An ebullated bed process for the hydroconversion of heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks that provides for high conversion of the heavy hydrocarbon with a low sediment yield. The process uses for its catalyst bed small particles of a specifically defined shaped hydroprocessing catalyst which is contacted with the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock under hydroconversion conditions and yields a hydrocarbon conversion having a relatively low sediment content.

An improved method of operating a conventional ebullated bed process for the hydroconversion of heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks so as to provide for low or reduced sediment content in the conversion product without the loss of hydrodesulfurization function.

An ebullated bed process for the hydroconversion of heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks that provides for high conversion of the heavy hydrocarbon with a low sediment yield. The process uses for its catalyst bed an impregnated shaped ebullated bed catalyst having a low macroporosity and a geometry such that its characteristic cross section perimeter-to-cross sectional area is within a specifically defined range.

A process for removing asphaltenes from an oil feed, the process comprising the steps of introducing the oil feed to a de-asphalting column, where the oil feed comprises a carbonaceous material and asphaltenes, where the de-asphalting column comprises a heteropolyacid, operating the de-asphalting column at a reaction temperature and a reaction pressure for a residence time such that the heteropolyacid is operable to catalyze an acid catalyzed polymerization reaction of the asphaltenes to produce polymerized asphaltenes, the polymerized asphaltenes precipitate from the carbonaceous material in the oil feed, and withdrawing a de-asphalted oil from the de-asphalting column, where the de-asphalted oil is in the absence of the heteropolyacids, where the de-asphalted oil has a lower concentration of sulfur, a lower concentration of nitrogen, and a lower concentration of metals as compared to the oil feed, where the process for removing asphaltenes is in the absence of added hydrogen gas.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for recovering mature fine tailings (MFT) from oil sands tailings ponds. Some examples include a hollow, fully enclosed around its perimeter, ideally of cylindrical form, open bottom structure (a hollow conduit), of predetermined geometry, which is placed at the pond surface. The hollow conduit can penetrate MFT deposits to or below a level at which MFT of required density is located. A width or diameter of the hollow conduit can be determined with respect to the MFT inflow velocity and the corresponding shear rate, so as to enable MFT flow into the hollow conduit at a rate matching a rate at which the MFT is removed from the pond (e.g., a recovery rate). An MFT fill level inside the hollow conduit can be kept constant and equal to a required fill level throughout MFT recovery operations. MFT can enter the hollow conduit during MFT recovery operations solely under action of hydraulic head pressure. MFT can be transferred from within the hollow conduit utilizing a mechanical device such as a pump or a siphon, for transfer to shore based facilities and further processing.

A method of reducing solids accumulation on a disc stack having at least one separator disc used in a centrifuge is provided, comprising: providing at least one surface of the at least one separator disc, said surface having a number of crevices therein; and coating at least a portion of the at least one surface with a coating comprising at least one fluoropolymer to fill the crevices in that portion so that the solids are prevented from settling therein.

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for separating hydrocarbons from solid particles in a hydrocarbon-particulate-aqueous mixture. The apparatus comprises: a container for the mixture; a shockwave generator comprising two electrical terminals; and a pulsed power supply. The pulsed power supply is configured to apply a series of one or more voltage pulses to the terminals, such that, when each voltage pulse is applied to the terminals, a shockwave is applied to the mixture to promote separation of the components of the mixture. This may mitigate the need to heat the mixture and/or add chemicals to facilitate separation of hydrocarbons from solid particles such as sand or soil, mineral or carbonate particles.

Processes for separating conjunct polymer from an organic phase are described. A mixture comprising an ionic liquid phase and the organic phase into the ionic phase and an organic phase comprising the conjunct polymer and at least one silyl or boryl compound. The organic phase is separated in a fractionation column into an overhead fraction comprising unreacted silane or borane compound and a bottoms fraction comprising the conjunct polymer and the silyl or boryl compound. The bottoms fraction is passed through an adsorption zone, and the silyl or boryl compound is recovered. Alternatively, the organic phase is passed through an adsorption zone first to remove the conjunct polymer and then a fractionation zone to separate the unreacted silane or borane compound from the silyl or boryl compound.

Processes for preparing a low particulate liquid hydrocarbon product are provided and includes blending a tar stream containing particles with a fluid to produce a fluid-feed mixture containing tar, the particles, and the fluid, where the fluid-feed mixture contains about 30 wt % or greater of the fluid based on a combined weight of the tar stream and the fluid. The method also includes separating, e.g., by centrifuging, from the fluid-feed mixture a higher density portion and a lower density portion, where the lower density portion contains no more than 25 wt % of the particles in the fluid-feed mixture, based on the weight of the particles in the fluid-feed mixture.

The present invention is characterized by comprising: a main unit which incorporates a fuel-inflow port for fuel oil supply, a fuel-discharge port for discharging fuel oil that has finished being refined and a drainage discharge pipe for collecting and discharging untreated fuel oil, and a sludge box for storing sludge that has been separated out from the fuel oil; an ultrasound tank which receives fuel oil supplied from the fuel-inflow port, and adjusts the particle size of the fuel oil and the viscosity and surface tension of the fuel oil by means of ultrasound; a vacuum chamber which receives fuel oil supplied from the ultrasound tank, and of which the inside is maintained in a vacuum state such that the specific volume and the surface area of the fuel oil are maximized via a baffle panel; a water-fraction elimination tank of which one side is connected to the vacuum chamber and the other side is connected to a vacuum pump, and which eliminates the water fraction from the fuel oil by using air heated to a high temperature and the reduced pressure of the vacuum state created due to the vacuum chamber; an oil-refining filter which receives fuel oil supplied from the vacuum chamber and filters the received supply of fuel oil by means of centrifugation so as to trap sludge contained in the fuel oil; an ion chamber which eliminates and bums particles including fine foreign matter remaining in the fuel oil in the state after the sludge has been eliminated; and a control panel which is constituted on one surface of the main unit, sets the operating conditions of the ultrasound tank, vacuum chamber and water-fraction elimination tank, and controls whether to provide power for refining the fuel oil.