ERTC 2025
Benefits of high-throughput testing for first- and second-stage hydrocracking configurations
Ioan-Teodor Trotus HTE GmbH
In today’s refining environment, where profit margins are tight and feedstocks are increasingly variable and complex, the ability to benchmark hydrocracking catalysts rap- idly and accurately offers a strategic edge. hte GmbH operates at the forefront of high- throughput experimentation (HTE), offering a transformative approach to catalyst selec- tion and process optimisation. This is espe- cially impactful for two-stage hydrocracking units, where once-through operation can be configured to simulate recycle conditions on a laboratory scale, delivering commercially relevant insights with speed and precision. This article explores how hte’s high- throughput trickle bed units enable refiners to make competitive, data-driven decisions for both first- and second-stage hydroc- racking catalyst configurations. Drawing on recent collaborations with CITGO and Motiva, we highlight how this delivers tangi- ble value and operational confidence.– The Challenge: Catalyst Selection in Complex Hydrocracking Systems Hydrocracking is a cornerstone of modern refining, converting heavy feedstocks into valuable middle distillates and lighter prod- ucts. However, selecting the optimal cata- lyst system, especially for two-stage units, is fraught with complexity. Traditional meth- ods rely heavily on vendor-supplied techni- cal packages and kinetic simulations. While useful, these approaches often fall short in accurately predicting real-world perfor- mance under specific refinery conditions. Simulating recycle operations at labo- ratory scale presents a distinct challenge, particularly due to the difficulty in fully characterising unconverted oil (UCO) from refinery operations. UCO streams vary significantly in polyaromatic hydrocarbon (HPNA) concentrations and nitrogen con- tent, making it hard to replicate their behav- iour accurately. This challenge becomes insurmountable when attempting to run a high-throughput unit with actual recycle loops, given the prohibitive costs, time, and operational constraints involved. To address these limitations, hte’s high- throughput once-through setup offers a compelling solution. By feeding real UCO into a controlled, parallel reactor system, it effectively mimics recycle conditions with- out the need for complex and costly loop configurations. This enables rapid, cost-effi- cient testing of multiple catalyst systems under commercially relevant conditions, delivering actionable results in a fraction of the time required by traditional methods, enabling faster data-driven decision making. The Solution: High-Throughput Testing with hte’s 16-fold unit hte’s 16-fold high-throughput trickle bed reactor unit is uniquely designed to address these challenges. With up to 16 reactors operating in parallel – each with individual heating blocks and capillary-fed flow con-
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Fresh feed – supplied by refinery
UCO – supplied by re nery
Bleed oil
Mixed feeds
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HT
HT
HC
5x
8x
Figure 2 Parellelisation scheme for testing five different first-stage hydrocracking systems together with five different second-stage hydrocracking systems
commercially relevant conditions. This inte- grated approach allows refiners to assess catalyst performance across the full hydro- cracking process using real feedstocks and operational parameters ( Figure 2 ). Competitive Advantages of hte’s Approach Speed and efficiency : Testing a selection of the most promising catalyst loading propos- als in parallel significantly reduces the time required for benchmarking. Statistical confidence : 3 Having a large num- ber of parallel reactors enables running dupli- cates and controlling experimental variability (±1.5°C temperature, ±2% mass balance). hte ensures observed differences in activity and selectivity are statistically significant. Commercial relevance : hte’s ability to down- scale commercial operations, including recy- cle simulation, means that high-throughput catalyst testing data is directly translatable to full-scale units. This minimises risk and maximises confidence in catalyst selection. Customisation and flexibility : From feed- stock selection to reactor configuration, hte tailors each campaign to the refinery’s needs. Digital integration : hte’s proprietary data processing software, myhte, streamlines data analysis, visualisation, and reporting, ensuring that refiners can make informed decisions quickly and accurately. Conclusion hte’s high-throughput testing offers a pow- erful tool for catalyst benchmarking and process optimisation. By simulating recycle operations in a once-through setup, it ena- bles refiners to confidently select the best catalyst systems for both first- and second- stage hydrocracking, reducing cost and time, as well as enhancing operational certainty. References 1 G. Innocenti, et al, High-throughput testing for hydrocracking catalyst benchmarking, PTQ Q4 2025, pp.31-35. 2 OPEX Webinar: Catalyst Selection for Motiva’s 2nd Stage Hydrocracker Enabled by High- Throughput Testing, AFPM. 3 G. Innocenti, et al, Reproducibility of high throughput hydrocracking catalyst testing, PTQ Q3 2025 , pp.101-105. Contact: Ioan-Teodor.Trotus@hte-company.de
l Temperature required to reach a target nitrogen slip. l Temperature required to reach a target apparent conversion. l Selectivity to middle distillates. The results revealed significant discrepan- cies between vendor predictions and actual performance in the test. In marked contrast, hte’s testing unit predicted start-of-run tem- peratures within 5°F of the commercial unit, demonstrating a high level of accuracy.
