TECHNOLOGIES FOR CLEAN AND

RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION

REFINING OF CRUDE OIL FOR LIQUID FUELS PRODUCTION
DR. PRASENJIT MONDAL
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

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 Contents

 Refinery flowsheet
 Desalting
 Atmospheric distillation
 Vacuum distillation
 Conversion processes

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 Crude
Petroleum / crude oil refining
Gases
Oil

Atmospheric
Naphtha / Gasoline (Petrol) ( 70 – 140 °C)

Distillation
De salter
Kerosene / Jet Fuel (140 - 250 °C) Conversion of
Pre Gas oil / diesel (250 – 370 °C) intermediate
heater products are
required to
Lube oil fractions improve product

Distillation
Vacuum
Atmospheric (370 – 540 °C)
quality and yield
Residue
(370 ° C+) Heavy Lube Oils/
Bitumen
Vacuum Residue Further Gasification
(540 °C+) Processing (CO + H2, Syn Gas)
Fuel oil 3
 Composition of typical Indian crude oil
Composition (% Bombay High North Gujrat Assam Mix Middle East
mass/mass) Mix Crude

Gases 1.9 0.4 2.4 2.1

Naphtha (IBP-140) 18.6 4.4 12.5 10.7

Kerosene (140-250) 20.9 10.1 16.6 16.1

Diesel (250-370) 24 19.2 26.6 18.1

VGO (370-530) 28.4 31.2 30 22.5

SR (530 +) 6.2 34.7 11.9 30.5

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 Desalting
 The purpose of desalting is the removal of undesirable impurities, especially salts
and water, from the crude oil prior to distillation. Initially it is carried out at the
production field and finally at refinery.
 One or two-step process is used depending upon the desired salt content in the
desalted crude oil.
 For refining purposes, a salt concentration of maximum 1.5 PTB (pound of salt as
NaCl per thousand barrels i.e., 2.9 ppm) is desired.
 Appreciable amount of suspended solids (sand, clay, or soil particles, or even
particles product from corrosion of pipelines and other upstream equipment) can
be removed by desalting.
 The total solid concentrations in formation waters range from as little as 200 PPM
to saturation i.e. approximately 250,000 PPM. Most sea waters contain
approximately 35,000 PPM total solids
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 Desalting Mechanism
• Formation water could flow with crude in two forms: free and emulsified.
• The free water is not intimately mixed in the crude and found in larger drops
scattered throughout the oil phase.
• This kind of water is easy to remove simply by gravity-oil water separators, surge
tanks (wet tanks), and desalting vessels.
• On the other hand, emulsified waters are intimately mixed and found scattered in
tiny drops in the oil phase and hard to remove .
• Salts in crude oil are mainly in the form of magnesium, calcium, and sodium
chlorides, sodium chloride being the most abundant. These salts can be found in
two forms: dissolved in emulsified water droplets in the crude oil, as a water-in-oil
emulsion, or crystallized and suspended solids
• The formation of water/oil emulsions is generally caused by the presence of resins
and asphaltenes present in the oil, which play the role of natural emulsifiers.
These emulsifiers have a mutual attraction resulting in the formation of an elastic
membrane around the droplets, preventing water droplets from uniting and
decanting by gravity.
• Desalting involves mixing heated crude oil with washing water, using a mixing
valve or static mixers to ensure a proper contact between the crude oil and the
water, and then passing it to a separating vessel, where a proper separation
between the aqueous and organic phases is achieved.
• The fresh water is needed to dissolve the crystal salts exist in emulsion and help
desalting/dehydration processes.
• It helps to wash out and drain off the water droplets in emulsion
• The quantity or ratio of fresh water injected depends on the API gravity of the
crude. Generally the injection rate is 3-10% of the total crude flow
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• Mixing aids i.e., demulsifying agents are added, which mix with the emulsion and
help smaller drops to join together more easily.
• Free injected volume of wash water is broken into emulsion sized drops for even
distribution.

• The electrical grid due to electrical voltage gradient distorts the originally
spherical water droplets with positive and negatively charged ends to more
elliptical shapes; based on their internal charges and their position in the desalter
the droplets are attracted by positive and negative electrodes

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• Important variables affecting desalting performance are:
(1) settling time, (2)demulsifier injection,
(3) heat, (4) addition of fresh water,
(5) effective mixing of oil and water as well as chemicals for breaking the emulsion
(6) electricity
Gravitational residence time is based on Stokes’ equation as follows:
ν = 2r2 (∆ρ)g / 9η
Where ν is the downward velocity of the water droplet of radius r, ∆ρ is the
difference in density between the two phases, and η is the viscosity of the oil phase.
Maximizing the size of the coalesced water drops (electric field)
Maximizing the density difference between water drops and the oil phase (
heating, freshwater addition)
Minimizing the viscosity of the oil phase (heating and fresh water addition)
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The electrostatic attraction between droplets can be represented as

F = Electrostatic force between two adjacent droplets (N)

E = Voltage gradient (V/m)
K = Dielectric constant for crude oil-water system
D = Diameter of water droplets
S= Centre to centre distance between two adjacent droplets
At a certain voltage, water droplets begin to rupture, forming smaller water droplets
with higher interfacial tension and produces more stable emulsion. This occurs at the
critical voltage gradient defined as

