(6ip) Modeling and Simulation of Modular Refinery for Production of Fuels with Low Environmental Pollution

Teaching Interests: Oil and Gas production and processing

Abstract

Production and upgrading of fuels and petrochemical products, use worldwide are based
on characteristics (capacity) of refinery. Although crude oil has different composition
according to their origin, keys operations (units) that take place are same. Crude oil
distillation, cracking and reforming constitute the keys operations in petroleum refinery
for obtaining useful product. Each process has attracted more researches since the
discovery of separation method of crude oil cuts. Complex operations that occur in the
production of fuels, and environmental usage repercussions open doors to multiple
further researches.
Process industry covers a wide range of operations that handle solid, liquid and gases as
feed or products. This needs Chemical Engineering science movement to solve any
problem that can take place during operations. Modeling and simulation are either
combined or alone useful tools for sorting out real troubleshooting situations and/or
upgrading researches. These can bring great advantages to process industry.
A good strategy to analyse real behaviours of refinery units can then provide by using
modeling and simulation as tools. Due to the need of upgrading petroleum refinery
process, this research is aimed to develop modeling and simulation of main units of
refinery.Design data based on characteristics of crude oil, operating parameters of the
involved units, and other essential data were calculated and collected,then entered into
the simulation software, Aspen Plus to generate the modular refinery model. Results of
complete simulation were studied and that leads to obtaining different products
composition and determine conditions of petroleum products. According to this study, it
is found that it is definitely possible to predict impact of sulphur on environment. Various
information about the modular refinery under study were obtained using the simulation
tool. The objectives of this research were accomplished.