PROCESS SIMULATION FOR LOW

COST REVAMP OF A CRUDE AND

VACUUM UNIT
HINDUSTAN PETROLEUM CORPORATION LTD.
By: S Bharathan
Iman G Dastidar
1

AGENDA

Introduction

Background

Revamp Methodology

Study and Design Basis

Schemes Developed under the Project

Actual Benefits

Conclusions

INTRODUCTION

Crude and Vacuum Units are the mother units of any refinery

Increasing refining capacity is one of the key to improve margins by

bridging the gap between refinery output and marketing demand

Revamping an existing unit is a low cost option to maximize

throughput

In-house revamps and out of the box ideas further reduce expenses

Turnaround shutdowns of units can be used to implement such low

cost high value schemes

This way, turnarounds can be converted from loss making to profit

generation events
3

BACKGROUND

CDU-III unit at HPCL-VR is a integrated CDU/VDU unit

Year of Commissioning: 2000

Design Throughput = 440 460 m3/Hr

Operating Throughput (pre-revamp) = 530 540 m3/Hr

Major Operating Limitations:

Atmos Column Hydraulics (High Flooding): For Crude with higher

atmos section yields

Vacuum Furnace Duty: For crudes with higher vacuum section yields

Stabilizer Feed Pumps Capacity: For crudes with higher naphtha

yield
4

REVAMP METHODOLOGY

Developed Rated Model of CDU/VDU and NSU in Aspen Hysys

The Hysys Model was tuned based on actual plant operation

Simulated ~ 100 crudes from the refinery crude basket

Checked columns hydraulics and furnaces duty limitations at

various feedrates for different types of crudes

Carried out adequacy check for the complete plant for the target
feedrate (e.g. pumps, CVs, flare lines, transfer lines, utilities etc.)

Identified and Developed various new and easily implementable

schemes based on the above activities

REVAMP METHODOLOGY

Developed complete Process Design Package (PDP) for the revamp

Developed detailed mechanical design, wherever applicable

Initiated procurement action of all new equipment and equipment

planned for replacement

Implemented the modifications / replacements in the T&I

The completed project was conceived, designed, developed and

implemented in-house

STUDY AND DESIGN BASIS

Crudes selected for Atmos Column Hydraulic Checks and Revamp:

Murban

Tapis

Crudes selected for Overall Adequacy Checks and Revamp:

Mumbai High

Iran Light

Product Quality: As per BS-III specifications

Revamp Feedrate Target: 600 m3/hr

SCHEMES DEVELOPED

High Capacity Trays for Atmospheric Column

Overflash Draw Off from Atmos Column

The Hysys models were used extensively in Rating mode to

finalize the above schemes.

Structured Packings for Vacuum Column

Other Modifications

Replacement of Limiting Pumps

Replacement of Control Valves

New HWOG burners and Flame Arrestors

High Capacity Trays for Atmos Column

Total no of trays in the Atmos Column: 56

Original tray valves type: Valve

No of passes: 4 pass for Pump Around Sections and Balance 2 Pass

Total no of limiting trays: 24 (established from simulation)

# 7-12 (6 Trays) of HD rectification section (2 pass)

# 13-15 (3 Trays) of HD pump around (4 pass)

# 16-24 (9 Trays) of LD rectification (2 pass)

# 25-27 (3 Trays) of LD pump around (4 pass)

# 34-36 (3 Trays) of Kerosene pump around (4 pass)

New Trays Selected: High Capacity with Fixed Valves

9

High Capacity Trays for Atmos Column

Atmos Column Tra y No.
56
55
54
53
52
51
50
49
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

Te mp (de gC)
121.6
141.1
149.2
153.6
156.5
158.7
160.7
162.6
164.6
166.9
169.2
171.9
175.1
178.2
181.1
183.9
186.6
189.4
192.5
195.9
197.7
208.0
217.2
232.1
241.7
248.0
252.1
255.0
257.0
255.2
265.5
272.7
280.0
284.0
287.0
289.4
291.5
293.5
295.4
297.2
299.0
300.0
308.1
314.1
320.7
332.0
341.1
348.1
353.3
358.1
366.2
361.4
358.9
356.7
354.1
348.8

