Title: Integration of hydrogen management in refinery planning with rigorous process models and product quality specifications

Authors: Ali Elkamel, Ibrahim Alhajri, A. Almansoori, Yousef Saif

Addresses: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada; Department of Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Institute, P.O. Box 2533, Abu Dhabi, UAE. ' Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Technological Studies, P.O. Box 42325, Shuwaikh 70654, Kuwait; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada. ' Department of Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Institute, P.O. Box 2533, Abu Dhabi, UAE. ' Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada; Dragon Oil Plc, P.O. Box 34666, Dubai, UAE

Abstract: New trends of increased heavy crude markets and clean-fuel legislation, to produce ultra low-sulphur (ULS) gasoline and diesel fuels, are forcing refineries to increase their consumption of hydrogen. This critical situation raises the need to have a tool for operating refineries with flexibility and profitability. This paper addresses the planning of refinery with consideration to hydrogen availability. A systematic method for integrating a hydrogen management strategy within a rigorous refinery planning model is undertaken. The presented model consists of two main building blocks: a set of non-linear processing units| models and a hydrogen balance framework. The two blocks are integrated to produce a refinery-wide planning model with hydrogen management. The hydrogen management alternatives were determined by economic analysis. The proposed model improves the hidden hydrogen unavailability that prevents refineries from achieving their maximum production and profit. The model is illustrated on representative case studies and the results are discussed. It was found that an additional annual profit equivalent to $7 million could be achieved with a one-time investment of $13 million in a new purification unit.

Keywords: refinery optimisation; hydrogen management; mathematical programming; hydrogen purification; process integration; product quality; process systems engineering; process modelling; refinery planning; hydrogen availability.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPSE.2011.041565

International Journal of Process Systems Engineering, 2011 Vol.1 No.3/4, pp.302 - 330

Published online: 14 Jan 2015 *

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