Refining-Petrochemicals-Chemicals-Engineering

PDVSA

Process Engineering Applied To Petroleum Refining

Module 8: REFINING PROCESSES (2)

VISBREAKING UNIT PERFORMANCES CHARACTERIZATION

I - UNIT DESCRIPTION................................................................................................................. 1
II - MAIN PROPERTIES OF FEED AND PRODUCTS ................................................................... 2
1 2 -

Feed characteristics .....................................................................................................................2

Products characteristics ...............................................................................................................2

III - UNIT PERFORMANCES CHARACTERIZATION ..................................................................... 4

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Material balance and yields.......................................................................................................... 4

Sulphur balance ...........................................................................................................................4
Energy consumption.....................................................................................................................5
Conversion ...................................................................................................................................5
Viscosity reduction .......................................................................................................................6
Diluant or cutter saving.................................................................................................................7
Heavy fuel oil reduction ................................................................................................................ 8
Net distillate gain .......................................................................................................................... 8

IV - REAL EFFECT OF VISBREAKING UNIT IN HEAVY CUTS UPGRADING .............................. 9

V - VISBREAKING CONDITIONS................................................................................................. 10
1 2 -

Residence time...........................................................................................................................10
Temperature profile .................................................................................................................... 11

RA VIS - 00103_A_A - Rev. 1

17/01/2005

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

I-

UNIT DESCRIPTION
The simplified scheme of the unit is given in appendix 1, including main control loops and operating
conditions.
After preheating by the atm distillate and the visbroken vacuum resid in six exchangers, the feed is sent to the
feed drum B 101.
The heater F 101 has two radiation cells and one common convection cell.
The feed is divided into four passes and goes across:
the convection section
the radiation heating section
the radiation cracking section
The firing of each radiation section is regulated separately under control of the outlet temperature of each
section.
A condensate injection is made at the inlet of each pass of the radiation cracking section.
At the outlet of the heater, the feed is directed to the soaker drum B 102. The soaker effluent is expanded and
cooled by a distillate injection before entering the atmospheric fractionator C 101.
The temperature of the flash zone of the atmospheric fractionator is regulated by an injection of quench.
The cracked products are fractionated into five cuts: gas, naphtha, gas oil, distillate and atm visbroken
residue. The naphtha of the overhead drum B 103 is routed most of the time to the naphtha hydrotreater.
On tray 9, the gas oil is withdrawn and steam stripped. The light vacuum gas oil is added to the atm gas oil. A
part of the gas oil blend is used as flushing oil on the equipments and instrumentation of heavy products lines.
The non stripped atm distillate is routed with the vacuum gas oil to the catalytic cracking FCC. It feed also the
atm fractionator pump around and the quench.
The atmospheric resid, is sent under level control, to the vacuum distillation tower C 102. The noncondensables are incinerated in the heater F 101. The top side stream: light vacuum gas oil is used as reflux
to condense the overhead vapors of the vacuum unit. The blend of light vacuum gas oil and atm gas oil
constitutes the visbroken gas oil. The second side stream: vacuum gas oil is blended with the atm distillate
and fed to the catalytic cracking FCC. It feeds also the second pumparound of the vacuum distillation tower.
The vacuum resid preheats the feed and generates steam. A stream of cooled vacuum resid is recycled to the
vac tower bottom to control its temperature.
Before being sent to storage, the viscosity of the visbroken vacuum residue is adjusted with a cutter.

