02 Liquid fuels (transport, refining, quality, storage)
02
LIQUID FUELS Sources, properties, recovery
This article examines the potential application of biochemical catalysis in the petroleum refining industry by a prospective analysis of the available data on the microbial and enzymatic modification of oil products. The proposed biotechnological processes can be considered either alternative or complementary to conventional oil refining technologies. Desulfurization, denitrogenation, asphaltene upgrading, heavy metal removal, and effluent treatment by enzyme-mediated reactions are reviewed. The introduction of novel non-conventional techniques in the petroleum industry may improve its energetic efficiency and reduce its environmental impact.
03/00509 Catalyst containing copper and cerium oxide for steam reforming of methanol Azuma, N. et al. Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 2002 186,855 (CI. B01J23/76), 2 Jul 2002, Appl. 2000/387,799, 20 Dec 2000. 11. (In Japanese) The title catalyst comprises a porous matrix containing SiO2, AI203, TiO2 or ZrO3 dispersed with a primary dispersion phase containing Cu and/or a Cu oxide and a secondary dispersion phase containing a Ce oxide at weight ratio of 1.0-40.0 wt% Cu component in the primary phase, 0.5-30.0 wt% Ce component in the secondary phase, and balance the porous matrix. Optionally, the catalyst comprises a tertiary dispersion phase containing Ag or a Ag oxide at weight ratio of Cu component in the primary phase 1.0-40.0, Ce component in the secondary phase 0.5-20.0, Ag component in the tertiary phase 10.120.0 wt%, and balance the porous matrix. The resulting reformed gas, especially suitable for fuel cells, provides low CO concentration.
03•00510 Fuel oil with low-temperature flowability for boiler and industrial furnace Hirano, H. and Sawada, S. Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 2002 180,070 (CI. C10L1/04), 26 Jun 2002, Appl. 2000/374,220, 8 Dec 2000. 6. (In Japanese) The fuel oil with density >0.8762 g/mL (15°), S fraction _<0.3 mass%, residual C fraction in 10% residual oil <_0.6 mass%, flash point >60 °, dynamic viscosity 1.5-5.5 mmZ/s (50°), total calorific power ~39 400 k J/ L, cetane number >32, cold filter plugging point below - 1 4 °, and pour point below - 3 0 ° contains light cycle oil (LCO) 25-65, dewaxed and desulfurized gas oil (DWGO) 15-35, directly desulfurized gas oil (DSGO) 5-36, and kerosene (KERO) 0-15 volume%. The fuel oil shows higher calorific power than fuel oil A and good low-temperature flowability to be useful at cold areas.
03/00511 Reassessment of the hydrocarbons in Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska: identifying the source using partial least-squares Mudge, S. M. Environmental Science and Technology, 2002. 36, (11), 2354-2360. There has been considerable exchange in the literature regarding the source of the background hydrocarbons in Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska, suggesting both oil-based sources and coal. The multivariate statistical partial least-squares (PLS) method re-assessed the percentage contribution of coal, seep oil, shales, and rivers to hydrocarbon loading in the Gulf of Alaska. Data were analysed using selected sites as sources to develop signatures. These signatures were based on 40 and 136 compounds, respectively, and included polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and terpane/sterane biomarkers. Principal components describing these sources were then fitted to data for other sites around Prince William Sound (PWS) and Gulf of Alaska (GoA) to detect the proportion of variability described by each source. Using Exxon data a mixed source of coal, seep oil eroding shale, and river (1 and 2) sources described ~13, 18, 24, 26, and 20%, respectively, of the variance in PWS and GoA data. The rivers 1 signature was very similar to that of coal, while the rivers 2 signature was more similar to eroding shales. New coal data also indicated considerable overlap with Exxon seep oil. With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data, spatial plots of the explained variance indicated the pre-spill background had a wide range of explained fits. There was considerable overlap in signatures developed from these data, and Coomans' plots identified those compounds which were the most diagnostic. Evidence suggested mixed sources whose contributions vary significantly across the sampling area.
