CBEN409 Crude Distillation

Crude Oil Distillation
Chapter 4
Petroleum Refinery Block Flow Diagram
Updated: July 2, 2019

2
Copyright © 2016-2019 John Jechura (jjechura@mines.edu)
Atmospheric & Vacuum Distillation in U.S.
EIA, Jan. 1, 2019 database, published June 2019

http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/refinerycapacity/

3
Topics
Crude Stills Configuration — May be as
▪ Historically the oldest refining many as three columns in
process series
▪ Only the first step in crude oil ▪ Crude Stabilizer/Preflash Column
processing • Reduce traffic in the
Purpose Atmospheric Column
▪ To recover light materials ▪ Atmospheric Column
▪ Fractionate into “sharp” light ▪ Vacuum Column
fractions • Reduced pressure to keep
blow cracking temperatures
Product Yield Curves – Cut
Point, Overlap, & Tails

4
Configuration:
Preflash
Atmospheric
Vacuum

Atmospheric & Vacuum Tower Complex

6
Atmospheric & Vacuum Tower Complex
Modified drawing from:

“Revamping crude and vacuum units to process bitumen,” Sutikno, PTQ ,Q2 2015

7
Atmospheric Column with Preflash
Modification of figure in “Increasing distillate production at least capital cost,” Musumeci, Stupin, Olson, & Wendler, PTQ, Q2 2015

8
Preflash Options – Tight Oil Example with
no AGO
“Optimising preﬂash for light tight oil processing,” Lee, PTQ, Q3 2015

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Feed Preheat Train & Desalter
Feed Preheat Train Desalter
▪ Initial heat exchange with streams from within ▪ Temperature carefully selected — do not let
the tower water vaporize
• Heat recovery important to distillation economics! • Lighter crudes (> 40oAPI) @ 250oF
o First absorb part of the overhead • Heavier crudes (< 30oAPI) @ 300oF
condensation load ▪ All crudes contain salts (NaCl, MgCl, …)
o Exchange with one or more of the liquid sides
• Salt present in the emulsified water
streams, beginning with the top (coldest) side
stream • Treated in the field with heat & chemicals to break
oil water emulsions.
• Require flexibility
• Salt can cause damage to equipment
o Changes in crude slate
o Scale in heat exchangers
o Temperature at desalter
o HCl formation can lead to corrosion
o Limits on two-phase flow through network
o Metals can poison refinery catalysts
▪ Final heating in a direct fired heater
▪ Remove salts & dissolved metals & dirt
• Heat enough to vaporize light portions of the
crude but temperature kept low to minimize • Oil mixed with fresh wash water & demulsifiers.
thermal cracking ▪ Separation in electrostatic settling drum
o Inlet typically 550oF, outlet 600 to 750oF. ▪ Wash water up to 10% of crude charge
o Heavier crudes cannot be heated to the • ~ 90% of the water can be recovered
higher temperatures
▪ Effluent water treated for benzene

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Crude Electrostatic Desalting
Drawing by Milton Beychok

http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/File:Desalter_Diagram.png
BFDs from:
Refining Overview – Petroleum Processes & Products,
by Freeman Self, Ed Ekholm, & Keith Bowers, AIChE CD-ROM, 2000

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Crude Desalting
Breaking the crude oil/water emulsion important to minimize downstream
problems
Performance of additives
may be crude specific
Picture from:
“Removing contaminants from crude oil”
McDaniels & Olowu, PTQ Q1, 2016

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Direct Fired Heater
Ref: “Useful tips for fired heater optimisation”

Bishop & Hamilton, Petroleum Technology Quarterly, Q2 2012

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Atmospheric Distillation Summary
Condenser … Pumparounds
▪ Partial condenser if no Stabilizer Column. ▪ Move cooling down column.
▪ Total condenser if Stabilizer Column to ▪ Liquid returned above draw tray
remove light ends.
Side draws
… but no reboiler.
Side strippers
Feed preheat exchanger train ▪ “Clean up” side products
▪ All of the heat to drive the column comes
from the hot feed. Stripping steam
• As much as 50% of the incoming crude may ▪ Reduce hydrocarbon partial pressure
be flashed. ▪ Condensed & removed as a second liquid
• “Overflash” phase.
o Extra amount of material vaporized to • Conditions set so it doesn’t condense
ensure reflux between flash zone & within the column – can lead to foaming
lowest side draw • Must be treated as sour water
o Typically 2 vol% of feed