Ec = Critical voltage gradient (V/m); K = Dielectric constant for crude oil-water

system; T = Surface tension; d = Diameter of droplet

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 Desalting process

Pereira et al., 2015, Crude oil desalting process,

Chapter 4, in Advances in petrochemicals
https://nptel.ac.in/courses/103102022/8

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 Typical operating conditions for desalting
• Typical 120oc to 130oc - can vary with crude API

Temperature, oc crude specific gravity

100 0.825
125 0.875
135 0.910
145 0.965
Pressure
• About 2 to 3 kg/cm2 above bubble pressure to prevent vaporisati
• Typical residence time : 20 to 30 minutes (Dictated by electrode area)
• Mixing valve : Typical pressure drop 1.070/0.5 kg/cm2
• Wash water : 4 to 6% volume on crude
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 Type of operation Single step

Salt removal ~ 95%

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 Type of operation Two step

Salt removal ~ 99 %

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• Atmospheric distillation is typically performed in large,Atmospheric distillation
vertical, steel cylindrical columns with diameters
ranging from about 65 cm to 11 m and heights ranging
from about 6 m to 60 m or more.
• Pressure NAPHTHA
Bubble Pressure Based On Coolant Temp. STEAM
Pressure Drop In Condenser 0.3 To 0.5 Kg/Cm 2
KERO
2
Trays Pressure Drop : 0.08 To 0.1 Kg/Cm / Tray
STEAM
• Temperature LGO
o o o o
8 c To 10 c above water dew pt. (120 c To 130 c Typical)
STEAM
Flash Zone Below Cracking Temp. HGO
o o CRUDE
(350 c To 385 c Typical)
• Typical 40 to 50 actual trays STEAM
RCO
• Pump around : between 2 to 3 trays
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Atmospheric distillation LPG
Major products Vapour Pressure 16.87 Kg/Cm2 Max
Volatility (Evap. Temp. 2oc For 95% Vol. At 760
• LPG mmHg)
• Light naphtha Gasoline
• Heavy naphtha Distillation
• Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) Rec. Upto 70oc 10-40%
Rec. Upto 100oc 30-65%
• Kerosene
Rec. Upto 180oc 80% (Min.)
• Light gas oil [high speed diesel FBP 215oc
• Heavy gas oil components] RVP At 38oc 35-70 kPa/cm2
• Atmospheric residue (Sulphur And Benzene
Spec. Being Revised)

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 Atmospheric distillation
ATF
Aromatics 22.0 max Kerosene
Distillation Vol. % Below 200oc 20
10% vol. 205 max. FBP 300oc max.
FBP 300 max. Flash point (Abel) 35oc min.
Smoke point 18 mm min.
Smoke point 26 mm min. Sulphur 0.25 wt. % Max.
Freezing point -47oc max.
Flash point (Abel) 38oc min.
RVP at 38oc 35-70 kPa/cm2

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 Atmospheric distillation
High speed diesel
Distillation (revised)
90% vol. 366oc (85% < 350oc)
(95% < 370oc)
Flash point (Abel) 32oc (35oc)
Sulphur 0.25 wt. % (0.05 wt. % Being
revised further down)
Cetane no. 45 (48, 51 later)

Fuel oil
Sulphur 3.5 to 4.5 wt.%
Viscosity @ 50oc, cst 80, 125, 180, 370
Flash point 66oc min.

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 Major design variables

• Desalter temperature
• Pre-flash
• Heater outlet temperature
• Flash zone temperature
• Over flash
• Column / flash zone pressure
• Type of condenser (partial / total)
• Location and number of pump arounds
• Stripping steam
• No. of trays

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• The vacuum distillation column normally has10 to 40 Vacuum distillation
mmHg absolute pressure (most often achieved by using NON-CONDENS.
TO VACUUM
multiple stages of steam jet ejectors), which increases the SYSTEM
volume of vapor formed per volume of liquid distilled.
Thus, such columns have very large diameters, 15 meters LVGO
or more. Heights ranging up to about 50 meters.
• Most of the column uses packing material for the vapor-
liquid contacting because such packing has a lower
pressure drop than distillation trays.
HVGO
• A very low-pressure increase from the SLOP MAX

top of the column top to the bottom is WASH OIL

TOPPED
maintained CRUDE

Modified from PROCESS

VACUUM
RESID
http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Vacuum_distillation STEAM STEAM
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 VDU Design issues
• Fuel based • Lube based
• Preheat train
Prepare feedstock for Prepare feedstock for
• Heater outlet temperature
FCC, hydrocracker
• Flash zone temperature lube plant
• Type of vacuum / pressure
Products
• Steam rates (ejector / Products
stripping / velocity) Diesel Spindle oil
• Type of internals Light vacuum gas oil Light neutral
• Top temperature (LVGO) Intermediate neutral
• Number location of pump Heavy vacuum gas oil Heavy neutral
arounds (HVGO) Vacuum residue
• Ejector vs vacuum pumps Slop distillate
or combination Vacuum residue

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Over all refinery
process and
conversion of
intermediate
products

https://en.wikipedi
a.org/wiki/Petroleu
m_refining_proces
ses#/media/File:Re
fineryFlow.png
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Thanks

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