PTQ Q1 2024 Issue

Operating cost items

10000 15000

Item

UOM basis

Cost, $

5000

Indirect operating cost

Hour Nm 3 Nm 3 Nm 3 kWh

250 0.21 0.18 0.08 0.07 14.7 0.24

Fuel gas cost

Natural gas cost

-5000

Hydrogen make-up cost

-10000

Electricity cost

-15000

Steam cost

Ton

-20000

Cooling water cost

m³

-25000 -30000

Table 2

Feed mixture

T = 380˚C

T = 400˚C

T = 420˚C

T = 440˚C

has been set to 297 tons of hydrocarbon feed per hour. This implies total processing of around 98,000 tons of hydrocar- bon oil feed mixture per year, with more than 90% of the feed mixture being converted into lighter valuable hydrocar- bon product. As previously stated, three economic business models are examined in this study. The first model was made just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was selected at a Brent crude oil price of 18 $/bbl on 16 April 2020, affected by a worldwide lockdown. The second model was created after the crude oil price stabilised and air flights were partially opened. The Brent crude oil price was 42 $/bbl on 29 June 2020. The third model was created at the beginning of 2021 on the 12 February at a Brent crude price of 62 $/bbl when normal life conditions had resumed after more than a third of the world’s population had been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine. The economic evaluation of the research work at three selected times showed different net profit rates depending on feedstocks and product prices. Economic analysis for each model are based on operating expense details men- tioned in Table 2 . The economic data of the three studied scenarios are rep- resented in Figures 3 , 4 and 5 . Crude oil price increases ben- efit the net profit of the 16 studied cases. It is also observed that the highest net profit is achieved for the feed mixture evaluated at reaction temperature of 400°C, regardless of the crude oil price. So, there is a great opportunity for applying the studied feed mixtures to increase profit, especially if the crude barrel

Figure 3 Net profit values of the studied cases at Dated Brent = 18.8 $/bbl

price continues to rise. Figure 6 shows that the profit mar - gin increases as the price of crude oil compared to waste oil increases. Finally, economic models indicate that WLO offers significant cost savings and can increase unit net profit, regardless of fluctuations in crude oil prices. Conclusion Commercially available software was used to build a simula- tion case of an industrial hydrocracking unit using the same catalyst and reactor configuration as our previous experi - mental runs.¹ This case is a reliable prediction tool, with only a minor deviation from actual mass, heat balance, and prod- uct specifications. The total reaction conversion values pre - dicted by the simulation model of 16 run cases show a good match between the simulation model and actual values, with a positive gap between the actual values in most cases. This gap widens as the WCO content in feed mixtures increases. This happens because the acidic nature of WCO increases catalyst cracking activity, leading to enhanced reaction conversion under the same operating conditions of reaction temperature, hydrogen partial pressure, and LHSV. The Aspen Hysys built-in fluid package (HCRSRK) needs to be modified to accurately predict hydrocracking catalyst activity in the presence of WCO, accounting for the

40000 45000

30000

25000

35000

20000

30000

15000

25000

20000

10000

15000

5000

10000

5000 0

-5000

Feed mixture

T = 380˚C

T = 400˚C

T = 420˚C

T = 440˚C

T = 380˚C

T = 400˚C

T = 420˚C

T = 440˚C

Figure 4 Net profit values of the studied cases at Dated Brent = 41.8 $/bbl

Figure 5 Net profit values of the studied cases at Dated Brent = 62 $/bbl

PTQ Q1 2024