Performance Assessment of Effectiveness Factor of Catalyst by Adjusting Reformers Operating Temperature in Basra Refinery Plant

Abstract

Prediction of effectiveness factors for catalyst particles is one of the complicated steps in chemical reaction engineering. It combines chemical reaction kinetics with transport phenomena. In this study, the proposed model incorporates three semi-regenerative catalytic reformers with furnaces developed for the Basrah Refinery B.R.P in Basrah City, one of Iraq's most important production plants. The current study used mathematical modeling based on the Smith model to estimate the product molar and temperature distributions related to reactor bed radius. In each reformer, simultaneous catalytic reforming processes occur, where the reactions are of first-order for the reactants. The feedstock and product flows are considered ideal gases. Only variables in the radial direction are considered, with no respect for axial dispersions. An approximate technique for evaluating catalyst effectiveness factors is prediction. Based on collected and analyzed the properties of light naphtha production and carefully selected reaction temperature for improving the catalyst effectiveness factor, then R.O.N. instead of the conventional methods which depend on catalyst regeneration processes. The results show that the accuracy of the predicted model relative to Ke-min results is about (92%). Data collection has been carried out for more than one year under actual operating conditions and then analyzed to predict catalyst effectiveness as a function of time. The results showed the existing profile of catalyst effectiveness factor as a function of actual operating conditions and time has changed from (0.927-0.546) when the operation temperature changed between (470 to 485). consequently,  the values of R.O.N. of light naphtha have improved from 80 to 90 without regeneration processes.