00103_A_A

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

II -

MAIN PROPERTIES OF FEED AND PRODUCTS

1-

FEED CHARACTERISTICS
Specific gravity

1,017

Viscosity (cSt) at 100C

1850

ASTM distillation (C)

IP

490

5%

530

10%

545

30%

cracking

Conradson Carbon Residue (% wt)

11,9

Asphaltenes (%wt)
C 5 insolubles

5,9

C 7 insolubles

4,6

Sulphur (%wt)

2-

4,3

PRODUCTS CHARACTERISTICS
Gas analysis

% wt

00103_A_A

H2S

15,0

H2

0,3

C1

15,8

C2

19,3

C3

25,2

C4

16,4

C5+

6,7

CO 2 + CO + N2

2,3

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

Other products main properties

Specific
gravity
ASTM
distillation
(C)

Gasoline

Atmospheric
gasoil

Light vacuum
gasoil

Heavy
atmospheric
gasoil

Vacuum
distillate

Vacuum
residue

0,696

0,807

0,849

0,899

0,920

1,045

24

141

103

193

240

400

157

148

294

295

485

IP
5%

40

162

166

306

310

515

10%

71

172

214

335

365

570

30%

92

192

258

360

400

cracking

50%

108

220

297

395

430

70%

128

252

352

470

460

90%

130

262

> 370

505

475

95%
FP

132

280

550

515

Sulphur (%wt)

0,92

1,4

2,1

2,6

2,9

at 20C

1,7

3,4

at 50C

1,1

2,0

9,5

14,7

3,2

4,1

4,7

Viscosity (cSt)

at 100C
at 150C

00103_A_A

1110
91

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

III - UNIT PERFORMANCES CHARACTERIZATION

1-

MATERIAL BALANCE AND YIELDS

Material balance and yields are given on the following table.

PRODUCTS

FLOWRATE (t/h)

Uncondensables

0,45

Gas

2,55

Overall gas

3,0

Gasoline

4,65

3,1

Atmospheric gasoil

8,4

Light vacuum gasoil

2,4

Total gasoil

10,8

Heavy atmospheric gasoil

9,75

Vacuum distillate

15,3

Total distillate

25,05

16,9

Vacuum residue

105

70,7

TOTAL

148,5

100,0

FEED

148,5

2-

YiELD (%wt)

7,3

SULPHUR BALANCE
The sulphur flowrate in feed is 4,3% of the feed flowrate (148,5 t/h): 6,4 t/h
The sulphur flowrate in vacuum residue is 4,7% of the vacuum residue flowrate (105 t/h): 4,94 t/h
So, about 75% of the feed sulphur remains in vacuum residue. Only 25% of the sulphur intake can be
removed by visbroken products desulphurisation.

00103_A_A

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

3-

ENERGY CONSUMPTION
In the operating conditions in appendix 1, consumption or production of fuel, steam and electricity are
the followings:
- fuel consumption in the furnace: 2,5 t/h
- steam production: 11,5 t/h
This production is equivalent to a fuel saving of 0,9 t/h
- electricity consumption: 1,6 kWh
This consumption is equivalent to 0,25 t/h of fuel.
As a result, fuel consumption is 2,5 0,9 + 0,25 = 1,85 t/h for a 148,5 t/h intake.
Fuel consumption is 1,25% of the feed, in the same order as for an atmospheric distillation unit.

4-

CONVERSION
Conversion can be defined either as:
- Gas + Gasoline yield
Gasoil and distillates are supposed to be incorporated in heavy fuel oil pool
Gas + Gasoline yield = 5,1 %
- Gas + Gasoline + Gasoil yield
This yield is the yield of 350+ products:
Gas + Gasoline + Gasoil yield = 12,4 %
- Gas + Gasoline + Gasoil + Distillates yield
This yield is the yield of products which can be used as 350+ products or feedstock to upgrading units:
Gas + Gasoline + Gasoil + Distillates yield = 29,3 %

00103_A_A

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

5-

VISCOSITY REDUCTION
Viscosity blending rule
Viscosity of a blend cannot be directly calculated by weighting the viscosities of the bases. It is
necessary to use blending indices (BI) given by formulae or tables as a function of the viscosity of the
bases and can be weighted to obtain the blending index of the blend.
A table of blend indices can be found in appendix 2.
Example of use: blending of 50%wt of a 10 cSt viscosity base with 50% wt of a 90 cSt base:
Blending index corresponding to a 10 cSt viscosity base: 23,58
Blending index corresponding to a 90 cSt viscosity base: 32,87
Blending index of the blend: 50% x 23,58 + 50% x 32,87 = 28,22
To this blending index corresponds a 25,5 cSt value of the viscosity.
Viscosity of the 165+ products
Calculation of viscosity of the 165+ products is given in the following table

