APPLICATION OF PIONA CHARACTERISATION IN REFINERY PROCESS MODELING

Abstract

Refinery feed and product streams consist of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons ranging from C1 molecules to C200 and higher molecules depending on the fluid type (e.g., crude feed, kerosene products, Residue, etc.). The traditional approach to characterise the refinery fluid is by generating Pseudo-components based on the fluid laboratory analysis, mainly the boiling point range and the fluid bulk properties analysis. Although this approach to define the refinery process feeds and products can capture the required mass and energy balance to a certain extent, a much detailed analysis of the refinery fluid cannot be performed with a high degree of accuracy due to the inherent limitation in the traditional Pseudo-component definition approach. A case study on the new simulation approach was performed by defining the refinery fluid characterisation using the PIONA distribution methodology using a commercial process simulator. A comparison was made between traditional Pseudo-component characterisation vs. PIONA characterisation on the simulation results and calculated parameters. A significant improvement in simulated parameters was observed, contributing to higher accuracy in refinery process modelling. In addition, this new PIONA characterisation approach will support rigorous modelling of various refinery reactors for better reactor performance prediction.

Keywords: Refinery Process Simulation, Refinery Fluid Characterisation, PIONA, Pseudo-component, Refinery Product Properties