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Atmospheric Distillation Summary
Wash Zone Side Draws & Strippers
▪ Couple trays between flash zone & gas oil ▪ Side strippers remove light component “tail” &
draw. return to main column
▪ Reflux to wash resins & other heavy materials ▪ Steam strippers traditional
that may contaminate the products. • Reboiled strippers reduce associated sour water &
may reduce steam usage
Condenser
▪ Typically 0.5 to 20 psig. Trays & Pressure Profile
▪ Balancing act ▪ Typically 32 trays in tower
• Low pressures reduce compression on overhead ▪ 0.1 psi per tray for design & target for
system operation
• High pressures decrease vaporization but increase • May find as high as 0.2 psi per tray, but probably
flash zone temperatures & furnace duty; affects flooding!
yields ▪ Condenser & accumulator
Pumparounds • 3 to 10 psi across condenser
• Liquid static head in accumulator
▪ Reduces overhead condenser load & achieves
more uniform tower loadings ▪ Typically 6 to 16 psi across entire column.
▪ Provides liquid reflux below liquid draws

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Vacuum Distillation
Refining Overview – Petroleum Processes & Products, “Consider practical conditions for vacuum unit modeling”
by Freeman Self, Ed Ekholm, & Keith Bowers, AIChE CD-ROM, 2000 R. Yahyaabadi, Hydrocarbon Processing, March 2009

16
Vacuum Distillation – Trays vs. Packing
Packing used in vacuum towers
instead of trays
▪ Lower pressure drops across
the tower – vapor “slides by”
liquid instead of pushing
through the layer on the tray
▪ Packing also helps to reduce
foaming problems
“Foaming in fractionation columns”

M. Pilling, PTQ, Q4 2015

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Vacuum Distillation Summary
Column Configuration Feed
▪ Vacuum conditions to keep operating ▪ Atmospheric residuum
temperatures low ▪ All vapor comes from the heated feed
▪ Large diameter column ▪ Under vacuum (0.4 psi)
▪ Very low density gases ▪ Separate higher boiling materials at
▪ Condenser only for water vapor lower temperatures
▪ Liquid reflux from pumparounds • Minimize thermal cracking
▪ No reboiler Products
▪ Stripping steam may be used
▪ May have multiple gas oils
• Needed for deep cuts (1100oF)
• Usually recombined downstream to FCCU
▪ Common problem – coking in fired after hydrotreating
heater & wash zone ▪ Vacuum resid
• Fired heater – high linear velocities to • Blended — asphalt, heavy fuel oil
minimize coke formation
• Further processing — thermal, solvent
• Wash zone – sufficient wash oil flow to
o Depends on products & types of crude
keep the middle of the packed bed wet

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Vacuum Distillation Summary
Dry System Steam Ejectors & Vacuum Pumps
▪ 1050oF+ cut temperature & no stripping steam ▪ Vacuum maintained on tower overhead
▪ Smaller tower diameters ▪ Steam systems considered more reliable
▪ Reduced sour water production ▪ Waste steam is sour & must be treated
▪ Pressure profile ▪ Combinations systems — Last steam stage
• Flash zone: 20-25 mmHg abs & 750 to 770oF. replaced with a vacuum pump
• Top of tower: 10 mmHg abs
Deep Cut System

▪ 1100oF+ cut temperature & stripping steam
▪ Steam reduces hydrocarbon partial pressures
▪ Pressure profile
• Flash zone: 30 mmHg abs
• HC partial pressure 10-15 mmHg abs
• Top of tower: 15 mmHg abs
Drawing from http://www.enotes.com/topic/Injector

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Example Crude Preheat Trains
Ref: “Improve energy efficiency via Heat Integration”

Rossiter, Chemical Engineering Progress, December 2010

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“Composite Curve” for Preheat Train
Compare amount of heat
available & at what
temperatures
Goal is to shift the hot &
cold composite curves as
close as possible
▪ “Pinch” technology
▪ This will reduce the
amount of “excess” heat
to be “thrown away” to
the environment
▪ This will also reduce the
amount of “fresh” heat
Ref: “Energy savings in preheat trains with preﬂash”
added to the system Bealing, Gomez-Prado, & Sheldon, PTQ, Q2 2016

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Example – Existing Preheat Train

Bealing, Gomez-Prado, & Sheldon, PTQ, Q2 2016

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Example – Improved Preheat Train

