Methods are provided to prepare a low sulfur fuel from hydrocarbon sources, such as light tight oil and high sulfur fuel oil, often less desired by conventional refiners, who split crude into a wide range of differing products and may prefer presence of wide ranges (C3 or C5 to C20 or higher) of hydrocarbons. These fuels can be produced by separating feeds into untreated and treated streams, and then recombining them. Such fuels can also be formulated by combinations of light, middle and heavy range constituents in a selected manner as claimed. Not only low in sulfur, the fuels of this invention are also low in nitrogen and essentially metals free. Fuel use applications include on-board large marine transport vessels but also on-shore for large land based combustion gas turbines, boilers, fired heaters and transport vehicles and trains.

A method for forming mesophase pitch can include applying a stimulus to a first amount of coal tar to form a first amount of mesophase pitch. The stimulus can include one or more of an electromagnetic field (“EMF”) or a magnetic field. The method can further include evaluating a characteristic of the first amount of mesophase pitch, changing a parameter of the stimulus in response to evaluating the characteristic of the first amount of mesophase pitch, and applying the stimulus exhibiting the changed parameters to a second amount of coal tar to form mesophase pitch.

Provided is impregnated pitch having a high fixed carbon content despite being petroleum-based pitch. The method for producing impregnated pitch for graphite electrode production according to one embodiment includes heat treatment of ethylene bottom oil and distillation of the heat-treated product to remove low-boiling-point compounds.

A method of transporting non-volatile bituminous materials from a first location to a second location involves carrying a plurality of irregular bricks formed by the bituminous material in transport chambers carried by vehicles. Bricks are defined by a plurality of non-planar surface, which create gaps between adjacent bricks, and can further include polymer skeletons and other features that help them float. The bricks can travel by land, sea, air, or rail and need not be heated while in transit. Transport chambers have active or preferably passive environmental control systems to circulate cooling air, water, or other substances through the transport chamber and the gaps between adjacent bricks. In a preferred embodiment, ambient air circulates among the bricks during travel by land and ambient water circulates among the bricks during marine travel. The vehicles carrying the transport chambers can be low-emissions or zero-emission vehicles including fuel-cell powered trains and ships.

A substantially solid brick of non-volatile bituminous material has a shape that is defined by an irregular outer surface to minimize surface contact with nearby bricks when shipped in bulk. The overall shape is preferably that of a modified tetrahedron having three non-planar face surfaces, a top surface, and a surface or point. Both the top and bottom surfaces are preferably modified domed shapes comprised of several sections. The face sections are preferably modified concave surfaces comprised of several triangular sections that can be planar, concave, or convex. Curved edges connect the face sections to each other and can include several planar edge sections. The bituminous material can include additives, and the brick can further include a skeleton distributed throughout. The skeleton can be a customizable matrix, framework of fiber groups, or other structure and can include customizable buoyant features such as air pockets or capsules.

A method of preparing non-volatile bituminous material in solid form includes first accessing molds having mold cavities defining an irregularly shaped brick having a plurality of non-planar surfaces and preparing the bituminous material for casting by heating it until it is suitably viscous for casting and optionally blending it with an additive. Then, the molds can be filled with the bituminous materials, preferably using a retractable conduit that progressively fills each mold cavity from its bottom to its top. Next, the bituminous material in the molds is solidified until substantially solid bricks are formed. Optionally, a skeleton with optional additional buoyant features can be placed in each mold cavity prior to casting so that the resulting brick has increased buoyancy throughout, and the skeleton and any buoyant features can be customized according to the needs of the customer. The resulting bricks can be removed for transport.

A receiver for irregularly shaped bricks cast from non-volatile bituminous material includes a receiver with a specialized storage chamber that can receive viscous bituminous material and a concave lid preferably modified with a radiant heating system that can accept and melt or soften arriving bricks. The lid includes multiple openings or other delivery routes that funnel the melted bituminous material to the chamber below. The radiant heating system can be electrical where cables or grids are embedded in the lid or where conductive materials coat or are distributed throughout the lid. Alternatively, the radiant heating system can be hydronic where channels or conduits are embedded in the lid to circulate heated liquid such as water or water mixed with propylene glycol. The receiver can also include blenders, skimmers, and additional heaters to further skim, blend, or process the bituminous material collected in the chamber.

Methods are provided to prepare a low sulfur fuel from hydrocarbon sources, such as light tight oil and high sulfur fuel oil, often less desired by conventional refiners, who split crude into a wide range of differing products and may prefer presence of wide ranges (C3 or C5 to C20 or higher) of hydrocarbons. These fuels can be produced by separating feeds into untreated and treated streams, and then recombining them. Such fuels can also be formulated by combinations of light, middle and heavy range constituents in a selected manner as claimed. Not only low in sulfur, the fuels of this invention are also low in nitrogen and essentially metals free. Fuel use applications include on-board large marine transport vessels but also on-shore for large land based combustion gas turbines, boilers, fired heaters and transport vehicles and trains.

Methods are provided to prepare a low sulfur fuel from hydrocarbon sources, such as light tight oil and high sulfur fuel oil, often less desired by conventional refiners, who split crude into a wide range of differing products and may prefer presence of wide ranges (C3 or C5 to C20 or higher) of hydrocarbons. These fuels can be produced by separating feeds into untreated and treated streams, and then recombining them. Such fuels can also be formulated by combinations of light, middle and heavy range constituents in a selected manner as claimed. Not only low in sulfur, the fuels of this invention are also low in nitrogen and essentially metals free. Fuel use applications include on-board large marine transport vessels but also on-shore for large land based combustion gas turbines, boilers, fired heaters and transport vehicles and trains.

A system and method for separating a hydrocarbon feed stream by flashing the feed stream under vacuum to form a remaining flashed vapor comprising atmospheric hydrocarbons, vacuum distillable hydrocarbons and a non-volatile liquid; condensing the flashed vapor to a liquid using a two-stage condenser and heat recovery system; and recycling a portion of the condensed liquid to be flashed under vacuum. Separation is accomplished by combining atmospheric and vacuum separation in one column. The non-volatile liquid recovered from the vacuum vessel may comprise asphalt. This process also injects steam generated within the process into the vacuum vessel which is condensed in a two-stage condenser system to augment vacuum and aid in separation. The feed stream may comprise diluted bitumen which may be removed using a feed preparation vessel.