Operating hydrocracking

The hydrocracking process is characterized by a very low gas production and a low LPG yield especially when operated for maximum distillates. Byproducts in this operating mode are ... 

Pressure Vessels. Refineries have many pressure vessels, e.g., hydrocracker reactors, cokers, and catalytic cracking regenerators, that operate within the creep range, i.e., above 650°F. However, the phenomenon of creep does not become an important factor until temperatures are over 800°F. Below this temperature, the design stresses are usually based on the short-time, elevated temperature, tensile test. 

For refinery units such as hydrocrackers in which the hydrogen partial pressure is much higher, e.g., above l,350psi and the operating temperatures are above 800°F, the 2 A Cr-1 Mo steel is eommonly used. The higher alloy... 

Fluid catalytic cracking and hydrocracking are two additional processes that are often encountered. There are many other processes used in refineries not mentioned here. The list above is intended only to emphasize the wide diversity of processing which is common to petroleum refinuig and to introduce in a very general way some of the more important of these processes. Also it must be emphasized that only fundamental principles of refinery operations have been discussed and modern manufacturing techniques vary widely from company to company. 

Product separation for main fractionators is also often called black oil separation. Main fractionators are typically used for such operations as preflash separation, atmospheric crude, gas oil crude, vacuum preflash crude, vacuum crude, visbreaking, coking, and fluid catalytic cracking. In all these services the object is to recover clean, boiling range components from a black multicomponent mixture. But main fractionators are also used in hydrocracker downstream processing. This operation has a clean feed. Nevertheless, whenever you hear the term black oil, understand that what is really meant is main fractionator processing. 

Because some hydrocracking occurs, Powerforming also produces saturated C to Q light hydrocarbons. The methane and ethane formed normally are consumed as refinery fuel. Propane and butane products are frequently marketed as LPG. The relative quantities of each of these products vary considerably with feed quality, operating conditions and octane severity. 

All of the above reactions are reversible, with the exception of hydrocracking, so that thermodynamic equilibrium limitations are important considerations. To the extent possible, therefore, operating conditions are selected which will minimize equilibrium restrictions on conversion to aromatics. This conversion is favored at higher temperatures and lower operating pressures. 

---