Simulation and Optimization of Hydrogen Distribution Network in Oil Refineries
Recently due to achieve to produce green transportation fuels, removal of the sulfuric compounds from the gasoline and diesel fuels by hydrotreating and cracking processes of heavy ends to light ends processes, and consequently needs to new product specifications means that the refineries are seeing a rise in hydrogen consumption per barrel of crude oil. Therefore, in order to meet various levels of increased demand, some refiners are applying optimization techniques to achieve more hydrogen production together with minimum capital investment.
In this paper, the hydrogen network components are considered and the overall network for refineries is modeled for the steady state condition. Then by combining hydrogen pinch analysis and mathematical optimization approach the hydrogen distribution network for OMV refinery at Schwechat, Austria, was optimized. In this case study, the optimum conditions are determined. To justify the results of this approach, a comparison between the obtained results and the results using the REFOPT software, developed by university of Manchester, has been performed. The paper then addressed improvements that have been made to existing equipment to increase hydrogen production by either debottlenecking units to increase throughput or increasing hydrogen recovery to improve the hydrogen.