Flow investigation in an industrial-scale soaker using radiotracer technique

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Petroleum Refining
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Industrial-scale soakers are critical in petroleum refineries for processing heavy residues.
• Understanding flow dynamics within these units is essential for optimizing operations and preventing inefficiencies.
• Previous studies often lack detailed analysis of complex flow patterns in real-world refinery conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the flow dynamics of heavy petroleum residue in an industrial-scale refinery soaker.
• To measure and analyze the residence time distributions (RTDs) of the residue.
• To model the flow behavior and identify potential flow anomalies such as bypassing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a radiotracer technique with Bromine-82 (as dibromobiphenyl) to trace the petroleum residue.
• Measured residence time distributions (RTDs) of the heavy petroleum residue.
• Simulated experimental RTD data using a combined axial dispersion and tanks-in-series model with stagnant volume and exchange.

Main Results:

• Successfully determined the mean residence times (MRTs) from the measured RTDs.
• The combined mathematical model demonstrated an excellent fit to the experimental data.
• Identified evidence of bypassing flow or the existence of two parallel flow paths within the soaker.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully characterized the complex flow dynamics of heavy petroleum residue in a refinery soaker.
• Radiotracer measurements combined with advanced modeling provide accurate insights into fluid behavior.
• The findings indicate significant flow maldistribution, highlighting areas for potential process optimization.