Figure 1 Parallelisation scheme for a single stage hydrocracker with recycle
Case Study 2: Motiva’s Second-Stage Hydrocracking Optimisation 2
trol – the unit allows simultaneous testing of multiple catalyst configurations. It can also be equipped with eight additional reactor tubes, which allows for various testing con- figurations involving in-series coupled reac- tors. This parallelisation ensures statistically significant comparisons and accelerates the decision-making process. For hydroprocessing applications, the 16-fold unit supports: l Operating temperatures up to 450°C. l Pressure ranges from 15 to 260 bar. l Catalyst volumes of 1–10 mL per reactor. l Capability to test a broad spectrum of feeds, from naphtha and diesel to VGO, resid, DAO, and bio-based oils. l Online and offline analytics for gas and liquid products. The system’s flexibility enables once- through operation that mimics recycle behaviour by using refinery-supplied UCO as feedstock for second-stage testing. This approach was successfully implemented in recent projects with CITGO and Motiva. Case Study 1: CITGO’s Catalyst Benchmarking for Lake Charles Refinery 1 Commissioned by CITGO, hte tested eight catalyst loading proposals for the hydroc- racker at the Lake Charles Refinery. The goal was to identify the most promising combina- tion of pretreatment and hydrocracking cata- lysts under simulated commercial conditions. Using a two-reactor series configuration (HT + HC), hte mimicked the recycle loop by feeding bleed oil from the refinery between the HT and HC reactors and adjusting hydro- gen ratios to match commercial gas-to-oil conditions ( Figure 1 ). Over a 50-day cam- paign, catalysts were evaluated based on:
Motiva faced the challenge of optimising the second stage of its hydrocracking unit, where catalyst performance is heavily influ- enced by the quality of UCO. To address this, hte utilised a parallel testing strategy using 16 reactors to evaluate different cat- alyst loading proposals from multiple ven- dors. Some catalyst systems were loaded in replicates to validate the experimental accuracy and ensure reproducibility. Two UCO qualities were tested: light UCO from mid-run sampling and heavy UCO from end-of-run sampling. This dual- feed strategy allowed Motiva to assess cat- alyst robustness across a range of HPNA concentrations and conversion levels. The once-through testing methodology pro- vided valuable insights into the tempera- ture impact on conversion and selectivity, as well as product quality variations. The high-throughput test results closely matched commercial performance, show- ing improved diesel yields and lower LPG production. Catalyst life exceeded expec- tations, and the selected catalyst outper- formed previous cycles, highlighting the value of third-party high-throughput testing. Testing of First- and Second-Stage Hydrocracking Catalyst Systems in Parallel Refineries can effectively evaluate both first- and second-stage hydrocracking pro- posals using hte’s high-throughput trickle bed setup. By testing fresh feed and real UCO across multiple reactor trains, this once-through configuration mimics recycle operation, enabling rapid and cost-effective benchmarking of catalyst systems under
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