Bealing, Gomez-Prado, & Sheldon, PTQ, Q2 2016

23
Product Yield Curves

Typical “Cut Point” Definitions
Cut TBP IBP (oF) TBP EP (oF)
Light Naphtha
80 to 90 180 to 220
(LSR Gasoline)
Heavy Naphtha 180 to 220 330 to 380
Middle Distillate
330 to 380 420 to 520
(Kerosene)
Diesel / AGO
420 to 520 650
(Atm Gas Oil)
LVGO
650 800
(Light Vac Gas Oil)
HVGO
800 950 to 1100
(Heavy Vac Gas Oil)
Vacuum Resid 950 to 1100

25
Product Yield Curves – Cut Point, Overlap,
& “Tails”
Industrial distillation columns do not provide
perfectly sharp separations
▪ Initial calculations using crude oil assays
assume that all materials at a certain boiling
point goes to one product or another
▪ Imperfect separations result in light-ends &
heavy-ends “tails” in adjacent products
▪ Presence of tails complicate the definition of
“cut point”
Analysis
▪ Scale distillation curves to represent the
volume removed
▪ “Cut point“ temperature represents the feed’s
TBP corresponding the cumulative volume
removed
▪ “Tail” represents the light fraction’s amount Ref: R.N. Watkins, Petroleum Refinery Distillation, 2nd ed., 1979
above the cut point & the heavy fraction’s

amount below the cut point

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Example – Atmospheric Tower Products

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Example – Atmospheric Tower Products

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Example – Scale to Fraction of Crude
Charge

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Scale to Fraction of Crude Charge

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Cut Points Based on Volumetrics

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Cut Points Based on Volumetrics

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Boiling Point Ranges for Example

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How Much Overlap?

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Summary

Copyright © 2016-2019 John Jechura (jjechura@mines.edu) 35
Summary
Reported refinery capacity tied to charge Vacuum column to increase the effective
to crude distillation complex cut points
▪ Increase capacity with Pre-flash column ▪ Vacuum columns large diameter to keep
vapor velocities low
Complex column configurations
▪ Vacuum gas oils recombined – only
▪ No reboilers, heat from feed furnaces separated for operating considerations
• Reuse heat via heat exchange between
feed & internal column streams Pressure drops are important, especially
▪ Side draws, pumparounds, side strippers in the vacuum column
• Pumparounds ensure proper liquid reflux
within the column Steam stripping aids in separation
▪ Stripping steam without cracking
▪ 3-phase condensers Metals are undesirable. Can remove
• Condensed water will have hydrocarbons & some metals via desalters.
dissolved acid gases
▪ Pre-heat train recycles heat
• Products & internal streams heat the feed
• Feed cools the internal streams & products

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Supplemental Slides

Crude Distillation Unit Costs
Atmospheric column includes
▪ Side cuts with strippers
▪ All battery limits process
facilities
▪ Heat exchange to cool
products to ambient
temperature
▪ Central control system
Petroleum Refining Technology & Economics, 5th ed.

Gary, Handwerk, & Kaiser
CRC Press, 2007

38
Vacuum column includes
▪ Facilities for single vacuum gas
oil
▪ 3-stage vacuum jet system at
30 – 40 mmHg
▪ Heat exchange to cool VGO to
ambient temperature

CRC Press, 2007

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Desalter includes
▪ Conventional electrostatic
desalting unit
▪ Water injection
▪ Caustic injection
▪ Water preheating and cooling
Costs not included
▪ Wastewater treating and
disposal
▪ Cooling water and power
supply

CRC Press, 2007

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Crude Distillation Technologies
Provider Features
Foster Wheeler
Shell Global Solutions Complex of atmospheric & vacuum distillation for initial separation of
crude oil. May include pre-flash column.
TECHNIP
Uhde GmbH Vacuum distillation

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“Typical” Distillation Column
Top of column – condenser to remove heat
▪ Provides liquid reflux through top of column
▪ Partial condenser may have vapor but no liquid distillate product
▪ Coldest temperature – cooling media must be even colder
▪ Lowest pressure
▪ Top section strips heavy components from the rising vapors
Feed
▪ Vapor, liquid, or intermediate quality
▪ Introduced in vapor space between trays
Internals
▪ Trays to contact rising vapors with falling liquids
▪ Pressure drop across trays – overcome static head of liquid on tray, …
Bottom of column – reboiler to add heat

