A transfer line between the outlet of a steam cracker and the inlet for the quench system has metallic or ceramic inserts having a pore size from about 0.001 to about 0.5 microns inside the line forming a gas tight barrier with the inner surface of the line and having a vent for the resulting gas tight pocket are used to separate H.sub.2, CH.sub.4, CO and CO.sub.2 from cracked gases reducing the load on the down-stream separation train of the steam cracker.

Tube-bundle heat exchangers are commonly used to quench reacting fluids to drop the temperature of the reacting fluid below a specific temperature which cuts off undesirable chemical reactions in a minimal time as practical. A common commercial application is production of olefins. Shell and tube type and bundles of tube in tube exchanges are used in this application, the method is applicable to both. Significant variations in reacting fluid mass flow rates in the tubes of the tube-bundle can cause sub-optimal performance of the process. By placement of precise partial obstruction to flow of the reacting fluids at the tube exits to an outlet plenum chamber, these flow variations can be controlled. By adding remotely readable temperature measurement, and making the obstructions adjustable, the operator of the production facility can minimize production losses due to the variations in flow between tubes in the tube-bundle.

An apparatus and method are provided for processing hydrocarbon feeds. The method may pass a pyrolysis feed to a thermal pyrolysis reactor and expose at least a portion of the pyrolysis feed to high-severity operating conditions in a thermal pyrolysis reactor, wherein the thermal pyrolysis reactor is operated at operating conditions that include pressure ≧36 psig and provide a reactor product that has a C.sub.3+ to C.sub.2 unsaturate weight ratio ≦0.5.

Systems and methods of removing coke/tar from water in a quench water recycling loop of a steam cracker quench system are disclosed. The systems include a quench water separator that has a feed calming compartment for reducing eddies in feed to the quench water separator. The feed calming compartment is defined, at least in part, by a perforated baffle in the quench water separator. The methods include the use of the quench water separator with the perforated baffle and the calming compartment to separate coke/tar from quench water in the quench water recycling loop.

Cracking furnace system for converting a hydrocarbon feedstock into cracked gas comprising a convection section, a radiant section and a cooling section, wherein the convection section includes a plurality of convection banks configured to receive and preheat hydrocarbon feedstock, wherein the radiant section includes a firebox comprising at least one radiant coil configured to heat up the feedstock to a temperature allowing a pyrolysis reaction, wherein the cooling section includes at least one transfer line exchanger.

The invention relates to a method (100) for the recovery of a separation product which contains predominantly hydrocarbons with two carbon atoms, with the use of a separation feedstock which contains predominantly methane, hydrogen and hydrocarbons with two carbon atoms, wherein the methane content of the separation feedstock is up to 20%, and the separation feedstock is provided in a gaseous state. It is provided that, at a first pressure level, the separation feedstock is partially condensed in a single step by cooling from a first temperature level to a second temperature level, thereby obtaining precisely one first liquid fraction and precisely one first gaseous fraction; at least one part of the first gaseous fraction is partially condensed in a single step through further cooling from the second temperature level to a third temperature level, thereby obtaining precisely one second liquid fraction and precisely one second gaseous fraction; at least one part of the second gaseous fraction at the second pressure level is subjected to a contraflow absorption in the contraflow to an absorption liquid containing predominantly methane, thereby obtaining precisely one third liquid fraction and precisely one third gaseous fraction; the first, the second and the third liquid fraction are at least partially combined and, at least partially, at a second pressure level above the first pressure level, subjected to a low-temperature rectification, thereby obtaining a sump liquid and an overhead gas; at least one part of the overhead gas at the second pressure level is partially condensed in a single step through further cooling from the second temperature level to the third temperature level, thereby obtaining a fourth liquid fraction and a fourth gaseous fraction; and the absorption liquid containing predominantly methane is formed through further cooling of at least a part of the fourth gaseous fraction to a fourth temperature level. A corresponding plant also forms the subject matter of the invention.

Methods that reduce fouling of equipment in a quench water recycling loop of a steam cracker quench system by separating tar from water in the quench water recycling loop. The methods may include settling a bottom stream comprising pyrolysis gasoline, from a quench tower, in at least two quench water settlers in parallel, each of the quench water settlers producing a settler hydrocarbon stream and a settler bottom quench water stream. The methods may also include mixing a bottom stream comprising pyrolysis gasoline, from a quench tower, with quench tower effluent water to form a combined stream. The method may further include settling the combined stream in at least two quench water settlers in parallel to produce settler hydrocarbon streams, settler bottom quench water streams, and settler process water streams.

A technique for manufacturing biocrude oil with an improved heating value and viscosity is disclosed in the present specification. A biocrude oil manufacturing system according to one embodiment includes: a pyrolysis gas generator for generating a pyrolysis gas through a fast pyrolysis reaction from a supplied mixture material; and a biocrude oil generator for generating biocrude oil by condensing the pyrolysis gas generated by the pyrolysis gas generator, wherein the mixture material includes a mixture of biomass and plastics, and the biocrude oil manufacturing system further includes an alcohol supply for supplying an alcohol to the pyrolysis gas generator and/or the biocrude oil generator.

A method and system for separating light hydrocarbons are disclosed, wherein the method comprises compression, cooling, absorption, desorption, rectification, cracking, and recycling cracked gas to the compression step.

The invention provides methods for treating a source oil phase consisting of heavy oil, bitumen, a mixture of heavy oil and bitumen, a mixture of solvent and heavy oil or bitumen or both. The method comprises: introducing the source oil phase to a lower reservoir section of a device, flowing the source oil phase through an array of vertically extending heated pipes with an inert gas so as to thermally separate a vaporized light oil phase component from a heated liquid source oil phase, and segregating fluid flows by density in an upper fluid separating manifold to provide a light product fluid and a heavy product fluid.