Pre ssure [kg/cm2]

3.73
3.74
3.74
3.75
3.76
3.76
3.77
3.77
3.78
3.78
3.79
3.79
3.80
3.80
3.81
3.82
3.82
3.83
3.83
3.84
3.84
3.85
3.85
3.86
3.86
3.87
3.88
3.88
3.89
3.89
3.90
3.90
3.91
3.91
3.92
3.92
3.93
3.94
3.94
3.95
3.95
3.96
3.96
3.97
3.97
3.98
3.98
3.99
4.00
4.00
4.01
4.01
4.02
4.02
4.03
4.03

Ne t Liquid [m3/h]
284.4
302.7
308.8
310.7
311.0
310.4
309.3
307.7
305.2
303.9
300.9
241.3
238.1
235.1
232.1
229.0
225.5
221.3
216.5
217.4
730.1
766.7
235.3
225.7
218.8
213.8
209.6
206.7
219.4
723.3
768.3
300.0
298.4
292.5
285.7
278.8
272.0
265.2
258.4
251.8
250.3
683.8
712.0
715.4
224.6
185.1
153.5
129.4
103.6
56.7
194.5
177.6
170.4
164.8
158.6

Ne t Va pour [m3/h]
350.4
417.1
435.4
441.6
443.5
443.7
443.1
442.0
440.4
438.0
429.1
426.2
422.8
419.6
416.6
413.6
410.5
407.0
402.8
398.0
398.9
486.3
522.9
525.8
516.2
509.3
504.3
500.1
497.2
498.6
602.5
647.5
665.1
663.5
657.6
650.8
643.9
637.1
630.3
623.5
616.9
615.5
676.1
704.3
707.7
678.6
639.1
607.5
583.4
557.6
510.7
48.5
31.6
24.4
18.8
12.6

Ne t Liquid [kg/h]
203175.7
219143.9
224805.4
226896.6
227572.6
227559.6
227124.7
226350.4
224971.4
224418.7
222772.4
179127.2
177291.6
175562.7
173838.2
171954.5
169870.6
167188.4
164148.5
165565.7
560838.1
590448.7
182136.6
176772.6
172679.0
169552.2
166819.9
164977.9
175450.8
579949.6
617029.7
241477.0
241120.3
237033.2
232085.1
226996.8
221892.2
216805.5
211660.3
206688.0
205959.2
565853.2
589809.5
593881.5
187164.2
155919.1
130624.1
110990.6
89416.0
49226.0
170676.3
157312.7
151453.4
146837.5
141612.6

Ne t Va pour [kg/h] Flooding [%]

241671.4
64.7
295982.8
68.4
311951.0
69.6
317612.5
70.0
319703.7
70.1
320379.7
70.1
320366.7
69.9
319931.8
69.7
319157.5
69.3
317778.5
69.3
311710.9
67.7
310064.6
64.8
308178.7
64.4
306343.1
63.9
304614.1
63.5
302889.6
63.0
301006.0
62.5
298922.1
61.9
296239.9
61.1
293199.9
61.1
294617.2
82.4
361062.5
99.7
390673.2
77.9
395909.2
76.7
390545.2
75.8
386451.6
75.1
383324.8
74.5
380592.5
74.1
378750.5
74.6
380304.9
109.1
462824.7
117.5
499904.7
98.7
515503.5
98.8
515146.7
98.0
511059.6
96.9
506111.5
95.9
501023.3
94.8
495918.6
93.7
490831.9
92.6
485686.7
91.6
480714.4
91.2
479985.7
111.1
529647.3
123.2
553603.6
124.5
557675.6
98.5
535662.2
92.5
504417.0
87.5
479122.1
83.7
459488.6
79.7
437914.0
72.7
397724.0
17.8
40374.2
14.4
27010.7
13.0
21151.3
11.9
16535.5
10.7
11310.6
8.6

