MODELING OF A HYDROCRACKING REACTOR

A three parameter model has been developed for a two-stage vacuum gas oil hydrocracker unit. The feed and the products were lumped into 23 pseudocomponents, each characterized by its boiling range and specific gravity. The model assumes that each pseudocomponent can only form lighter products by a pseudohomogeneous first order reaction. The model parameters were determined using information from literature and plant data. Given the feed characterization and the inlet conditions, the concentration and temperature profiles throughout the reactors, the amount of recycle and hydrogen consumption can be calculated. The model was validated against plant data and the agreement was generally good. The effect of variation in the model parameters and operating conditions has also been discussed.