4.

0 HYDROCRACKER UNIT (HCU)

4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.1.1 PURPOSE
The process objective of Hydrocracker unit (HCU) is to produce highest quality
and quantity of High-speed Diesel and LPG products from gas oil feed stocks,
while minimising the yields of Fuel Gas, Naphtha and Kerosene. The unit is
designed for almost full conversion of the feedstock (97% conversion) with
recycling of most of the unconverted oil back to the reactor.
4.1.2 UNIT CAPACITY
The design capacity for the Hydrocracker is 1.7 MMTPA. The feed to the unit is
a mixture of:
 Vacuum Gas Oil (VGO) from Vacuum distillation column.
 Heavy Coker Gas Oil (HCGO) from Delayed Coking unit.
 Heavy Gas Oil (HGO) from Atmospheric distillation column.
Provision has been kept for processing both hot feed direct from source unit as
well as cold feed from storage.
The Crude mix considered for the design are:
 Arab Mix (50: 50 by weight)
 Kuwait Export
The unit turn down ratio is 50%.
4.1.3 LICENSOR
M/s Universal Oil Products (UOP), of USA is the licenser for this unit. The
technology is designated as UOP Unicracking Process.
4.1.4 MAIN SECTIONS OF THE UNIT
The Hydrocracker unit consists of following sections
 Reactor Section (High Pressure Section)
 Feed Charge Pumps & Feed Preheat section.
 Compressor Section
 Recycle Gas Furnace
 Reaction Section
 High Pressure Separators
  Recycle Gas Amine Scrubber
 Fractionator Section (Low Pressure Section)
 Stripper
 Product Fractionator Feed Furnace
 Product Fractionator, debutanizer and De-Ethanizer
 LPG Amine Treatment

4.2 FEED CHARACTERISTICS

The unit is designed for normal operation with 80 wt% Vacuum Gas Oil (VGO)
from VDU and 20 wt% Heavy Coker Gas Oil (HCGO) from DCU. However the
unit is alternately run on feed consisting of 72 wt% VGO (LVGO + HVGO) from
VDU, 20 wt% HCGO and 8 wt% HGO from CDU.

4.3 PRODUCT PROPERTIES

PRODUCT TEMP. CUT PROPERTY SPECIFICATION

Vapour
16.87 kg/cm² Max
Pressure @65⁰C
Vaporisation
LPG @2⁰C & 760 95% Min
mm Hg
Copper Strip
Not worse than 1
Corrosion
Reid Vapour
0.4 kg/cm² Max
LIGHT NAPHTHA 5-125 ⁰C Pressure
S Content 5 ppmw max
S Content 5 ppmw max
HEAVY NAPHTHA 125-140 ⁰C N Content 1 ppmw max
 PRODUCT TEMP. CUT PROPERTY SPECIFICATION
ASTM D86
205⁰C / 300⁰C
Vol%
S Content 30 ppmw max
KEROSENE 140-220 ⁰C Freezing
Pt/Flash -51⁰C/40⁰C/21mm
Pt/Smoke Pt
Cetane No. 56 Min
HSD 220-370 ⁰C
S Content 50 ppmw max
UNCONVERTED OIL 370 ⁰C+ S Content 50 ppmw max
ASTM D86 Present : 350/370
BLENDED DIESEL Vol% Future : ---/340
POOL S Content 50 ppmw max
(HN+KERO+HSD)
Pour Point
15/0
Summer/Winter

