DESIGN & SIMULATION OF DIESEL HYDRODESULFURIZATION UNIT WITH EMPHASIS ON CATALYST OPTIMIZATION

Abstract

Diesel Hydrodesulphurization (DHDS) is one of the key operations in a refinery used in marking sulfur content in diesel fuel to be acceptable in the current market. This work concentrates on sensibly enhancing multiplex DHDS efficiency with a specific reference to the catalyst. In addition, it captures detail design aspects of the design team such as equipment design HAZOP and economic analysis. The initial phases focused on the design and integration of the DHDS unit operations, including the designation of the proper path for process flow and evaluation of mass and energy balances. Finally, HAZOP study was conducted to pinpoint hazards and operational risks from other processes for safety and reliability of DHDS processes. In this research, the performance evaluation of the catalyst is one of the major considerations. Catalyst selection criteria and their properties such as activity, selectivity, stability and cost were taken into consideration and various catalyst selections were made basing on literature findings. These comparisons were important since they helped in determining the best catalyst which should be used for DHDS applications. This work has intersections with both chemical engineering fundamentals and recent developments in the use of data analysis; it has helped improve the functionality of DHDS. Based on the results of this research, it provides actionable insights to the petroleum refining industry on how to optimize the performance of the DHDS process to a level that would have low impacts on the environment while, at the same time, increasing efficiency and productivity