03/00512 Seismic techniques of enhanced oil recovery: experimental and field results Kuznetsov, O. L. et al. Energy Sources, 2002, 24, (9), 877 889. Application of secondary and tertiary oil recovery techniques during late field development stages usually yields poor results. The reasons are principally due to the low efficiency of these technologies, probably because the gravity and capillary forces are not properly considered. Improved efficiency for hydrocarbon recovery produced by seismic vibration is discussed.
03/00513 Will biochemical catalysis impact the petroleum refining industry? Vazquez-Duhalt, R. et al. Energy Fuels, 2002, 16, (5), 1239-1250.
Transport, refining, quality, storage 03/00514
How to improve the reliability of DCS application
Qiao, Y. Shiyou Huagong Zidonghua, 2002, (l), 17-18. (In Chinese) Distributed control systems (DCS) have been used extensively in the petrochemical industry, where the reliability of DCS is key. The methods for improving the reliability of DCS applications are discussed in this paper and some detailed proposals introduced regarding DCS hardware distribution and the external surroundings of DCS applications.
03/00515 Improvement of locally produced gasoline and studying its effects on both the performance of the engine and the environment Hamdan, M. A. and AI-Subaih, T. A. Energy Conversion and Management, 2002, 43, (14), 1811 1820. This study aims at investigating the effect of methyl-tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) addition to gasoline on its octane number and, hence, the performance of an engine. Also, its effect on the emitted gases was investigated. Locally produced gasoline was blended with five different percentages of MTBE, namely 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. Then, these fuels were burned in an engine, which is coupled to a gas analyser. It was found that the octane number of the gasoline increases continuously and linearly with MTBE percentage in the gasoline. The best performance of the engine occurs at around 10% MTBE addition, and this percentage also gives the best reduction in exhaust gases emissions.
03/00516 Prospects for irradiation processing in the petroleum industry Zaykina, R. F. et al. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 2002, 63, (3-6), 617-620. The use of irradiation processing for processing petroleum crude oil is discussed. Aspects of radiation-thermal processing are shown in the experimental results for different types of crude oil that are characterized by essentially different hydrocarbon contents. Cracking operations with and without prior electron irradiation were performed on a heavy crude petroleum from Karazhanbas. Prior irradiation increased the resulting fractions boiling point <350°),especially the gasoline and diesel fractions.
03/00517 Pyrolysis of Tarfaya, Morocco, oil shales: study of the influence of the inorganic matrix El Harfi, K. et al. Annales de Chimie, 2002, 27, (l), 1 17. (In French) The effects of the inorganic matrix of the oil shale on the pyrolysis of the Tarfaya oil shale were investigated using a modified Fisher-assay type apparatus Experiments were conducted on the oil shale as well as on the kerogen isolated from the shale following a demineralization process. The results obtained show that the inorganic matrix retains the pyrolysis products, slows their formation and catalyses the reactions leading to oil formation. The oil diffuses in different pores and cracks of the mineral matrix. Pyrolysis of the oil shale resulted in higher oil yields when compared with the pyrolysis of the kerogen. In addition, the obtained oils are, in this case, more maltenic, more aromatic and less polar.
03/00518 Study of diesel fuel contamination by excitation emission matrix spectral subtraction fluorescence Patra, D. and Mishra, A. K. Analytica Chimica Acta, 2002. 454, (2), 209-215. Study on diesel fuel contamination by various common adulterants like kerosine, blue marked kerosine (PDS), crude hexane, cyclohexane, turpentine oil, etc. was carried out by excitation emission matrix fluorescence (EEMF). Excitation emission matrix spectral subtraction (EEMSS) fluorescence can be obtained by subtracting the EEMF spectrum of the adulterated sample from the neat sample. EEMSS fluorescence could help to distinguish between neat and contaminated sample of diesel despite the presence of energy transfer and inner filter
Fuel and Energy Abstracts
March 2003 73