Simulation of Falling Film Molecular Distillator for Distillation of Petroleum Heavy Fractions

• Grant number: 07/06833-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2008
• End date: February 28, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Rubens Maciel Filho
• Grantee: Evandro Stoffels Mallmann
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The petroleum obtained from Brazilian reservoirs is of heavy and ultra-heavy types, presenting high viscosities that make difficult its exploration (oil removal from submarine reservoirs) and also the refining operations for fuel and other derivatives production. The refining processes currently in activity in the Brazilian refineries do not allow the heavy and ultra-heavy oil processing, so that they are mixed with light oils (of the Arab type) for their processing. This procedure leads to the dependence of Brazil on oil importation, as well as to the not complete valuation of the oil found in the country. In this context, an alternative to the initial heavy and ultra-heavy oil operation is the use of molecular distillation. Experiments carried out in the Laboratories of Development of Separation Processes (LDPS) and of Optimization, Project and Advanced Control (LOPCA) had shown the viability of this operation. However, a wide investigation for the development of operational polices that lead to high performance of the molecular distillators operation for oil refining is necessary. For this purpose, the development of simulators that allow an extensive study covering the possible operational ranges, that are functions of the characteristics of the oil, is necessary.It is considered thus, in this Project, the development of a falling film distillator simulator using the commercial simulator Aspen. This later possesses facilities of thermodynamic packages for the accomplishment of the task. Available experimental data will be used for the validation of the simulator.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

MALLMANN, Evandro Stoffels. Simulation of falling film molecular distillator for istillations of petroleum heavy fraction. 2010. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Química Campinas, SP.