Petroleum Refining Process Correlations - Overview

HPI Consultants has developed a number of simplified process correlations to generate data for use in linear programming models of petroleum refineries and for HPI's techno-economic studies of the petroleum refining industry. These non-linear correlations were designed to provide reasonable and consistent estimates of the product yields and properties which the processes would achieve in commercial practice.

Price: $1500 delivered in the USA (See price list for Non-USA prices)

Petroleum Refining Process Correlations presents correlations for many refining processes and uses feedstock quality and unit severity to predict yields and product properties. However, there are no adjustments explicitly for catalyst activity.

Each process correlation has up to 50 equations for predicting yield and product properties. In developing these correlations, we relied heavily on the technical literature supplemented by test run data and data supplied by the process licensors. No correlation is based on data from one source, and no correlation is specific to any one licensor.

The correlations can be easily calibrated with test run data for a specific process unit, thereby allowing the refiner to monitor current operations and to compare the profitability of different feedstocks and/or operating severities. Although the unique characteristics of a specific process unit are not explicitly accounted for in the basic correlation equations, they can be accounted for by the use of "unit factors". By unit factors, we mean those appropriate adjustment factors to the correlation results which can be back-calculated from test run data to allow the refiner to tailor the correlation to his specific process unit. Unit factors may be either additive or multiplicative depending upon the nature of the correlation equation.

The technical documentation for the project presents each correlation in equation form so that it can be easily programmed for computer calculations. To make the correlations more useful to our clients, we have programmed the correlations using the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet software.

Unit Factors Considered