▪ Provides vapor traffic in bottom of column
▪ Highest temperature – heating media must be even hotter
▪ Highest pressure
▪ Bottom section strips light components from the falling liquid
Drawing by Henry Padleckas & modifed by Milton Beychok:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Continuous_Binary_Fractional_Distillation.PNG

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Fractionation Columns & Trays
Drawings by Henry Padleckas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractionating_column

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Fractionation Tray Types
http://www.termoconsult.com/empresas/acs/fractionation_trays.htm

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Trays & Packing
http://www.ec21.com/product-details/Tower-Internals--3942077.html

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Typical Overall Efficiencies
Typical Typical No. of Drickamer & Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers, 4th ed.
Typical No. of
Column Service Overall Theoretical Viscosity Maxwell Bradford in Carl Branan, Gulf Professional Publishing, 2005
Actual Trays
Efficiency Trays Ludwig
Simple Absorber/Stripper 20 – 30 20 – 30 Molal Ave
Ave Viscosity of
Steam Side Stripper 5–7 2 cP Viscosity of
liquid on plates
Reboiled Side Stripper 7 – 10 3–4 Feed
Reboiled Absorber 20 – 40 40 – 50 0.05 … 98
Deethanizer 25 – 35 65 – 75 0.10 104 79
0.15 86 70
Depropanizer 35 – 40 70 – 80
0.20 76 60
Debutanizer 38 – 45 85 – 90
0.30 63 50
Alky DeiC4 (reflux) 75 – 90 85 – 90
0.40 56 42
Alky DeiC4 (no reflux) 55 – 70 55 – 65
0.50 50 36
Naphtha Splitter 25 – 35 70 – 75 0.60 46 31
C2 Splitter 110 – 130 95 – 100 0.70 43 27
C3 Splitter 200 – 250 95 – 100
Engineering Data Book, 12th ed.
0.80 40 23
Gas Processors Association, 2004
C4 Splitter 70 – 80 85 – 90 0.90 38 19
Amine Contactor 20 – 24 4–5 1.00 36 17
Amine Stripper 20 – 24 45 - 55 9 – 12 1.50 30 7
Crude Distillation 35 – 50 50 – 60 20 – 30 1.70 28 5
Stripping Zone 5–7 30 2
Flash Zone – 1st draw 3–7 30 1–2
st nd
1 Draw – 2 Draw 7 – 10 45 – 50 3–5
2nd Draw – 3rd Draw 7 – 10 50 – 55 3–5
Top Draw – Reflux 10 – 12 60 – 70 6–8
Vacuum Column (G.O. Operation)
Stripping 2–4 1
Flash Zone – HGO Draw 2–3 1–2
HGO Section 3–5 2
LGO Section 3–5 2
FCC Main Fractionator 24 – 35 50 – 60 13 – 17
Quench Zone 5–7 2
Quench – HGO Draw 3–5 2–3
HGO – LCGO 6–8 3–5 Refinery Process Modeling
LCGO – Top 7 – 10 5–7 Gerald Kaes, Athens Printing Company, 2000, pg. 32

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Vacuum Tower Transfer Lines
Mass transfer effects in the transfer line complicate the effects at the bottom
of the Vacuum Tower
“Myth of high cutpoint in dry vacuum units ,” S. Golden, T. Barletta, & S. White, PTQ, Q2 2014

47

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Crude Oil Distillation

Updated: July 2, 2019

EIA, Jan. 1, 2019 database, published June 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Modified drawing from:

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Drawing by Milton Beychok

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Ref: “Useful tips for fired heater optimisation”

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

“Foaming in fractionation columns”

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Deep Cut System

Drawing from http://www.enotes.com/topic/Injector

Updated: July 2, 2019

Ref: “Improve energy efficiency via Heat Integration”

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Ref: “Energy savings in preheat trains with preﬂash”

Updated: July 2, 2019

Ref: “Energy savings in preheat trains with preﬂash”

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

above the cut point & the heavy fraction’s

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Updated: July 2, 2019

Petroleum Refining Technology & Economics, 5th ed.

Updated: July 2, 2019

Petroleum Refining Technology & Economics, 5th ed.

Updated: July 2, 2019

Petroleum Refining Technology & Economics, 5th ed.

Updated: July 2, 2019

Uhde GmbH Vacuum distillation

Updated: July 2, 2019

Bottom of column – reboiler to add heat

Updated: July 2, 2019

Drawings by Henry Padleckas

Updated: July 2, 2019