10

High Capacity Trays for Atmos Column

OLD TRAY

NEW TRAY

Advantages

Ability to handle higher vapor-liquid traffic without affecting product separation

Column dP reduced from 0.7 to 0.4 Kg/cm2g and feedrate could be maximized

11

Structured Packings for Vacuum Column

Comparison of Packings for Vacuum Column

BED NO

OLD PACKINGS

NEW PACKINGS

1 # VD

Random

Structured

2 # LVGO-MT

Structured

Structured

3 # LVGO-HT

Random

Structured

4 # HVGO

Random

Structured

5 # WASH

Structured

Structured

Advantages

Reduction in Vacuum Column Pressure Drop

Higher useful Product Recovery due to better separation

Marginal reduction in Vacuum Furnace Duty

12

Structured Packings for Vacuum Column

OLD PACKING

NEW PACKING

13

Structured Packings for Vacuum Column

Bed heights reduced by ~ 50 %

Modified

(lowered)

spray

distributors to match bed heights

Existing bed supports reused

Reduction in column dP from 90

to 30 mmHg(a)

14

Overflash Draw Off from Atmos Column

No Draw Off available from Overflash Section in Design

Overflashed liquid predominantly ends up in RCO

Included new Overflash cut in the Hysys model and connected the
same to vacuum column, bypassing the vac furnace

Detailed Hysys simulation revealed scope of upto 17 m3/hr draw off

possibility of overflash liquid from Atmos Column

Diesel content in Overflash is very high at ~ 60-70 %

Potential Vacuum Furnace Duty savings ~ 1.2 MMKcal/hr and

reduction in Hydraulic Load due to the following

Reduction in RCO Flow

Reduction in Diesel content in RCO
15

Overflash Draw Off from Atmos Column

Developed scheme for drawing overflash from atmos column and

routing to Vacuum Column through HVGO CR return line

Existing low capacity Vacuum Residue pumps (not in use) were

used to pump overflash

Necessary Control schemes and Interlocks provided

Post implementation, feedrate could be increased upto 620 m3/hr

for heavy crudes, without vacuum furnace duty limitation

16

Other Modifications

Replacement of Control Valves: The following control valves were

observed to be limiting and replaced

Pass FCVs of Atmos and Vacuum Column

HD-CR FCV

Desalter PCV on Crude Feed line

Crude P

Replacement of Limiting Pumps

Stabilizer Feed Pumps

HN Pumps

17

Other Modifications

Provision of new HWOG Burners and Flame Arrestors

HWOG (hot well off gas) from vacuum column overhead is used as
one of the fuel in Atmos Furnace

As per deign 4 dedicated Burners and 2 Flame Arrestors provided for

HWOG service

Adequacy checks revealed required of 2 more burners and flame

arrestors

2 existing burners in Atmos Furnace were replaced with 2 new

HWOG burners, making a total of 6 HWOG burners

18

BENEFITS & CONCLUSIONS

Comparison Table based on Actual Operation with Iran Mix Crude

Parameters

Pre-Revamp

Post-Revamp

Comments

Feedrate (m3/hr)

565

619

Increase by 10 %

Atmos COT (oC)

380

380

Atmos Column dP (Kg/cm2g)

0.65

0.28

Diesel 95% (oC)

389

374

RCO Yield (wt %)

49.5

47.2

Reduction by 4.6 %

RCO Flow (m3/hr)

235

250*

*Without Revamp: 260

Vacuum COT (oC)

406

408

Overflash Draw (m3/hr)

12.4

New Introduction

Vacuum Furnace Duty

(MMKcal/hr)

12.7

12.8**

**Without Revamp: 13.9

Vacuum Column dp
(mmHgA)

83.9

33.4

Reduction by 60 %

Reduction by 57 %

19

BENEFITS & CONCLUSIONS

The Revamp was successful in achieving the intended benefits

Simple modifications, implementable in T&I of the unit, led to

feedrate increase by ~ 1012 %

Simple Pay Back Period ~ 3 months

20

THANK
YOU
21