Bench-Scale Reactor for HDM and HDS of Maya Crude Oil

This chapter is devoted to illustrate the modeling and simulation of a heavy oil hydrotreating experimental bench-scale reactor. Hydrodesulfurization and hydrodemetallization of Maya crude oil was carried out at moderate reaction conditions. The parameters of the kinetic model were derived from experimental data at different reaction conditions of liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) (0.33-1.5) and temperature (380°C-420°C) keeping constant the pressure and hydrogen-to-oil ratio (6.9 MPa and 5000 std fP/bbl oil, respectively). The bench-scale reactor is modeled as one-dimensional heterogeneous. The chapter gives details about the experiments, the development of the model, and its application to simulate the HDS and HDM of Maya crude oil. 

Small reactors such as those used at laboratory scale are commonly affected by mass-transfer limitations. These effects are hindered in the kinetic rate coefficient and in the reaction order when using a simple pseudohomogeneous model to describe it. In order to improve the desaiption of reactor performance, the holdup concept 

Modeling of Processes and Reactors for Upgrading of Heavy Petroleum 

In the following sections, the simulation of hydrotreating of heavy petroleum carried out at moderate reaction conditions in a bench-scale reactor is performed by means of a heterogeneous model, particularly for removing sulfur, nickel, and vanadium. The capability of prediction of the reactor model is also tested under conditions different from those used to determine the model parameters. Experimental information about the effect of temperature, space velocity, and pressure in a wide range of values is used to develop the kinetic model parameters. Particular emphasis is given on detailed explanations of how to determine all the parameters of the developed model. 

The reliability of a model is the function of the validation method such as testing it with independent data and experimental transport and thermodynamic properties at the reaction conditions. For the case of hydrotreating of heavy petroleum, the reactor involves three phases the nonvaporized hydrocarbon (liquid), the vaporized hydrocarbon plus the hydrogen (gas), and the fixed-bed catalyst (solid). Hence, the system to be modeled is a three-phase fixed-bed catalytic heterogeneous reactor. Some assumptions can be made in order to represent the real experimental reactor. 

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Q Modeling of Bench-Scale Reactor for HDM and HDS of Maya Crude Oil... 

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