AM-00-46 DESIGN AND REVAMP VACUUM UNITS FOR MAXIMUM RETURN

Description:

Large economic incentives exist to recover more of the heavy distillates in crude oils into vacuum gas oils. These incentives have resulted in more projects focusing on the performance of vacuum distillation units, including new state-of-the-art integrated crude/vacuum distillation units and "deep cut" vacuum tower revamp projects. Cutting deeper into vacuum resid can improve overall refinery economics by recovering incremental barrels of feed for fluid catalytic cracker units (upgraded VGO FCC and RFCC). Sound conceptual/basic design, proper sizing and material selection and construction of equipment, and a well thought out corrosion control program are necessary to produce high performance vacuum units which are innovative, cost effective, reliable, and energy efficient. This paper presents the critical elements required for the successful design of a new vacuum distillation unit or revamp of an existing vacuum unit.