Flowrate
(t/h)

Viscosity (cSt)
at 100C

Blending
Index

Flowrate x BI

Atmospheric gasoil

8,4

0,8

Light vacuum gasoil

2,4

0,8

Heavy atmospheric gasoil

9,75

3,2

15,73

153,4

Vacuum distillate

15,3

4,1

17,71

271

Vacuum residue

105

1110

39,28

4124,4

140,85

75

32,3

4548,8

Product

165+ products blend

Viscosity reduction
Viscosity reduction can be expressed by the ratio between feed viscosity and products blend viscosity:
Viscosity ratio =

1850
= 24,7
75

or by the difference between the blending indices of feed and products blend:
BI difference = 40,31 32,3 = 8

00103_A_A

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

6-

DILUANT OR CUTTER SAVING

Diluant saving is the difference between the quantities of diluant necessary to cut to 40 cSt the
+
viscosities of 100 t of feed on one hand and of the 165 products on the other hand.
The cutter used is supposed to have a viscosity of 2 cSt at 50C and of 1,05 cSt at 100C. The
corresponding value of blending index is: 3,91.
The blending index corresponding to 40 cSt is 30,03.
Diluant D1 necessary to cut the viscosity of 100 t feed

Weight

Viscosity at 100C

Blending Index

Feed

100

1850

40,31

Diluant

D1

1,05

3,91

Blend

100 + D1

40

30,03

The viscosity blending rule gives:

100 x 40,31 + D1 x 3,91 = (100 + D1 ) x 30,03
D 1 = 39,4 t
Diluant D2 necessary to cut the viscosity of the 165+ products
+

With 100 t feed, the 165 products are 94,9 t since the Gas + Gasoline yield is 5,1 % and have a 75
cSt viscosity.

Weight

Viscosity at 100C

Blending Index

165 products

94,9

75

32,3

Diluant

D2

1,05

3,91

Blend

94,9 + D2

40

30,03

The viscosity blending rule gives:

94,9 x 32,3 + D2 x 3,91 = (94,9 + D2 ) x 30,03
D 2 = 8,25 t

00103_A_A

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

Diluant saving
Diluant saving is the difference between D1 and D2.
D 1 - D 2 = 39,4 8,25 = 31,15 t for 100 t feed

7-

HEAVY FUEL OIL REDUCTION

Heavy fuel oil reduction is the difference between the heavy fuel oil production from 100 t of feed and
from the 165 + products.
Heavy fuel oil production from 100 t feed
As shown above, 39,4 t of diluant are necessary to cut the viscosity of 100 t feed. Due to this blending,
the heavy fuel oil production from 100 t feed is:
Heavy fuel oil production from 100 t feed = 100 + 39,4 = 139,4 t
+

Heavy fuel oil production from the165 products

+

From 100 t feed, the 165 products are 94,9 t and the diluant is 8,25 t. The heavy fuel oil production is:
+

Heavy fuel oil production from the165 products = 94,9 + 8,25 = 103,15 t
Heavy fuel oil reduction
The heavy fuel oil production from 100 t feed is reduced of:
Heavy fuel oil reduction = 139,4 103,15 = 36,25 t for 100 t feed
The heavy fuel oil reduction is the sum of the 165 + conversion and of the diluant saving.

