Chemistry and Technology of Fuels and Oils, Vol. 37, No.

4, 2001

MODERNIZATION OF A REFORMER UNIT WITH A LOWER OPERATING

PRESSURE

A. I. Elshin, F. I. Serdyuk, I. V. Kuks, V. I. Grudin, I. D. Reznichenko, UDC 621.43:621.892

G. A. Lastovkin, B. B. Zharkov, Yu. L. Kraev, S. V. Makoveev,
and A. Yu. Andreev

Modernization of the first-stage of the L-35-11/1000 plant of the OAO “Angarskaya neftekhimicheskaya
kompaniya” [“Angarskaya Petrochemical Company” (Open Joint Stock Company)] reduced the pressure
in the reformer unit from 2.3 to 1.7 MPa and the hydrogenous gas circulation ratio, from 1550 to
1100 m 3/m 3 . The catalyzate yield increased by 2.1 wt. % while the motor octane number (MON) increased
by 1.6. After the second stage of the highly efficient domestic catalysts KR-108U and RB-22U fed into
the reformer unit will increase the reformate yield with MON = 87 to 89 wt. %.
Catalyzate from the L-35-11/100 plant is the main component of high-octane gasolines in the Angarskaya
Petrochemical Company. This typical plant was built during the development of the country’s catalytic
reformer technology [1] according to a design by Lengiproneftekhim (Leningrad State Institute for the
Design of Oil Refining and Petrochemical Plants).
Initially, the intention was to use the aluminoplatinum catalyst AP-64 in the reforming of hydrofined
feedstock in the following mode: reactor pressure in the last stage 3.5 MPa, feedstock volumetric flow
rate 1.2 h -1 , and hydrogenous gas (HG) circulation ratio 1800 m 3 /m 3. The process flow diagram, however,
made no provision for booster compressors for the excess HG. As a result substantial lowering of the
pressure in the reformer unit was not possible when the plant was switched to more stable polymetal
catalysts [2].

The L-34-11/1000 plant went into operation at the Angarskaya Petrochemical Company in 1978. Initially it
operated with the polymetal catalysts KR-104 and KR-1110, which subsequently were replaced by a combined
charge of the catalysts KR-1110, RB-1, and RB-11. In 1998 the first-stage reactor was charged with the catalyst
KR-108U while the second- and third-stage reactors were charged with RB-22U [3].
Those catalysts were developed in the mid-1990s at AOOT “VNIIneftekhim” (Scientific Research Institute
of Petrochemical Processes). The high stability of those catalysts allow reforming to be conducted at low pressure
and a hydrogenous gas circulation ratio, thus ensuring a high yield of catalyzate with a high octane number. The
aforementioned features of the process flow diagram did not allow an operating pressure of less than 2.3 MPa to
be maintained in the reformer unit and this in turn prevented the advantages of the polymetal catalysts KR-108U and
RB-22U from being utilized fully.
In accordance with the APC development program it was decided to modernize L-34-11/1000 so as to improve
its technical and economic indicators and update the technology.
The several versions of modernization considered included a switch to continuous catalyst regeneration
using technology from UOP (USA) and the dualforming process of the French Oil Institute. Both versions require
high capital expenditures, of the order of 30 to 60 million dollars, and have long paybacks.
The regional structure of the gasoline demand and the ratio of the gasoline prices were taken into account
and preference was given to domestic technology. It was chosen because:
• low modernization capital expenditures and rapid payback (less than two years);

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
JSC Angarskaya NKhK. JSC VNIIneftekhim. JSC Neftegazinvest. JSC Neftekhimproekt. Translated from
Khimiya i Tekhnologiya Topliv i Masel, No. 4, pp. 16 – 17, July– August, 2001.

236 0009-3092/01/3704–0236$25.00 ©2001Plenum Publishing Corporation

 TABLE 1
L-3511/1000 unit
Indexes* before after modernization
modernization stage II
(1999 data) stage I
(expected)
Hydrotreatment unit
Reactor pressure, MPa 2.3 2.5 2.3
Reactor inlet temperature, °C 300 300 300
Hydrogenous gas circulation ratio, m3 /m3 210 120 – 150 100 – 120
Sulfur content in hydrogenizate, 10–6 0.3 0.3 0.3
Reforming unit
Temperature at the reactor input, °C
second 506 494 492
third 506 494 492
fourth 506 494 492
Temperature drop in the reactor, °C
second 43 56 60
third 35 50 54
fourth 17 29 32
total 95 135 146
Pressure in the fourth reactor, MPa 2.3 1.7 1.3 – 1.5
Hydrogenous gas circulation ratio, m3 /m3 1400 – 1550 950 – 1100 950 – 1100
Hydrogen concentration in hydrogenous gas, vol. % 74 – 78 81 – 84 82 – 87
Catalyzate
Octane number (MM) 82.4 84 85 – 87
Yield, wt. % 85.9 88 89
Note. * For a feedstock flow rate of 130 m3 /h

