High-Throughput, Environmentally Friendly Hydrodesulfurization Unit

Project number: 
21080
Sponsor: 
UA Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Academic year: 
2020-2021
Project Goal: Design a hydrodesulfurization unit that can process 30,000 barrels of diesel per stream day and reduce the sulfur content to at most 15 parts per million to meet EPA standards.

The unit’s design consists of a high-temperature, pressure-packed bed reactor that catalyzes the removal of sulfur compounds from diesel oil.

Integration of heat exchangers and a single cold high-pressure separator reduces energy consumption. An amine contactor recycles unspent hydrogen to ensure large amounts of reactive hydrogen are present in the reactor’s cycle. The catalytic reaction creates other unwanted side products that are removed further down the design.

The design factored in reactor sizing, separation of liquids and vapors, mass and energy balances, and modeling of various chemical reactions. ASPEN PLUS simulated the process to ensure the goal of 15 ppm sulfur.

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