MALAVIYA NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

TECHNOLOGY JAIPUR

Chemical Engineering Department

PRESENTATION ON
VACUUM DISTILLATION UNIT

Index

Why do we need vacuum distillation?

How does a VDU work?

What is its principle?

Parts of a VDU

Side Stream Dependency

Requirement of a VDU?

Products of VDU

Feed Stock

Operating conditions

Cost Data

References

Why do we need a vacuum

distillation?

To recover maximum possible amount of distillates from

charge stock to meet the specific requirements

How Does a VDU work?

Vacuum distillationis a method ofdistillationwhereby

the pressure above the liquid mixture to be distilled is
reduced to less than its vapor pressure causing
evaporation of the mostvolatileliquids.

Large volumes

Reduced
Crude Oil

Distillation

Pressure required is more than atmospheric

pressure. Hence Vacuum is used.

Distilable
oils

What is its principle?

This distillation method works on the principle that

boiling occurs when the vapor pressure of a liquid
exceeds the ambient pressure. Vacuum distillation is
used with or without heating the mixture.

Typically, the highest furnace outlet temperatures are

for dry operation of the vacuum unit; that is, no
steam is added either to the furnace inlet or to the
vacuum column. The lowest furnace outlet
temperatures are for wet operation when steam is
added both to the furnace inlet and to the bottom of
the vacuum tower.

Parts of a VDU

This column consists of 3 packed beds along with

connected internal bed support plates, bed limiters,
chimneys, demisters, and spray headers with spray
nozzles. Uncondensed vapors exiting the tertiary
ejectors are recycled back to the first stage ejector for
controlling the top vacuum. The velocity of steam is
used to generate vacuum, through ejector system.

At the top of the column, ammonia is dosed.

Why is there a requirement for

VDU? Petroleum crude oilis a complex mixture of hundreds of
differenthydrocarbon compounds having from 3 to
60carbonatomsper molecule . Its refining begins with
distilling in atmospheric distillation column

In distilling , temperatures above 370 to 380 C is negotiated

because highmolecular weight components in the crude oil
will undergothermal crackingand formpetroleum coke.

This constraint yields a residual oil from the bottom of the

atmospheric distillation column consisting entirely of
hydrocarbons that boil above 370 to 380 C.

To further distill the residual oil from the atmospheric

distillation column, the distillation must be performed
atabsolute pressuresas low as 10 to 40mmHg so as to
limit theoperating temperatureto less than 370 to 380 C

Side Stream dependency

Middle distillates
production
(catalytically cracked/
hrydocrackers)
Side stream
Lubricating Oil
Production

Products of VDU

Vacuum oil at an approximate temperature- 315

First cut- light oil-270

Wide cut- Heavy oil-315

Short residue- residue (Fuel oil)-385

FEED STOCK

Crude oil categorized as lube-bearing crude and non-lube bearing

crude

The unit for processing of non-lube bearing crude and lube-bearing

crude are known as fuel-type and lube-type vacuum distillation
column respectively.

The fuel-type produces vacuum gas oil (VGO) and

produces lubricating oil as the main distillate product.

In wet type, steam is injected into the furnace coils and that
helps to lower the partial pressure of feed as well as steam carries
the feed vapors through the furnace tube more rapidly.

In dry type, steam injection is not done in the furnace. Steam

injection lowers the steam consumption in the vacuum ejector
systems

lube-type

General operating conditions

Particulars

Range

Feed (kg/h)

127300

Flash Zone temp (Celsius)

360-380

Top temp (Celsius)

60-70

Bottom temp (Celsius)

340-350

Cost Data

Cost Data

Costs included

1.All facilities required for producing a clean

vacuum gas oil (single cut)
2. Three-stage jet system for operation of flash
zone at 30 to 40 mmHg
3. Coolers and exchangers to reduce VGO to
ambient temperature

Costs not included

1. Cooling water, steam, power supply

2. Bottoms cooling below 400F (204C)
3. Feed preheat up to 670F (354C), 10
(assumes feed is direct from atmosphere crude unit)
4. Sour water treating and disposal
5. Feed and product storage
6. Multiple cuts or lube oil production
Utility data (per bbl feed)
Steam [300 psig (2068 kPa)],lb. (kg) 10.0 (4.5)
Power, kWh
0.3
Cooling water circulation, gal (m3 ) 150 (0.57)

Costs included

1. Side cuts with strippers

2. All battery limits (BL) process facilities
3. Sufficient heat exchange to cool top products and
side cuts to ambient
temperature
4. Central control system

Costs not included

1. Cooling water, steam, and power supply

2. Desalting
3. Cooling on reduced crude (bottoms)
4. Sour water treating and disposal
5. Feed and product storage
6. Naphtha stabilization
7. Light ends recovery
Utility data (per bbl feed)
Steam [300 psig (2068 kPa)],lb (kg) 10.0 (4.5)
Power, kWh

0.9
Cooling water circulation, gal (m3 ) 150 (0.58)

References
1. http://

www.metso.com/Automation/valve.nsf/WebWID/WTB-090617-22
575-140DE?OpenDocument
2. http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=9130
3. file
:///C:/Users/RAW/Desktop/VDU%20AND%20FCC/Types%20of%20Ref
inery,%20Nelson's%20Complexity%20%20%20%20Reliance%20Indu
stries%20Limited..
html
4. Distillation_Equipment_and_Processes by Andrzej Gorak
5. Dictionary of Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Processing by Alireza
Bahadori and Chikezie Nwaoha
6. http://www.chem.umass.edu/~samal/269/distill
7. http
://www.enggcyclopedia.com/2012/01/vacuum-distillation-unit//
8. http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F1-4020-2820-2_3
9. Enggcyclopedia.com/VDU/Diagrm

THANK YOU