That which is claimed is:
1. A process for hydrotreating acidic compounds of an acidic petroleum oil which comprises:
contacting an acidic petroleum oil comprising at least one acidic compound with a hydrogen donor solvent at process conditions sufficient to promote hydrogen transfer from said hydrogen donor solvent to said at least one acidic compound of said acidic petroleum oil, thereby producing a treated petroleum oil.
2. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hydrogen donor solvent comprises a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of decalin, tetralin, any petroleum oil having hydrogen added thereto, and combinations of any two or more thereof.
3. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said acidic petroleum oil is contacted with said hydrogen donor solvent without the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst.
4. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said acidic petroleum oil is contacted with said hydrogen donor solvent prior to desalting of said acidic petroleum oil.
5. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said process conditions include a temperature which is below the temperature at which significant coking of said acidic petroleum oil occurs.
6. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said process conditions include a temperature in the range of from about 700 F. to about 900 F.
7. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said process conditions include a temperature in the range of from about 750 F. to about 850 F.
8. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said process conditions include a temperature in the range of from about 775 F. to about 825 F.
9. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said at least one acidic compound comprises a naphthenic acid.
10. A process in accordance with claim 9 wherein said naphthenic acid is a carboxylic acid of the formula RCOOH, wherein R comprises in the range of from 1 to 50 carbon atoms.
11. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the total acid number (TAN), as determined using ASTM test method D664-95, of said treated petroleum oil is lower than the TAN of said acidic petroleum oil.
12. A process for hydrogenating acidic compounds of an acidic petroleum oil which comprises:
contacting an acidic petroleum oil comprising at least one acidic compound with a hydrogen donor solvent at process conditions sufficient to promote hydrogen transfer from said hydrogen donor solvent to said at least one acidic compound of said acidic petroleum oil, thereby producing a treated petroleum oil;
removing a fraction from said treated petroleum oil;
contacting said fraction with a hydrogenation catalyst in the presence of hydrogen and under process conditions sufficient to hydrogenate at least a portion of the hydrocarbons of said fraction; and
utilizing at least a portion of said fraction as at least a portion of said hydrogen donor solvent.
13. A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein said acidic petroleum oil is contacted with said hydrogen donor compound without the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst.
14. A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein said petroleum oil is contacted with said hydrogen donor compound prior to desalting of said acidic petroleum oil.
15. A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein said process conditions include a temperature which is below the temperature at which significant coking of said acidic petroleum oil occurs.
16. A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein said process conditions include a temperature in the range of from about 700 F. to about 900 F.
17. A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein said process conditions include a temperature in the range of from about 750 F. to about 850 F.
18. A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein said process conditions include a temperature in the range of from about 775 F. to about 825 F.
19. A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein said at least one acidic compound comprises a naphthenic acid.
20. A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein said naphthenic acid is a carboxylic acid of the formula RCOOH, wherein R comprises in the range of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms.
21. A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein the total acid number (TAN), as determined using ASTM test method D 664-95, of said treated petroleum oil is lower than the TAN of said acidic petroleum oil.
22. A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein the hydrocarbons of said fraction boil in the range of from about 500 F. to about 900 F., as determined using ASTM test method D 5307-97.
23. A process for hydrogenating acidic compounds of an acidic petroleum oil which comprises:
contacting an acidic petroleum oil comprising at least one acidic compound with a hydrogen donor solvent at process conditions sufficient to promote hydrogen transfer from said hydrogen donor solvent to said at least one acidic compound of said acidic petroleum oil, thereby producing a treated petroleum oil;
contacting a portion of said treated petroleum oil with a hydrogenation catalyst in the presence of hydrogen and under process conditions sufficient to hydrogenate at least a portion of the hydrocarbons of said portion of said treated petroleum oil, thereby producing a hydrogenated treated petroleum oil; and
utilizing at least a portion of said hydrogenated treated petroleum oil as said hydrogen donor solvent.
24. A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein said acidic petroleum oil is contacted with said hydrogen donor compound without the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst.
