(53c) Improvement of Energy Consumption in Crude Distillation Unit of Tabriz Oil Refinery Using Exergy Analysis

Crude distillation unit is one of the most energy consumer units in the refinery. Optimization of this plant using exergy analysis has direct impact on the performance of refinery and products quality. In this study crude distillation unit of Tabriz refinery simulated by Aspen Plus software. The analysis was indicated that the atmospheric distillation column, LPG and naphtha section has the lowest exergy efficiency. It is also known that the largest value of the exergy improvement potential has been in the atmospheric distillation column. Some solutions were suggested for increasing exergy efficiency which are including the effect of introducing the pre flash vapor directly to the atmospheric distillation column, decreasing pressure drop of furnace and flash drum, increasing the pump-arounds rate of the atmospheric distillation column and changing the pump-arounds return stages of the atmospheric distillation column. The aim of this work is the evaluating of the improvement of energy loss and also fuel gas rates reduction of crude distillation unit furnace with offering alternatives. The results show that the exergy efficiency increases from 0.1% up to 1.6% and furnaces’ fuel gas rate consumption decreases from 0.65% up to 2.03% compare to the base state. Moreover, the best proposed modification is the combination of 15% rise in crude distillation column pump-around rates with an increase in the column’s feed temperature and also a decrease in the condenser’s duty that has caused the most reduction rate in energy loss about 3.22% as average for the unit.