PETROLEUM REFINING PLANT By Jeremiah O. Burac, Mikko M. Millan, Amylene C. Aligan, Ruiza R.

Rivera

INTRODUCTION This design project provides a study of the petroleum refinery, which centers on exploring the fundamental petroleum refining processes. This focuses on the primary processes of hydrotreating, catalytic reforming, Merox treatment, and crude oil distillation although all major units and processes are covered in detail. This project will discuss process equipment, equipment specifications, plant layout, and piping specifications. The balances across different units, operating variables, and product variables will also be covered.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION Petroleum refinery serves as the second stage in the production process following the actual extraction by oil rigs. The first step in the refining process is distillation where crude oil is fractionated into liquefied petroleum gas and fuel gas (off gases), naphtha (used to produce gasoline by blending with octane boosters), kerosene/jet fuel, diesel oil, and residual fuel oil. Isomerization, catalytic reforming, hydrotreatment, Merox treatment and other secondary processes are used to achieve the desired product specifications.

PROCESS FLOW

Fuel Gas

Off Gas

Recontacting Facility

LPG

LVN

Isomerization Unit

Isomerate/ Gasoline

Naptha

Naptha Hydrotreater
HVN

Crude Distillation Unit Kerosene Crude Oil Feed Furnace Diesel Oil

Catalytic Reforming Unit

Jet Fuel/ Kerosene

Reformate/ BTX/ MX

KeroMerox Treater

Gas Oil Hydrotreater

Diesel

Residue

KERO MEROX UNIT The Merox process is a catalytic chemical process used in the refinery to remove mercaptans and/or hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from kerosene by converting them to

liquid hydrocarbon disulfides. Furthermore, this process within the refinery plant is commonly referred to as sweetening process because it results in products which no longer have the sour, foul odors of mercaptans and hydrogen sulfide. The liquid hydrocarbon disulfides then remain in the sweetened products. The kerosene/jet fuel feedstock is passed through a caustic prewash in order to reduce the naphthenic acids present in the kerosene feed prior to flowing to the reactor. Then the charge stock from the top of the caustic prewash vessel is injected with compressed air, the source of oxygen, and enters the feedstock upstream of the Merox reactor along with injected caustic, being pumped into reactor on an intermittent, as needed basis. The Merox reactor is a vertical vessel containing a bed of charcoal granules that have been impregnated with the catalyst. The mixture enters the top of the reactor and percolates downward through the catalyst bed. The pressure maintained in the reactor is chosen so that the injected air will completely dissolve in the feedstock at the operating temperature. The reactor effluent flows through a caustic settler where it forms a bottom layer of aqueous caustic solution

and an upper layer of water-insoluble sweetened product. The caustic is periodically circulated over the reactor bed, while maintaining operations. The kerosene leaving the caustic settler passes through a water wash which removes trace quantities of caustic as well as water soluble surfactants. Kerosene product leaving the water wash is directed to a salt bed filter containing a simple bed of coarse rock salt that is used to remove free water and a portion of the dissolved water from the product. This will protect the water sensitive clay from premature failure. To assure that jet fuel product specifications such as thermal stability, and water reaction, will be met, a product clay filter is included. The clay filter removes oil soluble surfactants, organo-metallic compounds (especially copper which may have been present in the kerosene feed), and particulate matter, which would jeopardize jet fuel product specifications.
Merox Reactor
Compressed air

Coalescer Section

Water Wash
Fresh caustic

Salt Bed

Clay Bed

Caustic Pre-wash

Kerosene

Caustic Settler
Drain Drain Sweetened jet fuel

pump

LIST OF EQUIPMENTS Furnace Crude Distillation Unit Naphtha Hydrotreater 1. Kero Merox Unit

1. Caustic Prewash Vessel 2. Merox Reactor 3. Caustic Settler 4. Water Wash Vessel 5. Salt Filter 6. Clay Filter Diesel Hydrotreater 1.

References: http://science.howstuffworks.com