A Commercial Reactor Simulation for the Slurry-Phase Hydrocracking of Heavy Oil with a Mineral Catalyst Using Distillation Lumps and SARA-Based Kinetic Models

Modeling and simulations of an industrial-scale slurry-phase reactor for heavy crude oil hydrocracking of SARA fractions and distillation lumps are presented. The catalyst under consideration is a mineral material, molybdenite (average particle size of 63.5 mu m), which is dispersed in crude oil. The reactor model considers axial dispersion for composition and temperature while the kinetic model is based on lumps for vacuum residue, vacuum gasoil, middle distillates, and naphtha, as well as on SARA fractions, including two more lumps to take into account the coke and gas formation. The dynamic simulations were carried out at 360-400 degrees C and 3.9 MPa of pressure and a catalyst concentration of 5000 ppm of active metal (Mo). The steady state of the distillation lumps and the SARA fractions, as well as gas and coke was analyzed and discussed for temperature variations between 360 and 400 degrees C. The results showed that it is possible to model and adapt SARA fractions and boiling points-based intrinsic kinetic models to the reactor model so that further optimization studies can be carried out.