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W3V20-Refining Processes2-V2016-Handout PDF
W3V20-Refining Processes2-V2016-Handout PDF
Jean-Luc Monsavoir
If we compare the crude yields and the final market demands, in Europe, we can observe
that we have a lack of diesel, Jet fuel and gasoline. And a large excess of heavy products.
Let’s see now how a refinery can solve this problem, and try to match the market demands.
The idea is to transform the heavy products recovered at the bottom of the CDU into lighter
products, according to the market demand.
For that, we feed the Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU) with the atmospheric residue. By doing
that, we recover a vacuum distillate, with a carbon number between 25 and 50, and, at the
bottom, a vacuum residue, with a carbon number higher than 50.
The vacuum distillate is treated in a Fluid Catalytic Cracker called FCC, or in a Distillate
hydrocracker, called DHC. The vacuum residue will be treated in a delayed coker. We will
see later in detail these units. But for the moment, just remember that the basic objective is
to cut the long carbon chains into smaller ones.
In conclusion, the idea is to transform heavy cuts into diesel, kerosene, gasoline, as needed
by the market, in order to balance the offer and the demand.
Refining Processes
Gas Treatment
Gases are obtained at the top of the
Crude Distillation Unit. Then, they are
split again, in other distillation columns,
called a gas plant, to obtain first Fuel
gas. Fuel gas is used as internal fuel in
all the furnaces of the refinery. We also
obtain propane and butane, as final
products. But, it is mandatory to
eliminate sulfur compounds, which are
present in these cuts.
The H2S is eliminated in an amine unit. The gas, containing H2S, is put in contact with a
chemical reactant: an amine called DEA. A chemical reaction occurs between H2S and DEA.
The sweet gas goes to the outlet of the column. This unit is also largely used for the natural
gas treatment.
HDS unit
On the diesel cut, depending on the origin on the crude-oil, the cetane number obtained is
high enough to be within the specifications. It’s the same for the cold flow properties. But
The desulfurization reactions take place inside a reactor filled with a catalyst. The catalyst is
a solid compound, designed to facilitate and accelerate the chemical reactions.
The hydrocarbons, containing the sulfur molecules, react at the surface of the catalyst with
hydrogen molecules in gas form.
At the end of the reaction, we obtain, on one hand a hydrocarbon without sulfur and, on the
other hand, H2S (Hydrogen sulphide) which is the product of the reaction between sulfur and
hydrogen.
We need a high enough temperature to activate the reactions: typically the temperature
inside the reactor is between 360°C and 400°C. We also need enough hydrogen pressure, to
help the hydrogen molecule go inside the catalyst, to react with the sulfur molecules.
Typically, the pressure of a Diesel HDS-unit is between 40 and 80 bar.
W3V20 - Refining Processes 2 – p. 4
The chemical reaction takes place again in a reactor, filled with another type of catalyst.
FCC unit
At the bottom of the CDU, the atmospheric residue is distilled under vacuum, in a VDU, to
obtain a Vacuum distillate. The vacuum distillate is introduced into a Fluid Catalytic Cracking
unit, called FCC
The vacuum distillate is introduced at the bottom of the reactor, in a big pipe called a riser.
In the riser, the feed is in contact with a specific catalyst. The reaction occurs in the gas
phase at high temperature.
We recover the products of the reaction at the top of the reactor. The products of the
reaction are separated into different cuts in a distillation column.
The spent catalyst is recovered at the bottom of the reactor, and is regenerated in a
regenerator, before coming back again at the inlet of the riser. The catalyst is circulated in a
loop, between the reactor and the regenerator.
The catalyst is really specific. It looks like very small round particles, around 0,05 mm. This
catalyst is so small that is possible to fluidize it. To keep things simple , let’s say that, under
some conditions, it moves like a liquid.
Under the operating conditions, the catalyst will break the long chain molecules into smaller
ones. By doing so, we transform the long molecules of the vacuum distillate into shorter
ones, and finally we produce additional gasoline and diesel fuel. We also obtain smaller
DHC unit
The vacuum distillate cut, can also be treated in a Distillate HydroCracker unit, called DHC.
The hydrocarbon molecules react at the surface of the catalyst with hydrogen. For example,
aromatic molecules are saturated with hydrogen, to form naphthene. Naphthene cracks
into linear compounds, under high pressure and high temperature.
And long chain molecules can again be cracked into smaller molecules.
Typical operating conditions are : temperature of the reactor is around 360°C , and pressure
around 180 bar. In conclusion at the outlet of the DHC unit, we obtain mainly diesel, jet and
gasoline.
Until now, we have seen the treatment of the vacuum distillate. Let’s see now what happens
with the heaviest cut of a refinery, the vacuum residue, recovered at the bottom of the VDU.
The second step, is to treat the cuts, in order to comply with the specifications, and market
demands. We have seen, the HDS units, used to remove sulfur compounds from gasoline,
kerosene and diesel. And, the reforming unit, to increase the RON of the gasoline.
We added, the FCC which treats the vacuum distillate, to produce mainly extra gasoline. And
the Hydrocracking unit (or DHC) to produce mainly diesel fuel and JetA1. At the end of these
treatments, we obtain several bases, ready to be blended to formulate the final commercial
products.
In conclusion, the third and last step of the refinery, is to blend all the bases, to obtain the
final commercial products, complying with the specifications.
It’s during this operation of blending, that the refiner adds biofuels, like ETBE for gasoline
and FAME for diesel fuel.