Effect of Inlet Velocity on the Crude Oil Coking and Gas Phase Formation in a Straight Pipe

Dahmani Fouzia,Tae Seeon Park

doi:10.4236/jamp.2017.51003

Dahmani Fouzia, Tae Seeon Park

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4236/jamp.2017.51003

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Abstract

A comparative numerical study is conducted to evaluate the effect of inlet velocity on the gas-liquid-solid phase change, the separation of phases and the coke formation. The numerical procedure is constructed within the Eulerian framework in which the liquid phase is treated as a continuous phase while gas and solid are both considered as dispersed phases. The simplified reaction net of crude oil is used in order to predict the thermal cracking of the crude oil. The temperature distribution, flow field, liquid–gas phase separation, and coke formation are predicted and discussed for different inlet velocities. The information predicted by the CFD model can be utilized in the optimal design of industrial fired furnaces.

Highlights

Oil companies worldwide are forced by the strict environmental policies to increase their focus on the efficient utilization of energy
The information predicted by the CFD model can be utilized in the optimal design of industrial fired furnaces
It is observed that the coke show same behavior as gas and accumulate in the upper domain Figure 9(a), as we know coke is the result of crude oil thermal cracking process there

Summary

Introduction

Oil companies worldwide are forced by the strict environmental policies to increase their focus on the efficient utilization of energy In this perspective, the efficiency of the thermal transfer to heat crude oil in heat exchanger equipment is very important, but it is often altered by coke deposition inside the process pipes. Since the oil is composed of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, many of which unknown, it is difficult to predict the real reactions that occur for each real chemical species Away to circumvent this problem is by considering that the feed molecules can have its behavior represented by a small number of representative molecules, called pseudo-components. Soza et al [2] developed a numerical model for single-phase flow inside cylindrical ducts applied to petrochemical fired heaters They studied the operational conditions which might minimize coke formation due to the thermal cracking of the feed.

Turbulence Modeling

Computational Domain and Boundaries Conditions

Temperature Field

Separation and Gas Formation

Coke Formation

Conclusion