EFFECTS OF OPERATING PARAMETERS - FLOWRATE AND TEMPERATURE ON PRODUCTS OF CRUDE DISTILLATION UNIT

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of flow rate and temperature of the feed (crude oil) on the products of the crude distillation unit (CDU). Crude oil ASSAY, operating conditions of the various units involved, and other essential data were collected from Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) and entered into the simulation software (ASPEN HYSYS V8.8) to generate the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) model. This unit models a crude oil processing facility consisting of a pre-fractionation train used to heat the crude liquids, and an atmospheric crude column to fractionate the crude into its straight run products. The feedstock to the crude system is the ESCRAVOS LIGHT Nigerian crude oil. The higher the feed flow rate, the higher the products feed flow rates. The simulation converged and the results was studied. The crude column used is a refluxed absorber, equipped with three pump arounds and three side stripper operations. Three temperatures; 370oC, 380oC, 390oC and three flowrates; 393 m3/hr, 500 m3/hr, 700 m3/hr were varied. KRPC operates at 370oC and 393 m3/hr. After the simulation, there was no convergence at 370-C/393 m3/hr, 3+C/ 500 m3/hr. At 380oC and 700 m3/hr, Atmospheric Residue had the highest flowrate of 378.48 m3/hr followed by Diesel and Naphtha with 128.88 m3/hr and 104. 30 m3/hr respectively. Kerosene had 64.10 m3/hr while (AGO) had the lowest flowrate of 30.69 m3/hr. 29 stages was needed for the column convergence and the feed entered at the 28th stage.