Refinery Process Modeling

This book is a practical guide to the steady state modeling of petroleum processes (using commercial simulators).

The book bridges the gap between theoretical computer simulator programs and real world refinery processes. It is based on the author's practical experience in modeling refining processes for over 35 years and is the outgrowth of hundreds of training courses he has presented. The simulation techniques are general and may be applied to any commercial simulation program that has the necessary features to model petroleum processes.

Features include:
. Petroleum characteristics and standard laboratory tests
. Procedures for estimating incomplete laboratory test information
. Development of pseudo-components to represent petroleum
. Practical thermodynamic information
. Understandable approach to modeling distillation
. General technical information for processes
. Test data collection and reconciliation for processes
. Simulation techniques for refinery reaction systems
. Simulation procedures for processes
. Processes included are:
-Crude and vacuum distillation
-FCC processes
-Catalytic reforming processes
-Hydrogen processes
-Thermal processes
-Alkylation processes
-Miscellaneous processes

The reader will gain a working knowledge of the petroleum refining processes. The tips and tricks presented in this book will help the reader avoid the time consuming pitfalls so often encountered when developing simulation models.

The book contains a glossary of petroleum and chemical engineering terminology and an extensive index.

Gerald L. Kaes is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln where he received his bachelor and master of science degrees in chemical engineering in 1960 and 1961. He has a long career in oil refinery simulation. His career began with CONOCO, Inc where he was involved in the development and application of simulation models for the CONOCO, Inc oil refineries. These models were used to develop linear program optimization tools for use in guiding operations for the CONOCO, Inc refineries.

His next position was with Stearns Roger (now Raetheon Engineers) where he helped design and implement a general simulation program for modeling the hydrocarbon processes. In addition to training users of the program, he also worked closely with the program users and implemented new features to the program as needed to facilitate use of the program for process design.

In 1977 he joined Simulation Sciences, Inc (SimSci) as a technical support engineer. His duties at SimSci expanded to include helping guide design of the SimSci software, testing of new program features, technical documentation, and user training and support. He wrote several user guides and technical papers, and also developed training programs for users. During his long career with SimSci, he traveled around the world and gave many training courses.

He founded his own consulting company in 1992 and has continued to offer training and services to companies involved in the design and operation of oil refineries. Training courses are structured for commercial simulators, and the principles are general and may be applied to any commercial simulator with the features necessary to model petroleum. He has also been active in the development of models for numerous refinery processes around the world using the Hyprotech, Ltd "HYSIM and HYSYS" and the SimSci "PROVISION" simulation programs.