• maximum use of equipment of idle process plants, in particular compressor equipment; and
• the construction and assembly work involved in the modernization could be done during general maintenance,
i.e., without taking the plant out of service.
Under the contract between ZAO “Neftegazinvest” (St. Petersburg) and the Angarskaya Petrochemical
Company the first stage of the technical refitting of the L-35-11/1000 plant on the basis of the latest
developments from VNIIneftekhim in catalytic reformer technology. The project planning at AO “Neftkhimproiekt”
(St. Petersburg) was carried out with the participation of the Angarskaya Petrochemical Company, drawing on the
experience gained from the modernization of similar plants of the Mozyrskii NPZ (Refinery) and other enterprises.
The goal of the first stage of the modernization of the plant was to improve its technical and economic
indicators and increase the quality of the high-octane gasoline component it produces with minimum capital
investment and maximum use of backup equipment.
The following main measures were undertaken in the first stage:
• the operating pressure in the last reformer stage was reduced, using piston compressors of the L-35-6 unit as
boosters;
• the reforming heat exchangers were retained for catalyst regeneration;
• the hydrofining unit was switched to circulation of hydrogenous gas in a reaction mode and to a gas-air method
of catalyst regeneration;
• the feedstock pumps were replaced by lower-pressure pumps and the stabilization column was fitted out with

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supply pumps; and
• the reforming unit was fitted out with a water batcher
The following preparatory measures were undertaken prior to stage I of the modernization:
6 a Pakinox heat exchanger, with low hydraulic resistance and high exchange efficiency, was imported and
installed;
6 reformer catalysts were switched to continuous chlorination; and
6 the catalyst charge in the stage I reactor was decreased and the 1:2:5 catalyst ratio was changed to 1:2.5:7.5
because of the proposed larger temperature drop and optimization of the volumetric flow rate.
In November 1999 the unit was converted to operation at a lower pressure. After stage I of modernization
the pressure in the reactor of the last stage decreased to 1.7 MPa and the hydrogenous gas circulation ratio dropped
to m 3/m 3 of feedstock. The technical and economic operating of indicators of the unit improved substantially: the
average catalyzate yield increased by 2.1 wt. % while the MON rose by 1.6 (see Table 1).
In soft-mode operation the catalyzate yield with MON = 84 increased to 88 wt. %. Before modernization an
average yield of 85.9 wt. % catalyzate with an average MON of 82.4 was reached at higher temperatures.
Operation of the unit in the soft mode is in keeping with the present requirements of the Angarskaya
Petrochemical Company from the standpoint of the range and quality of automobile gasolines produced. Additional
economic benefits are ensured by making optimal use of the potential of polymetal reformer catalysts and increasing
their length of service between regenerations to two years or more.
The operating safety and stability of the unit is to be increased in stage II of the modernization, a switch is
to be made to two-year service, and the technical and economic indicators are to be improved further. The principal
measures in that stage are:
• outfitting the unit with an assembly for absorbing excess hydrogenous gas using an unstable catalyst;
• replacing the compressors of the L-35-6 unit with more powerful compressors to pump out the entire volume of
excess hydrogenous gas;
• replacing the hydrogenous gas driers with adsorbents to absorb the chlorine compounds;
• outfitting the unit with an assembly for alkali protection of the cooling equipment for regeneration of the
hydrofining and reforming catalysts;
• introducing an arrangement for desulfurizing the hydrofining and reforming catalysts with liquid sulfur-organic
compounds;
• introducing a new system for controlling the technological process (DCS, distributed control system), a
breakdown protection system based on a programmable logic controller (PLC); replacing and adding domestic
control and measuring devices compatible with the DCS and PLC; and
• making the unit more explosion- and fire-proof, in particular outfitting the equipment of the recirculated water
collectors with domestic alarms for explosive vapors and gases.
The technical revamping of the unit in stage II will make it possible to:
• increase the catalyzate yield;
• improve the quality of the hydrogenous gas that enters the units requiring hydrogen;
• extend the length of service of the catalyst and unit between regenerations to two years or more; and
• use modern control devices to ensure optimization of the processes and enhance maintenance.

REFERENCES
1. G. N. Maslyanskii and R. N. Shapiro, Catalytic Gasoline Reforming [in Russian], Khimiya, Moscow (1985).
2. G. A. Lastovkina (ed.), Industrial Reforming Plants, [in Russian], Khimiya, Moscow (1984).
3. V. I. Gudin and A. V. Ufimtsev, Khim. Tekhnol. Topl. Masel, No. 3, 34 (2000).

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