8-

NET DISTILLATE GAIN

The Net Distillate Gain is the sum of valuable distillates produced by the visbreaking unit.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas
LPG are about 40% of the produced gas. For 100 t feed, LPG are 0,8 t.
Gasoline
Gasoline yield is 3,1 %.
Diluant saving
Diluant saving is 31,15 t for 100 t feed.
Net Distillate Gain
Net Distillate Gain = 0,8 + 3,1 + 31,15 = 35,05 t for 100 t feed

00103_A_A

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

IV - REAL EFFECT OF VISBREAKING UNIT IN HEAVY CUTS UPGRADING

A simplified refining scheme of the visbroken products is given in appendix 3. The real effect of the
visbreaking unit in refinery appears as a result of the material balance shown on the following table.
For 100 t feed

Without visbreaker

With visbreaker

Gain

Gas

Gasoline

10,1

10,1

Light fuel oil

- 39,4

10,7 25 = - 14,3

25,1

Heavy fuel oil

139,4

97,4

42

100

99,2
( 0,8 t coke )

Total

These results show:

- gas and gasoline production much higher than visbreaker conversion
- light fuel oil production due to diluant saving (major effect in value)
- heavy fuel oil reduction (major effect in volume)

00103_A_A

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

10

V-

VISBREAKING CONDITIONS
1-

RESIDENCE TIME
Definition
Residence time definition is:
Residence time (hour) =

Equipment volume (m3 )

Feed flowrate (m3 /h)

The volume flowrate changes along the equipment parts due to volume expansion by heating and to
light cracked products in vapor phase.
By convention residence time is calculated assuming the flowrate for feed at 15C.
Residence time on cold feed
With a specific gravity equal to 1,017 and a148,5 t/h mass flowrate, the volume flowrate is 146 m3/ h.
According to the volumes of equipment parts given in the following table, the residence time in each
part is calculated.

Volume (m3)

Residence time (h)

Residence time (mn)

0,05

Heating cell

10,8

0,075

4,5

Cracking cell

10,8

0,075

4,5

Soaker

56

0,383

23

C 101 bottom

0,1

Heater convection zone

The major part of the residence time is obviously in the soaker.

Effect of steam or condensate injection
In fact, residence time is reduced by steam or water condensate injection at the entrance of the
cracking cell coil.
The water condensate flowrate in the visbreaking unit operating conditions is 400 kg/h.
The steam specific gravity in the average temperature and pressure conditions can be read on the
diagram given in appendix 4.
Average operating conditions in cracking coil and soaker:
Pressure: 9 bar abs.
Temperature: 450C
Steam specific gravity: 2,6 kg/m3

00103_A_A

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

11

The steam volume flowrate is 400 / 2,6 = 154 m3/ h.

The steam volume flowrate being slightly equal to the feed volume flowrate, the steam injection leads
to a division of residence time by a factor 2.

2-

TEMPERATURE PROFILE
The temperature profile is given in appendix 5.
On this diagram, the vertical scale graduated in temperature is in fact proportional to chemical reaction
velocity. As a consequence, the area under the temperature profile is proportional to chemical reaction
rate. Obviously, chemical reactions begins in the cracking coil of the heater but the major part occurs in
the soaker where temperature decreases due to endothermic effect.

00103_A_A

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

BI

0.00
0.92
1.76
2.54
3.25
3.91
4.53
5.11
5.65
6.16
6.64
7.09
7.52
7.93
8.32
8.69
9.04
9.38
9.71
10.02
10.32
10.60
10.88
11.15
11.40
11.89
12.34
12.77
13.17
13.55
13.91
14.25
14.58
14.88
15.18
15.46
15.73
15.98
16.23
16.46

V (cSt)

0.80
0.85
0.90
0.95
1.00
1.05
1.10
1.15
1.20
1.25
1.30
1.35
1.40
1.45
1.50
1.55
1.60
1.65
1.70
1.75
1.80
1.85
1.90
1.95
2.00
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5

0.92
0.84
0.78
0.71
0.66
0.62
0.58
0.54
0.51
0.48
0.45
0.43
0.41
0.39
0.37
0.35
0.34
0.33
0.31
0.30
0.28
0.28
0.27
0.25
0.49
0.45
0.43
0.40
0.38
0.36
0.34
0.33
0.30
0.30
0.28
0.27
0.25
0.25
0.23

3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
4.0
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
5.0
5.2
5.4
5.6
5.8
6.0
6.2
6.4
6.6
6.8
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
10.0
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