25. A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein said petroleum oil is contacted with said hydrogen donor compound prior to desalting of said acidic petroleum oil.
26. A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein said process conditions include a temperature which is below the temperature at which significant coking of said acidic petroleum oil occurs.
27. A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein said process conditions include a temperature in the range of from about 700 F. to about 900 F.
28. A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein said process conditions include a temperature in the range of from about 750 F. to about 850 F.
29. A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein said process conditions include a temperature in the range of from about 795 F. to about 825 F.
30. A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein said at least one acidic compound comprises a naphthenic acid.
31. A process in accordance with claim 30 wherein said naphthenic acid is a carboxylic acid of the formula RCOOH, wherein R can be any alkyl group having in the range of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms per molecule.
32. A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein the total acid number (TAN), as determined using ASTM test method D664-95, of said treated petroleum oil is lower than the TAN of said acidic petroleum oil.
33. A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein said portion of said treated petroleum oil is at least partially desalted andor at least partially dewatered prior to contact with said hydrogenation catalyst.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Image processing apparatus in which output pixels of an output image are generated with respect to input pixels of an input image, a first subset of the output pixels being identical to respective input pixels and a second subset of the output pixels being derived from respective groups of one or more input pixels, the apparatus comprising:
a spatial filter arrangement for filtering the second subset of pixels, the filter not being applied to filter the first subset of output pixels, the filter arrangement having a response such that high spatial frequencies are attenuated in the output image.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which:
the input image is an interlaced image; and
the output image is a progressive scan image.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the filter arrangement has a frequency response relating to a Kell factor of the input image.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the output pixel values are generated with respect to pixels of the input image selected in accordance with an image feature direction in the input image, the apparatus comprising means for comparing blocks of pixels of the input image, the blocks being disposed with respect to a pixel position under test so that a degree of correlation between the blocks is indicative of an image feature direction applicable to that pixel position.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which the filter arrangement is selectively operable in respect of an output pixel in dependence upon the degree of correlation between blocks used to select the image feature direction for that output pixel.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5, in which, for image feature directions that define lines whose gradients lie within a range between vertical and a threshold gradient, the operation of the vertical filter is independent of the degree of correlation but selectively operable in dependence on the degree of correlation for other image feature directions.
7. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which the filter arrangement is selectively operable in respect of an output pixel in dependence upon the image feature direction applicable to that pixel position.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the horizontal filter is not applied to the output pixel if the image feature direction applicable to that output pixel defines a line whose gradient lies within a range between vertical and a threshold gradient.
9. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for restricting the output of the filter arrangement in respect of a pixel position in dependence on a range of pixel values defined by values of a set of pixels at predetermined positions with respect to that pixel position.
10. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the filter arrangement comprises a vertical filter and the filter arrangement has a response such that high vertical frequencies are attenuated in the output image.
11. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the filter arrangement comprises a horizontal filter and the filter arrangement has a response such that high horizontal frequencies are attenuated in the output image.
12. Vision mixing apparatus comprising image processing apparatus according to claim 1.
13. Video display apparatus comprising image processing apparatus according to claim 1.
14. An image processing method in which output pixels of an output image are generated with respect to input pixels of an input image, a first subset of the output pixels being identical to respective input pixels and a second subset of the output pixels being derived from respective groups of one or more input pixels, the method comprising the steps of:
filtering, using a spatial filter arrangement, the second subset of pixels and not filtering, using the spatial filter arrangement, the first subset of output pixels, the filter arrangement having a response such that high spatial frequencies are attenuated in the output image.
15. A method according to claim 14, in which the filtering is carried out in the vertical direction and the filter arrangement has a response such that high vertical frequencies are attenuated in the output image.
16. A method according to claim 14, in which the filtering is carried out in the horizontal direction and the filter arrangement has a response such that high horizontal frequencies are attenuated in the output image.
17. Computer software having program code which, when executed by a computer, is arranged to cause the computer to carry out a method according to claim 14.
18. A medium by which software according to claim 17 is provided.
19. A medium according to claim 18, the medium being a storage medium.
20. A medium according to claim 19, the medium being a transmission medium.