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This research study focused on the need to curb scarcity and importation of petroleum finished products in oil-producing nation Nigeria through the operation of conventional modular refineries in conjunction with major refineries operating efficiently. Hence, the study focused on the suitability and operations of conventional modular refinery processes by considering twenty different types of Nigerian crude oil for crude oil assay analysis and classification using Aspen Hysys. The crude oil assay results categorized the twenty Nigerian crude oil types as light and medium sweet crude, while based on recovery volume percent at a true boiling point of 370˚C, the twenty crude oil types were categorized into Group A (crude oil with recovery volume above 80%), Group B (crude oil with recovery volume between 70% and 79%) and Group C (crude oil with recovery volume below 70%) respectively. Besides, light and medium sweet oil types were simulated in a conventional modular refinery (topping plant) at different numbers of column trays (25, 29, 35, 40 and 48) to determine their product yield. Based on product yield and equipment costs at different numbers of tray columns, a modular refinery with twenty-nine column trays was applied in this study. Thus, twenty Nigerian crude oil types were simulated in a conventional modular refinery of 30,000 barrel per day capacity and twenty-nine column trays respectively to evaluate their product yield and tray compositions.
This research study focused on the need to curb scarcity and importation of petroleum finished products in oil-producing nation Nigeria through the operation of conventional modular refineries in conjunction with major refineries operating efficiently. Hence, the study focused on the suitability and operations of conventional modular refinery processes by considering twenty different types of Nigerian crude oil for crude oil assay analysis and classification using Aspen Hysys. The crude oil assay results categorized the twenty Nigerian crude oil types as light and medium sweet crude, while based on recovery volume percent at a true boiling point of 370˚C, the twenty crude oil types were categorized into Group A (crude oil with recovery volume above 80%), Group B (crude oil with recovery volume between 70% and 79%) and Group C (crude oil with recovery volume below 70%) respectively. Besides, light and medium sweet oil types were simulated in a conventional modular refinery (topping plant) at different numbers of column trays (25, 29, 35, 40 and 48) to determine their product yield. Based on product yield and equipment costs at different numbers of tray columns, a modular refinery with twenty-nine column trays was applied in this study. Thus, twenty Nigerian crude oil types were simulated in a conventional modular refinery of 30,000 barrel per day capacity and twenty-nine column trays respectively to evaluate their product yield and tray compositions.
The study investigated and classified twenty Nigerian crude oil types based on their products recovery volume at true boiling point temperature of 370˚C using crude oil assay analysis data into Group A (crude oil with recovery volume above 80%), Group B (crude oil with recovery volume between 70% and 79%) and Group C (crude oil with recovery volume below 70%) respectively. Thus, twenty Nigerian crude oil types were simulated in a modified modular refinery (modified topping plant) of 30,000 bpd capacity and twenty-nine (29) column trays number using Aspen Hysys software. Furthermore, the residues from the conventional modular refinery were processed as feedstock or precursor into the hydrocracker reactor attached to the stripping section of the modified modular refinery to yield more valuable products of liquefied petroleum gas, naphtha, diesel and bottom (residue). The simulation results of the modified modular refinery were compared with conventional modular refinery in terms of their residual yield percentage as Nigerian Brass 2012 of API 40.62, recovery volume 88.78%, yielded residue of 11.22% and 1.29% for conventional modular and modified modular refineries respectively while Okoro 2012 of least API 23.54, recovery volume 57.84%, yielded residue of 42.16% and 4.92% for conventional modular and modified modular refineries respectively. Thus, the residual or bottom product issue associated with operational process of conventional modular refinery operations in Nigeria due to inefficient or non-operational conventional major refinery in Nigeria has been resolved to minimum or least amount with the operational process of modified modular refinery operations in Nigeria.
Nigerian crude oil type Okoro 2012 was applied in this study owing to its low API value 23.54 and high residual percentage value of 42.16% from conventional modular refinery operations in Nigeria. The residue acted as a precursor or feedstock to the hydrocracker reactor of the modified modular refinery operation, which is an hydrogenation catalytic process at operating conditions of 380˚C and 183 bar respectively and the hydrogen gas applied is produced via steam-methane reforming since the operational feedstocks are available as methane is the first gaseous product from the modified modular refinery process. Thus, more valuable products such as liquefied petroleum gas, naphtha and diesel were produced from modified modular refinery thereby resolving the residue or bottom product issue associated with conventional modular refinery operation in Nigeria. Models were developed from the first principle through the application of the principle of conservation of mass to predict the performance of the hydrocracker reactor and the developed models were sets of ordinary differential equations, which were solved using Mat-Lab ODE45 solver and validated using simulation data of Aspen Hysys software for the hydrocracker reactor. The results gave a minimum percentage absolute error (deviation) between model predictions and Aspen Hysys results of 4.45%, 5.0% and 2.02% for liquefied petroleum gas, naphtha and diesel products respectively. Hence, the model developed predicted the output performance of the hydrocracker reactor very closely and was applied in studying or simulation of the effects of catalyst effectiveness factor on the overall performance of the hydrocracker reactor.
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