4.4 PROCESS DESCRIPTION

In PREP Hydrocracker unit, a multiple catalyst fixed bed reactor system
operates at elevated temperature (app.415 °C) and pressure (approx. 170
kg/cm²) in a Hydrogen rich atmosphere, which promotes the removal of
contaminants (Mainly Nitrogen metals and Sulphur) and the conversion of the
feedstock to desired products.
The incoming feed along with the recycle from Product Fractionator bottoms
mixes with hydrogen rich recycle gas, coming from Recycle Gas Heater and
enters the reactor section of the unit which comprises of two fixed, multiple bed
reactors (Vendor-KOBE, JAPAN) in series, provided with demetallising,
hydrotreating and hydrocracking catalysts. The incoming feed, in presence of
these catalysts, is demetallised, hydro treated and further hydro cracked. After
the reaction, the reactor effluent exchanges its heat with incoming feed in feed
 effluent exchangers and then it gets separated into liquid and gaseous fractions
in the HP separator. The recovered gaseous stream is recycled to the unit's
reactor section by the Recycle Gas Compressor. Make up Hydrogen from make
up Gas compressors joins at the discharge of the Recycle Gas Compressor. The
recovered liquid stream goes to the Fractionation Section where it is separated
into Gas, LPG, Naphtha, Naphtha, Kerosene, Diesel and Unconverted Oil. Part of
the Unconverted Oil is sent back to Reaction Section as Recycle Oil.
Following is a section wise brief process description of the PREP Hydrocracker
unit.
4.4.1 REACTION SECTION
The Cold Feed (Normally VGO ex storage; Provision is also made for taking
HCGO ex storage) after getting preheated in a MP steam heater, is mixed with
Hot Feed (HCGO ex DCU and VGO ex AVU) and the Recycle Oil coming from
Fractionation Section.
This mixed stream is filtered in an automatic backwash filter system (Vendor:
RONNINGEN PETTER, USA) to remove any suspended particles. The filtrate is
then collected in a vertical feed surge drum & is routed to the first reactor.
On its way to the reactor, feed exchanges heat against hot reactor effluent in
the feed/effluent exchanger, and mixed with the hot H2 rich recycle gas stream
pre-heated in recycle gas heater.
In the first reactor, which has three beds, predominantly feed demetallising and
hydrotreating reactions take place and in the second reactor, which is having
two beds, predominantly feed hydrocracking reactions take place. In order to
minimise the catalyst temperature rise due to heat generated during the
exothermic reactions, a provision has been given to introduce cool hydrogen-
rich quench gas between catalyst beds.
The hot reactor effluent, after exchanging heat in feed preheat and Recycle gas
preheat exchangers, will flow to the high pressure Hot Separator. The Liquid
portion will then go to Hot Flash drum via Charge Pump (Vendor:
EBARA, JAPAN) Power Recovery Turbine. The Liquid ex Hot Flash drum goes as
feed to the stripper column in Fractionation section. The vapours ex Hot Flash
drum are condensed in an air cooler and flow to Cold Flash Drum. The vapours
 from Hot Separator, exchange heat with recycle gas and cold flash drum liquid,
get cooled in an air cooler and then enter HP Cold Separator.
The gases from the Cold Separator are treated in an amine scrubber and then
flow to a turbine-driven, centrifugal Recycle Gas Compressor (RGC) (Vendor-
BHEL). Compressed recycle gas combines with make up hydrogen, exchanges
heat with reactor effluent and recycled to the Recycle Gas Heater.
The liquid portion ex Cold Separator flows to the Cold Flash Drum along with
the condensed vapours from Hot Flash Drum. The sour water after separation in
Cold Flash Drum is sent to Sour Water Stripper, via Sour Water Degassing
Drum in the Fractionation Section. The hydrocarbon liquid ex Cold Flash Drum,
after getting preheated with Hot Separator vapour goes as feed to the Stripper
column in Fractionation Section. The gases separated in Cold Flash
Drum are sent to DHDT for amine treatment and then to Refinery Fuel Gas
Header.
The Reaction Section also contains three numbers of, electrical motor drive
reciprocating type, Make Up Gas Compressors (MUG) (Vendor: THOMASSE I
NETHERLANDS). These MUG compressors compress the make up hydrogen
coming from Hydrogen Generation Unit. The compressed hydrogen joins the
recycle gas at the Recycle gas Compressor discharge.
4.4.2 FRACTIONATION SECTION
The liquid hydrocarbons recovered in Hot and Cold Flash drums of the Reaction
section are steam stripped of their light gaseous components in the Stripper
Column. The vapours recovered in the Stripper flow to a Sponge Absorber
Column where heavier hydrocarbons would be absorbed in the lean oil coming
from Debutanizer column. The rich oil from Sponge Absorber goes back to the
Debutanizer column. The gases from the Sponge Absorber are routed to
Refinery Fuel Gas Header after Amine treatment.
The liquid stream from the bottom of the Stripper column is preheated with
Product Fractionator bottoms and then in the Product Fractionator Feed Heater
before it enters the flash zone of the steam stripped Product Fractionator.
Overhead vapours leaving the Product Fractionator are partially condensed
before they enter the overhead receiver, where, sour water and Naphtha are
 separated. The recovered naphtha stream is partially recycle back and partially
sent for storage, along with the Debutanizer bottoms after cooling in trim
cooler.
Heavy Naphtha, Kerosene and Diesel are taken out from the Product
Fractionator as side streams. These are stripped in respective side cut strippers
and sent to storage after trim cooling. The bottom product fro Product
Fractionator is the unconverted oil. Most of this product is recycled back to
Reaction section, after heat exchange, at the inlet of the feed filter. A
small portion of the unconverted oil is sent to storage after heat exchange and
trim cooling. This is mainly used as a blend for IFO and it can also be used as a
feed for FCC unit.
The overheads from Debutanizer receiver are partly routed back to the
Debutanizer as reflux and partly taken to LPG amine Scrubber. The stream from
LPG Amine Scrubber is taken through sand filter to De-ethanizer. The overhead
gases from De-ethanizer are routed to Refinery Fuel Gas Header. LPG from De-
ethanizer bottom is routed to storage.

