high paraffin crudes. Selective hydrocracking of the straight chain paraffins to
smaller paraffin molecules is an option. This, however, is accompanied by a
reduction in yield and cetane number. Finally isomerization of the straight chain
paraffins to branched paraffins minimizes cetane and yield loss as a viable option.
However, these isomerization catalysts contain noble metals and are therefore
quite expensive and require the two-stage process, desulfurization followed by the
isomerization stage.
A Refinery Process Configuration Development
There are many steps necessary to meet a refining company’s marketing strategy
and production objectives. These steps may culminate in building new processing
facilities or revamping existing ones. The course of action that will ultimately be
adopted will, almost invariably, be decided on an economic basis reflecting the
company’s future profitability picture. Among the most important of these steps
however will be the development of several refining scenarios and processing
configurations.
A process configuration and its accompanying block flow diagram is a blue print
and a basis for economic study and decision making. The final and accepted
configuration will also be the foundation for the design of new facilities or the
revamping of existing ones. The block flow diagram shows the calculated results of
process plant design capacity, the quantity of process streams to and from each
process plant, the sequence of the plants relative to one another in the refining
scheme, and, finally, the blending recipes (streams and their quantities that make up
the finished product blends). Such a development requires the in-depth knowledge
of the refining industry and relies, in no small measure, on the expertise of those
companies that license processes and their technology.
Refinery Configurations and Categories
It is useful to classify refineries by their processing capability for economic
analyses. Four general categories or configurations of refineries are normally
recognized:
• Topping
• Hydroskimming
• Cracking
• Full conversion/complex
These definitions describe facilities that are progressively more complex, more
capable, and able to use increasingly worse crudes to make products efficiently.
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D.S.J. Jones and S.A. Treese
smaller paraffin molecules is an option. This, however, is accompanied by a
reduction in yield and cetane number. Finally isomerization of the straight chain
paraffins to branched paraffins minimizes cetane and yield loss as a viable option.
However, these isomerization catalysts contain noble metals and are therefore
quite expensive and require the two-stage process, desulfurization followed by the
isomerization stage.
A Refinery Process Configuration Development
There are many steps necessary to meet a refining company’s marketing strategy
and production objectives. These steps may culminate in building new processing
facilities or revamping existing ones. The course of action that will ultimately be
adopted will, almost invariably, be decided on an economic basis reflecting the
company’s future profitability picture. Among the most important of these steps
however will be the development of several refining scenarios and processing
configurations.
A process configuration and its accompanying block flow diagram is a blue print
and a basis for economic study and decision making. The final and accepted
configuration will also be the foundation for the design of new facilities or the
revamping of existing ones. The block flow diagram shows the calculated results of
process plant design capacity, the quantity of process streams to and from each
process plant, the sequence of the plants relative to one another in the refining
scheme, and, finally, the blending recipes (streams and their quantities that make up
the finished product blends). Such a development requires the in-depth knowledge
of the refining industry and relies, in no small measure, on the expertise of those
companies that license processes and their technology.
Refinery Configurations and Categories
It is useful to classify refineries by their processing capability for economic
analyses. Four general categories or configurations of refineries are normally
recognized:
• Topping
• Hydroskimming
• Cracking
• Full conversion/complex
These definitions describe facilities that are progressively more complex, more
capable, and able to use increasingly worse crudes to make products efficiently.
82
D.S.J. Jones and S.A. Treese