Hydrocarbon Processing - September 2021 - 30

Refining Technology
Commissioning of the stripper improved
recycle oil quality further and
helped raise the unit conversion to 99.5%.
Steady and low recycle oil HPNA concentration
keeps the catalyst deactivation rate
low, providing an opportunity to either
extend the cycle or process more difficult
feeds. The stripper design is also energy efficient,
and the bulk of the energy used for
superheating the steam is offset by a reduction
in the fractionator charge heater duty.
FIG. 12 shows an improvement in the
recycle oil quality before and after HPNA
stripper commissioning. An immediate
reduction in recycle oil HPNAs can be
seen following the commissioning of the
HPNA stripper. However, due to some
operational issues with the stripping
steam electrical super heater, achieving
design conditions took slightly longer
than expected. The first six recycle oil
analyses correspond to a heater duty of
25%-50%, which translates to about 50%
of the design superheat. Despite this, it
was possible to reduce the HPNAs by approximately
40%, i.e., from 140 ppm to 90
ppm. The last two analyses correspond to
HPNA stripper operation at design conditions
with HPNA levels at just 40 ppm.
The recycle oil color changed to bright
yellow during the stabilization period.
The HPNA stripper has now been online
for more than 3 mos with the process
unitk
consistently operating close to full
conversion with no signs of HPNA buildup.
TABLE 1 summarizes the key benefits of
a comprehensive HPNA mitigation solution
implemented at the TÜPRAŞ enhanced
two-stage unitl
.
The external HPNA stripper commissioning
at TÜPRAŞ marks the successful
commercialization of this key revamp
technology that is especially suited for
high-conversion units processing difficult
feedstocks. The tailored comprehensive
solution has not only helped TÜPRAŞ
achieve all its processing objectives but
surpass them with continuous support
from the authors' company's services. The
unit is now consistently able to operate at
110% capacity while processing difficult
feeds above design conversion and, more
importantly, without any HPNA woes.
Such HPNA management customized solutions
can help refiners improve unit performance
and profitability via increased
conversion to high-value products, which
in most cases help recover the cost of investment
in a matter of months.
The pivotal role of a hydrocracking
unit in a modern refinery hinges on its
ability to reliably process a wide variety
of feedstocks. Whether a refinery is looking
for a novel catalyst solution that accounts
for the complexities of a new and
far-reaching goal or looking for a revamp
solution to achieve specific targets, the authors'
company brings a unified approach
TABLE 1. HPNA stripper performance summary
Key variables
Capacity of hydrocracker
Cycle length
HCGO end point
HVGO end Point
HPNA make
Original design
Base
Base
Base
Base
Base
Current cycle
+10%
+15%
+70°C
+25°C
-70%
through its vast lineup of hydroprocessing
catalystsd
in hydrocracking technology.
NOTES
a Honeywell UOP's HYT-6219
b Honeywell UOP's HYT-6319
c Honeywell UOP's ULTIMet™
d Honeywell UOP's Unity portfolio
e Honeywell UOP's HC410LT
f Honeywell UOP's HC620LT
g Honeywell UOP's HYT-6219
h Honeywell UOP's HYT-6319
i Honeywell UOP's HPNA RM™
j Honeywell UOP's Unionfining™
k Honeywell UOP's Unicracking™ Process
l
Honeywell UOP's Enhanced Two Stage (E2S)
Unicracking
SIMERJEET SINGH is a member of
UOP's Hydroprocessing Technology
Services group based out of the UK.
He provides technical support to new
and revamped hydroprocessing and
renewables units loaded with UOP
catalyst within the EAFSU region. Mr.
Singh has 22 yr of experience in the industry spanning
commissioning, operation, design, optimization, revamp
and troubleshooting of refinery units. He has held
positions at Indian Oil, Panipat Refinery and Fluor, India.
Prior to joining UOP in 2012, he worked at BAPCO
refinery as a Senior Process Engineer and was
responsible for the monitoring of hydrogen, base oil
and hydrocracker units. He obtained his BS degree from
the University Institute of Chemical Engineering and
Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
ELIF RAKICI ÖNDER is a Process
Manager at TÜPRAŞ İzmir Refinery
with diverse refinery experience of
more than 14 yr. She joined TÜPRAŞ
in 2007 and has worked both in
refinery operations and in the
process department. She began her
career as a Process Engineer in a wastewater treatment
plant and then went on to work in offsites and utilities,
desulfurizers, diesel hydrotreaters, hydrocrackers
and an integrated two-stage hydrocracker unit.
Before becoming Process Manager in 2020, she was
Hydroprocessing Superintendent at TÜPRAŞ Head
Office, and was responsible for optimization studies,
catalyst evaluation, troubleshooting, and evaluating
short- and long-term projects in hydroprocessing
units. Ms. Önder received her BS degree in chemical
engineering in 2002 from Bosphorus University
Faculty of Engineering, İstanbul, Turkey.
IAN CLARKE is a Senior Offering
Manager in the Honeywell UOP
Process and Technology
Hydroprocessing business, where
he is responsible for leading the
development and implementation
of strategies to maintain a leading
position in hydroprocessing. This includes being the
principal point of contact for the launches and
positioning of breakthrough technologies and solutions
for the UOP UnicrackingTM
and UnionfiningTM
processes.
FIG. 12. Improvement in recycle oil quality.
30 SEPTEMBER 2021 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
Mr. Clarke has worked in the refining industry since 2006,
starting his career at Foster Wheeler in multiple roles,
including process engineering, dynamic simulation and
commissioning. He has worked at Honeywell UOP since
2012 and has served as a Technology Manager and Yield
Estimator for hydrocracking. Mr. Clarke earned an MEng
degree in chemical engineering from UMIST (University
of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology) and
is a Chartered Chemical Engineer in the IChemE.
and many decades of experience
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