4.5 SAILENT FRATURES OF HYDROCRACKER

 Almost complete conversion of the feed stock into valuable products (97 %
conversion) by adopting recycle technology.
 Maximization of Diesel product. Unit is designed to produce Euro-III & IV
Diesel. The blend components will be Diesel, Kerosene and Heavy Naphtha.
 Designed to handle high sulphur feed stock. (Feed Sulphur may be as high
as 3.7 wt%).
 Designed to handle maximum hot feed. (Normal operation- 80% hot feed).
 Designed to handle Heavy Coker Gas Oil as feed (up to 30% of the total
feed).
 Common spillback control strategy for the Make Up Gas Compressors,
which is simpler and more economical in terms of number of High-Pressure
equipments and joints.
 Dry Gas Seal for the Recycle Gas Compressor.
 Amine washing of recycle gas.
  Two numbers of High Pressure Separators (Hot and Cold).
 PREP Central Fuel gas Mixing Drum is located in HCU B/L. Amine treated
fuel gas from DHDT, DCU and existing Refinery Fuel gas mix together in
this drum. Fuel gas from this drum is sent to Central Fuel Gas KO Drum in
PREP AVU for supply and distribution of sweet fuel gas to entire PREP.

4.5 ENERGY CONSERVATION MEASURES

 Power generation to the tune of nearly 1630 kW in two numbers of Power
Recovery Turbines.
 Pre heating DM water by using some of the hot streams, thus avoiding
extra cooling by air and water.
 Steam Traps Condensate Collection and Recovery System
 Using MP steam as the reboiling medium for the Stripper column instead of
a dedicated furnace.
 Designed to utilize stripped sour water as wash water.
 Common stack and APH for two numbers of furnaces viz, Recycle Gas
Furnace and Product Fractionator Feed Heater.
 Designed to handle MDEA (Methyl Di Ethanol Amine) in place of DEA (Di-
Ethanol Amine) for scrubbing LPG, Off gases and the Recycle Gas. >- Use
of dedicated Pump bearing Cooling Water System for cooling of glands,
bearings and bridle for Pumps and Compressors, in place of cooling water.
The return water from these Pumps and Compressors will be collected in a
sump at the battery limit and it will be routed to cooling water return
header.
 Two-stage high-pressure separation system (Hot & Cold separators) for
Reactor effluents has been provided to reduce the load on air fin coolers

4.6 COMPARISON BETWEEN PR & PREP HCU

PR PREP
FIELD
HYDROCRACKER HYDROCRACKER
PROCESS Once Through Recycle Mode
 PR PREP
FIELD
HYDROCRACKER HYDROCRACKER
CONVERSION 60% Full Conversion (97%)
FEED QUALITY VGO VGO+HCGO
HOT FEED PROVISION No YES

1.5 on HS VGO
UNIT CAPACITY (MMTPA) 1.7 on VGO+HCGO
1.7 On LS VGO

NO.OF REACTORS 3 2
CATALYST OPERATING
18 Months 24 Months
CYCLE
HYDROTREATING
HC-K HC-T
CATALYST
HYDROCRACKING
HC-22 DHC-32
CATALYST
HIGH PRESSURE
1 2
SEPARATORS
RECYCLE GAS AMINE
No Yes
TREATMENT
STRIPPER COLUMN HEAT MP Steam Direct
Reboiler Furnace
SOURCE Injection
VACUUM COLUMN AND
Yes No
VACUUM FURNACE
POWER RECOVERY 1 on Charge Pump and
1 on Charge Pump
TURBINE 1 on Lean Amine Pump
MUG COMPRESSOR
Individual Stage Common
SPILLBACK CONTROL
MUC SUCTION KNOCKOUT For each Stage and For the first Stage and
DRUMS each Compressor common for all Comp.
 PR PREP
FIELD
HYDROCRACKER HYDROCRACKER
STEAM Fully Condensing Back Pressure Type
TURBINE (HP Steam Supply) (HP to LP Steam)
SEAL Oil Seal Dry Gas Seal
RGC
MUG
Suction of Recycle Discharge of Recycle
JOINING
Gas Compressor Gas Compressor
AT

BUFFER GAS COMPRESSOR Yes No

PRODUCT YIELD PATTERN COMPARISON

PR PREP
PRODUCTS
HYDROCRACKER HYDROCRACKER
GAS 1.37 1.61
LPG 1.21 2.41
LIGHT NAPHTHA 2.16 13.24
HEAVY NAPHTHA 4.31 3.34
KEROSENE 25.11 23.94
DIESEL 25.64 48.76
UNCONVERTED OIL 39.20 2.95