(180b) EM-Enhanced Thermocatalytic Upgrading of Heavy Crude Oil

Using an electromagnetic (EM)-enhanced thermocatalytic process, heavy crude oil is converted into lower viscosity, lighter oil. Microwave energy is selectively absorbed by an EM absorbing catalyst converting microwave energy into heat thus generating a high temperature/pressure micro-environment to accelerate crude oil upgrading processes. The EM-enhanced process intensification approach confers benefits over traditional oil upgrading methods resulting in low bulk oil temperature and increased energy efficiency. A high surface area, N-doped mesographitic carbon prepared at SRNL when dispersed in heavy crude oil shows a viscosity reduction of 84.3% following 1 hr microwave irradiation with bulk oil temperatures reaching 70°C, far below typical bulk reaction temperatures (300-400 °C). Microwave coupled graphitic catalysts designed for this process heat primarily through joule heating. Susceptor effectiveness is evaluated using a series of N-doped mesographitic carbon catalysts showing a positive correlation between increased N wt.% and heating rate. This suggests enhanced localized heating via additional available electrons due to the Fermi level shift. The presentation will discuss catalyst composition and design, crude upgrading results, and the benefits of the EM-enhanced process such as energy efficiency, modularity, and decentralization of heavy oil upgrading.