Petroleum Refinery Training Report
Submitted By:
Name of the student: Bipradeep Ghosh
Year of study: 3rd year
College/University: Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal
Email Id: bipradeep1999@[Link]
Mobile Number: 8334886962
Lecture Number: 6
Date of the Lecture: 07/06/2020
Topic of the Lecture: Hydro cracking Operation in Refinery
Lecture by: [Link]
Time & duration of the Lecture: 7:00 to 8:30 PM, 90 minutes
Summary of the lecture:
In this lecture sir discussed about the cracking processes of higher hydrocarbon
molecule vacuum gas oils recovered from the of vacuum distillation column in
Hydrocracker unit. Sir has covered the major components of this unit in details and
also gave a detailed description about the process variable and how they affect the
process.
Introduction:
Feedstocks:
1. Heavy Gas Oils in North America for the production of naphtha
2. Vacuum Gas Oils in India & the Middle East.
Products:
Hydrocracker is mainly used to produce kero/ATF and diesel with high cetane
number. Due to cracking other products are also produced.
Process Description;
Hydrocracking is a two-stage process combining catalytic cracking and
hydrogenation, wherein heavier feedstocks are cracked in the presence of hydrogen
to produce more desirable products. The process employs high pressure, high
temperature, a catalyst, and hydrogen. The pressure varies from 70-200 barg
whereas temperature ranges from 340-425℃.
In the first stage, preheated feedstock is mixed with recycled hydrogen and sent to
the first-stage reactor, where catalysts convert sulfur and nitrogen compounds to
hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. Limited hydrocracking also occurs.
After the hydrocarbon leaves the first stage, it is cooled and liquefied and
then sent through a hydrocarbon separator. Hydrogen is recycled to the feedstock.
The liquid is charged to a fractionator. Depending on the products desired (gasoline
components, jet fuel, and gas oil), the fractionator is run to cut out some portion of
the first-stage reactor out-turn. Kerosene-range material can be taken as a separate
side-draw product or included in the fractionator bottoms with the gas oil.
Fractionator bottoms are mixed with a hydrogen stream and charged to the
second stage. Since this material has already been subjected to some hydrogenation,
cracking, and reforming in the first stage, the operations of the second stage are
more severe with higher temperatures and pressures. As with the first stage, the
second-stage product is separated from the hydrogen and charged to the
fractionator.
Note - Hydrogenation reaction are exothermic reaction so to keep the temperature
under control the catalyst are distributed in separate beds in a stage. To control the
temperature quench hydrogen is also given.
Catalyst :
Catalyst for Hydrotreating:
Hydrotreating is used for sulphur and nitrogen removal. Catalyst are non-noble
metal on alumina base.
Ni-Mo for high severity
Co-Mo for low severity
Catalyst for Hydrocracking:
Bifunctional Silica - Alumina catalyst
Acidic sites for cracking reactions
Metal sites for hydrogenation, dehydrogenation
Two types of hydrocracking catalysts
1. Amorphous (SiO2/Al2O3 ) for producing middle distillates.
2. Zeolites for producing naphtha, LPG.
Effect of Operating Variable:
1. Increasing the temperature favors conversion.
2. Decrease in temperature favors heavier product formation.
3. Aging affects activity and selectivity.
4. Effect of aging on selectivity is lower for amorphous catalyst compared to
zeolite catalyst.
5. The aromatic content of middle distillates increases with catalyst age due to
enhancement of temperature.
6. Increase in temperature increases coking rate
7. Higher temperature can process difficult feeds.
8. Increase in temperature reduces cycle length.
9. H2 partial pressure affects the degree of hydrogenation and the hydrocracking
rate. It also affects HDN Effect on HDS is also there but to lower extent.
Conclusion:
In this lecture sir has discussed about the process of hydrocracker unit ,the catalyst
used in the process of hydrotreating and hydrocracking, the possible ways to avoid
catalyst poison, sintering and coking. Sir also discussed about the effect of process
variables on the process and how it optimize the process.
Next Lecture:
In the next lecture we will be discussing about Catalytic Reforming
Unit(CRU)/CCRU by K. Subhash sir.
