(220r) Extra-Heavy OIL Fractions Upgrading Characteristics In A DUAL Circulating Fluidized BED Reactor

Among 2 trillion barrels of whole oil reservoir, the portion of unconventional oils (heavy oil, extra-heavy oil, oil sand bitumen, and asphalt) reaches 53.3 % of oil reservoir. However, due to constraints such as high density, viscosity, metal, and sulfur contents, the production and supply of heavy oil are quite limited. The upgrading process is essential for the use of unconventional oils. The extra-heavy oil fractions upgrading process, which consists of a rapid thermal pyroylzer (RTP) of extra-heavy oil and gasifier of RTP residue to produce syngas as well as supply heat to the pyrolyzer are developed in KIER (Korea Institute of Energy Research. Unreacted carbon in RTP residue from the pyrolyzer will be used as a feedstock to the gasifier. The silica sand acts as a bed material circulating from the pyrolyzer and RTP residue gasifier.

In this study, the dual circulating fluidized bed reactor which consists of a riser (0.078 m-I.D. X 7 m-high) and a bubbling fluidized bed (0.2 m-I.D. X 2.1 m-high) having 1 BPD production capacity was designed and constructed for extra-heavy oil upgrading process. The bitumen and VR (Vacuum Residue) were used as a feedstock, whereas, the air and steam were used as gasifying agents. The pyrolysis and gasification performances such as oil production rate, product gas composition, carbon conversion, gas yield, heating value of product gas are determined.