V (cSt)

16.46
16.69
16.91
17.12
17.33
17.52
17.90
18.25
18.57
18.88
19.18
19.46
19.72
19.97
20.21
20.44
20.65
20.86
21.06
21.26
21.44
21.87
22.27
22.64
22.97
23.29
23.58
23.58
24.11
24.58
25.00
25.39
25.73
26.05
26.35
26.62
26.88
27.11

BI
0.23
0.22
0.21
0.21
0.19
0.38
0.35
0.32
0.31
0.30
0.28
0.26
0.25
0.24
0.23
0.21
0.21
0.20
0.20
0.18
0.43
0.40
0.37
0.33
0.32
0.29
0.00
0.53
0.47
0.42
0.39
0.34
0.32
0.30
0.27
0.26
0.23

D
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
200

V (cSt)
27.11
27.55
27.93
28.28
28.59
28.88
29.15
29.39
29.62
29.83
30.03
30.21
30.39
30.56
30.71
30.86
31.21
31.51
31.79
32.04
32.27
32.49
32.68
32.87
33.04
33.20
33.49
33.76
34.00
34.22
34.42
34.60
34.77
34.93
35.08
35.22

BI
0.44
0.38
0.35
0.31
0.29
0.27
0.24
0.23
0.21
0.20
0.18
0.18
0.17
0.15
0.15
0.35
0.30
0.28
0.25
0.23
0.22
0.19
0.19
0.17
0.16
0.29
0.27
0.24
0.22
0.20
0.18
0.17
0.16
0.15
0.14

D
200
220
240
260
280
300
320
340
360
380
400
420
440
460
480
500
600
700
800
900
1 000
1 200
1 400
1 600
1 800
2 000
2 500
3 000
3 500
4 000
4 500
5 000
6 000
7 000
8 000
9 000
10 000

V (cSt)
35.22
35.48
35.71
35.92
36.11
36.29
36.45
36.61
36.75
36.88
37.00
37.12
37.23
37.34
37.44
37.53
37.95
38.30
38.59
38.85
39.07
39.45
39.76
40.03
40.26
40.46
40.88
41.21
41.49
41.73
41.93
42.11
42.42
42.67
42.89
43.08
43.25

BI
0.26
0.23
0.21
0.19
0.18
0.16
0.16
0.14
0.13
0.12
0.12
0.11
0.11
0.10
0.09
0.42
0.35
0.29
0.26
0.22
0.38
0.31
0.27
0.23
0.20
0.42
0.33
0.28
0.24
0.20
0.18
0.31
0.25
0.22
0.19
0.17

D
10 000
12 000
14 000
16 000
18 000
20 000
25 000
30 000
35 000
40 000
50 000
60 000
70 000
80 000
90 000
100 000
150 000
200 000
250 000
300 000
400 000
500 000
600 000
700 000
800 000
900 000
1 000 000
1 500 000
2 000 000
3 000 000
4 000 000
5 000 000
6 000 000
7 000 000
8 000 000
9 000 000
10 000 000
15 000 000
20 000 000

V (cSt)
43.25
43.53
43.77
43.97
44.15
44.30
44.63
44.89
45.10
45.29
45.59
45.83
46.03
46.21
46.36
46.49
46.99
47.34
47.60
47.82
48.14
48.39
48.59
48.76
48.90
49.03
49.14
49.56
49.85
50.25
50.53
50.74
50.91
51.06
51.18
51.29
51.38
51.74
51.99

BI
0.28
0.24
0.20
0.18
0.15
0.33
0.26
0.21
0.19
0.30
0.24
0.20
0.18
0.15
0.13
0.50
0.35
0.26
0.22
0.32
0.25
0.20
0.17
0.14
0.13
0.11
0.42
0.29
0.40
0.28
0.21
0.17
0.15
0.12
0.11
0.09
0.36
0.25

Appendix 2

VISCOSITY BLENDING INDEX (weighting by mass fraction)

2005 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training