Processes for rapidly and accurately predicting the fouling potential of a heavy petroleum fraction in a commercial refinery, informing the selection of one or more interventions to prevent or decrease the rate of said fouling. The process utilizes several specialized .sup.13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance procedures to more accurately quantify tertiary and quaternary bridgehead aromatic carbon in the heavy petroleum fraction This permits more accurate calculation of a Condensation Index for the heavy petroleum fraction to more accurately predict fouling potential of the fraction. When the condensation index is at or above a threshold value, the process implements one or more responses to improve operational efficiency of the commercial refinery.

The present invention relates to an integrated process for conversion of crude oil to petrochemicals viz. olefins and aromatics. More specifically, the present invention provides a configuration of processes both primary and secondary processing units through which the crude oil can be converted to petrochemicals. The configuration of processes provided by the present invention utilizes minimum numbers of secondary processing units and provides great degree of flexibility towards maximizing yield of either petrochemical or fuels depending upon market scenario.

The present invention relates to an integrated process for conversion of crude oil to petrochemicals viz. olefins and aromatics. More specifically, the present invention provides a configuration of processes both primary and secondary processing units through which the crude oil can be converted to petrochemicals. The configuration of processes provided by the present invention utilizes minimum numbers of secondary processing units and provides great degree of flexibility towards maximizing yield of either petrochemical or fuels depending upon market scenario.

The technology relates to a method of producing synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H.sub.2), wherein the synthesis gas is produced by a reduction reaction of a first flow comprising a carbon source and an excess of hydrogen in contact with an Oxy-flame. The hydrogen comes from a reducing stream, a first portion of which ends up in the first flow, and a second part of which is used to generate the Oxy-flame by combustion of the hydrogen in the presence of a second flow comprising oxygen (O.sub.2), the second flow coming from an oxidizing stream. The first flow and the second flow are at a distance from each other such that the Oxy-flame supports the reaction between the carbon source and the hydrogen. A reactor, which can have different configurations, is also proposed for implementing the method.

A thermal cracking apparatus and method includes a body having an inner volume with a longitudinal axis, where a reaction zone surrounds the longitudinal axis. A feedstock process gas is flowed into the inner volume and longitudinally through the reaction zone during thermal cracking operations. A power control system controls electrical power to an elongated heating element, which is disposed within the inner volume. During thermal cracking operations, the elongated heating element is heated to a molecular cracking temperature to generate the reaction zone, the feedstock process gas is heated from the elongated heating element, the power control system uses a feedback parameter for adjusting the electrical power to maintain the molecular cracking temperature at a substantially constant value, and the heat thermally cracks molecules of the feedstock process gas that are within the reaction zone into constituent components of the molecules.

A thermal cracking apparatus and method includes a body having an inner volume with a longitudinal axis, where a reaction zone surrounds the longitudinal axis. A feedstock process gas is flowed into the inner volume and longitudinally through the reaction zone during thermal cracking operations. A power control system controls electrical power to an elongated heating element, which is disposed within the inner volume. During thermal cracking operations, the elongated heating element is heated to a molecular cracking temperature to generate the reaction zone, the feedstock process gas is heated from the elongated heating element, the power control system uses a feedback parameter for adjusting the electrical power to maintain the molecular cracking temperature at a substantially constant value, and the heat thermally cracks molecules of the feedstock process gas that are within the reaction zone into constituent components of the molecules.

The technology relates to a method of producing synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H.sub.2), wherein the synthesis gas is produced by a reduction reaction of a first flow comprising a carbon source and an excess of hydrogen in contact with an Oxy-flame. The hydrogen comes from a reducing stream, a first portion of which ends up in the first flow, and a second part of which is used to generate the Oxy-flame by combustion of the hydrogen in the presence of a second flow comprising oxygen (O.sub.2), the second flow coming from an oxidizing stream. The first flow and the second flow are at a distance from each other such that the Oxy-flame supports the reaction between the carbon source and the hydrogen. A reactor, which can have different configurations, is also proposed for implementing the method.

The present disclosure relates generally to processes for handling renewable hydrocarbon feeds and conventional hydrocarbon feeds. One aspect of the disclosure provides a process for co-processing a renewable feed and a petroleum feed, the process comprising: hydrotreating the petroleum feed in a first reaction one, wherein the hydrotreating of the petroleum feed comprises one or more of hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodemetallization, isomerization, hydrogenation of olefins, and hydrocracking, to form a first reaction zone effluent; conducting the first reaction zone effluent to a second reaction zone; and in the second reaction zone hydrotreating a combination of the first reaction zone effluent and the renewable feed, wherein the hydrotreating of the combination comprises one or more of hydrodeoxygenation, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, isomerization and hydrogenation of olefins of the renewable feed, to form a second reaction zone effluent.

The present disclosure relates generally to processes for handling renewable hydrocarbon feeds and conventional hydrocarbon feeds. One aspect of the disclosure provides a process for co-processing a renewable feed and a petroleum feed, the process comprising: hydrotreating the petroleum feed in a first reaction one, wherein the hydrotreating of the petroleum feed comprises one or more of hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodemetallization, isomerization, hydrogenation of olefins, and hydrocracking, to form a first reaction zone effluent; conducting the first reaction zone effluent to a second reaction zone; and in the second reaction zone hydrotreating a combination of the first reaction zone effluent and the renewable feed, wherein the hydrotreating of the combination comprises one or more of hydrodeoxygenation, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, isomerization and hydrogenation of olefins of the renewable feed, to form a second reaction zone effluent.

Processes and systems that utilize methane pyrolysis for carbon capture from a petrochemical stream that contains hydrogen and methane. The petrochemical stream can be the tail gas of a hydrocarbon cracking system, or any other petrochemical stream containing hydrogen and methane. The petrochemical stream can be separated into a hydrogen product stream and a methane product stream, before sending the methane product stream to a methane pyrolysis unit. The methane pyrolysis unit converts methane to solid carbon and hydrogen.