Mathematical modeling of a new method of transportation of viscous petroleum products at low air temperatures

Abstract

High viscosity petroleum products such as fuel oils and cracking residues are widely used as marine and boiler fuels both in Russia and in its exports. Conveying viscous petroleum products at low air temperatures has a high cost due to the unloading and cleaning processes of the transport tanks. Refined petroleum product cools and solidifies during transportation, becoming highly viscous, making it impossible to drain it without preheating to restore fluidity. Emerging difficulties are common to all countries with long winters and geographically wide areas. To justify a new method of rail transport of viscous petroleum products while maintaining their high temperature and fluidity by suppressing the natural convection of the petroleum product at the stage of filling the tanker. Temperature field calculations using the finite element method and the ANSYS R18.2 package are presented. The business process of the proposed transport method is universal for all modes of transportation. Using Petri nets and simulation modelling, it is investigated using the example of cleaning a tank car boiler from highly viscous residual oil products. You must perform these operations periodically during the operation of the tank wagon, and they are mandatory before every scheduled inspection and repair. Viscous oil products can be transported in a new way, the duration of the cleaning process of the tank wagon boiler is reduced by three times and the amount of water consumed is reduced by one and a half times.