Catalytic vacuum distillation process

Details Catalytic vacuum distillation process Catalytic vacuum distillation process

1999-01-25

2001-08-14

Medley, Margaret (Department: 1714)

Fuel and related compositions

Consolidated solids

Consolidation process using specified condition or technique

C044S605000, C044S620000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06273923

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to processing of oily wastewater emulsions generated by petroleum refining and/or production, and more particularly to a Catalytic Vacuum Distillation (CVD) process which promotes an environmentally friendly method to safely and efficiently remove and recover the water and hydrocarbons in these wastes while simultaneously producing a high energy solid fuel for use in industrial cement plants and/or power plants.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Certain hazardous wastes and wastewater generated by the petroleum industry (KO48, KO49, KO51, FO37 and FO38) are emulsified mixtures of solids, water and oil that are extremely difficult to treat, transport, and dispose of. These wastes, in their original state, cannot be directly used as a fuel without considerable dewatering, nor can they be feasiblely transported in conventional liquids tankers due to their high solids content. Costs associated with dewatering, transporting, and disposing of these wastes are very burdensome to the petroleum refining industry. Currently, refineries and petrochemical plants are using filter presses, high speed centrifuges, and thermal desorption to process these wastes and waste waters. These currently used processes involve substantial capital investments along with exorbitant operating costs. More importantly, they generate a waste material that is classified as a hazardous waste and must be incinerated and/or land filled with a significant cost and continued liability. Fiscal costs and future liabilities associated with dewatering, transporting, and disposing of these wastes are very burdensome to the petroleum and petrochemical industries.
An apparatus and process of filtration is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,520. The apparatus in the aforementioned patent is a converted tanker truck in which fixed tanks are used to process and transport the processed mixtures. The tanks are fixed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,520 and they cannot be removed from the tanker truck, and the processed material has to be removed from the tanker in order for the tanker to process and transport more material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a Catalytic Vacuum Distillation (CVD) process which promotes an environmentally friendly method to safely and efficiently remove and recover the water and hydrocarbons in these wastes and waste waters while simultaneously producing a high energy solid fuel. The new process has very low capital and operating costs, recovers valuable products for reuse in the refinery or petrochemical plant, and produces a viable solid fuel product instead of a waste. The oily waste water emulsions generated by petroleum refining and/or production are combined with a catalytic media and then processed by subjecting the mixture to a heating process and a vacuum system to recover hydrocarbons and simultaneously create a high energy dry solid fuel.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4985049 (1991-01-01), Kim
patent: 5503646 (1996-04-01), McKenny et al.
patent: 5681483 (1997-10-01), Navaree et al.

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