Technical review on flexible processing middle distillate for achieving maximum profit in China

Abstract

Currently, refining business is experiencing a transformation from refining to chemical business, or integration of refining and chemical business due to the slow economic growth, and decreased demand of clean fuels, particularly diesel product. Diesel products are oversupplied based on the consumption data in China. Refineries are pursuing technologies that could reduce diesel output, particularly the inferior light cycle oil (LCO) fraction. Herein, this article mainly describes the industrialized technologies for LCO processing such as LCO upgrading, LCO blending into available plants such as fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), and hydro-refining/treating unit, LCO moderate hydrocracking, and LCO to aromatics and gasoline with the integration of selective hydro-refining and optimized FCC. It is figured out that the LCO moderate hydrocracking can provide more gasoline at the expense of high H 2 consumption, while LCO to aromatics and gasoline (LTAG) technology needs more steps for clean fuel production and retrofitting of FCC plant. Based on the analyses of current technologies, it is suggested that implementation of such technologies should consider the configuration of refineries, as well as the benefit of employed technologies instead of realizing the target for decreasing diesel product unilaterally.

Efficient Conversion of Light Cycle Oil into Gasoline with a Combined Hydrogenation and Catalytic Cracking Process: Effect of Pre-distillation

“…The difference of hydrocarbon compositions among the three narrow fractions is similar to that of papers published, , which can be attributed to the distinct molecular weights of three types of aromatic hydrocarbons. As we all know, LCO is produced from the catalytic cracking of heavy oil.…”

Konzepte und Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung der Kohlenstoffkreislaufwirtschaft am Beispiel des chemischen Recyclings zur Olefinproduktion

“…Dies ist einerseits bedingt durch das vorgegebene H/C‐Verhältnis bzw. die Siedekurve des Rohöles – andererseits limitiert die bestehende Konfiguration von Raffinerien, die nachträglich nur begrenzt durch Investitionen in neue Anlagen und Umbau der Prozessführung flexibilisiert werden können 38, 39. Daher wird angenommen, dass sich tendenziell ein Unterangebot von erdölbasiertem Naphtha ausbildet, das durch die zirkulare Kohlenstoffwirtschaft mit Nutzung des dargestellten Rohstoffpotentiales (vgl.…”