configured to minimize or prevent coke formation. Invention also relates to a method for efficient refining of heavy crude oil.

EFFECT: technical result is reduction of density and viscosity of natural raw material by converting asphaltenes and other heavy components into lighter; scalability, which provides a distributed implementation at the wellhead or near it in order to minimize or eliminate the need to use diluents from remote sources.

56 cl, 19 dwg