The refinery and the energy plant
Identified challenges:
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Process optimization
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Energy systems
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Instrumentation
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Catalysis
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Combustible gas safety
Comments to challenges:
A general strategy for process quality and
process control has to be developed and demonstrated. Multivariate Statistical
Process Control (MPSC) may give added value and increase the quality of
industrial processes. In addition it will reduce the energy demand and reduced
emissions to the environment. A key factor in this strategy is integration of
instrumentation in mapping, optimization and monitoring of processes and
products.
Chemical catalysis is a generic field of
technology by which chemical transformations may be facilitated and optimized
with respect to energy consumption, turn-over rates and selectivity towards
desired products. It is extremely powerful and works through the addition of
chemicals that take active part in transformations yet are almost completely
recycled and do not appear in the products. Catalysis is a core technology in
any oil refinery. The major function of a refinery is to close the gap between
the distribution of compounds present in crude oil and the hydrocarbon demand
in the market, and in particular to increase the volume and improve the quality
(octane number) of the fuel fraction. This entails a broad series of chemical
transformations which take place by catalysis: Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC),
hydrocracking, catalytic reforming, alkylation, isomerization, oxygenation
(ether formation), and hydrotreatment. The efficient operation of each and one
of these transformations requires highly specialized and optimized catalysts.
Low molecular weight compounds may be used
as feedstock to the petrochemical industry. This may require an activation
step, such as dehydrogenation or partial oxidation. Both activation and the
subsequent petrochemical applications rely heavily on catalytic technologies to
become economically and practically feasible.
Catalysis is an important technology also
for producing electric power from natural gas (methane), either in the
combustion step itself – catalytic fuel cells – or for processing the carbon
dioxide produced. Focusing on the latter aspect, catalysis is an important
aspect of efficient separation of CO2 for
instance in amine-based processes.
Whenever new industrial plants for
utilizing, processing and/or handling combustible gases are planned, adequate
measures for preventing and mitigating gas explosions and gas fires have to be
incorporated. This also applies to gas power plants, including the new plant at
Mongstad. Implementation of some measures can be achieved using
well-established technologies, whereas adequate implementation of others demand
more advanced approaches such as CFD simulation of possible scenarios for gas
cloud formation and explosion/fire developments.
Comments to challenges:
The partnership has already ongoing
collaboration with the Mongstad refinery in many aspects, both on instrumentation,
processes optimalisation, and safety issues. Hence, is in a good position to
extend this collaboration to include the new energy plant.
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