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Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation
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Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2024 | Viewed by 26936

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Dicho Stratiev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas, 8104 Burgas, Bulgaria
2. Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Academic Georgi Bonchev 105, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: crude oil; oil characterization; petroleum chemistry; bitumen; heterogeneous catalysis; catalyst characterization; catalyst deactivation; distillation; oxidation; fluid catalytic cracking; hydrocracking; hydrotreting, thermal cracking; blending; modeling
Dr. Dobromir Yordanov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Intelligent Systems Laboratory, Department Industrial Technologies and Management, University Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov, Professor Yakimov 1, 8010 Burgas, Bulgaria
Interests: petroleum; chemistry; technology; tribology; biofuels; desulphurization; corrosion; oxidation; environmental protection; alkylation; catalytic cracking; thermal cracking; hydrocracking; blending; bitumen
Prof. Dr. Aijun Guo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
Interests: heavy oil chemistry; innovation of upgrading and processing technologies for heavy oil; heavy oil-related hydrogen technology; carbon materials from heavy oil
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Petroleum is a valuable mineral source, rich in hydrocrabons, which, after refining, can be used either as components for the production of internal combustion engine fuels, or as feeds for the production of chemicals. While the use of petroleum hydrocarbons as components for internal combustion engine fuels is expected to decrease due to efficiency improvements, advances in clean energy generation and stricter environmental regulations, along with stricter policy and the use of petroleum as a feedstock for chemical production, is expected to increase. Many studies dedicated to the effect that feed quality has on the petroleum-refining process performance reported that the petroleum feedstock is the single variable that most affects the performance of oil-refining processes. Therefore, petroleum characterization has pivotal importance when refining process performance optimization is concerned. Bioprocesses, due to their versatile nature, can be employed in the production of sustainable energy sources and find applications in many areas of human activity.

The petroleum characterization and bioprocesses can be modeled by the use of different numerical techniques. Nonlinear least-squared methods and meta-heuristic methods such as artificial neural network, genetic algorithms and ant-colony optimization, least-square support vector machine (LSSVM), radial basis function (RBF) neural network, multilayer perceptron (MLP), support vector regression (SVR), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), decision trees (DTs), random forest (RF), and simulated annealing programming, find application in research on the petroleum characterization and bioprocesses.

This Special Issue addresses researchers in the fields of petroleum fluid characterization, and bioprocesses. It aims to collect current work in the field of “Numerical modeling, and experimental investigation in characterization of petroleum and its derivatives, and bioprocesses”. The scope includes cases of investigations on petroleum properties relations, the modeling of petroleum properties, the application of different methods for characterization of petroleum and its derivatives, sustainable fuels, biofuels, petroleum-refining process performance optimization, and bioprocesses.  

Prof. Dr. Dicho Stratiev
Dr. Dobromir Yordanov
Prof. Dr. Aijun Guo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • petroleum
  • crude oil
  • fuel
  • nonlinear least square regression methods
  • meta-heuristic methods
  • energy
  • biofuel
  • bioprocesses

Published Papers (17 papers)

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17 pages, 3295 KiB  
Article
Optimum Design of Naphtha Recycle Isomerization Unit with Modification by Adding De-Isopentanizer
by Walaa S. Osman, Asmaa E. Fadel, Shazly M. Salem, Abeer M. Shoaib, Abdelrahman G. Gadallah and Ahmed A. Bhran
Processes 2023, 11(12), 3406; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11123406 - 11 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1071
Abstract
Environmental standards have recently imposed very rigorous limitations on the amounts of benzene, aromatics, and olefins, which can be found in finished gasoline. Reduction of these components could negatively affect the octane number of gasoline, so the isomerization process is gaining importance in [...] Read more.
Environmental standards have recently imposed very rigorous limitations on the amounts of benzene, aromatics, and olefins, which can be found in finished gasoline. Reduction of these components could negatively affect the octane number of gasoline, so the isomerization process is gaining importance in the present refining context as an excellent safe alternative to increase the octane number of gasoline. The main aim of the naphtha isomerization unit is to modify the molecular structure of light naphtha to transform it into a more valuable gasoline blend stock, and simultaneously the benzene content is reduced by saturation of the benzene fraction. In this work, Aspen HYSYS version 12.1 is used to simulate the hydrogen once-through isomerization unit of an Egyptian refinery plant, located in Alexandria, in order to determine the properties, composition, and octane number of the isomerate product. Many potential changes are investigated in order to find the best design that efficiently raises octane number with the least amount of expense. Firstly, the plant is modified by adding one fractionator either before or after the reactor, then by adding two fractionators before and after the reactor; then the configuration which gives the highest product octane number with the highest Return on Investment (ROI) is chosen as the recommended optimum configuration. The results show that using two fractionators before and after the reactor is the best configuration. Optimization of this best configuration resulted in an increase in octane number by 7% and a decrease in the total cost by 13%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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17 pages, 3418 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Application of New Polyhydroxy Ammonium Shale Hydration Inhibitor
by Xiaofeng Chang, Quande Wang, Jiale Hu, Yan Sun, Shijun Chen, Xuefan Gu and Gang Chen
Processes 2023, 11(11), 3102; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11113102 - 29 Oct 2023
Viewed by 753
Abstract
Wellbore instability caused by the hydration of shale formations during drilling is a major problem in drilling engineering. In this paper, the shale inhibition performance of polyhydroxy-alkanolamine was evaluated using an anti-swelling test, linear swelling test, wash-durable test and montmorillonite hydration and dispersion [...] Read more.
Wellbore instability caused by the hydration of shale formations during drilling is a major problem in drilling engineering. In this paper, the shale inhibition performance of polyhydroxy-alkanolamine was evaluated using an anti-swelling test, linear swelling test, wash-durable test and montmorillonite hydration and dispersion experiment. Additionally, the shale inhibition mechanism of polyhydroxy-alkanolamine was studied via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), particle size, zeta potential, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the use of polyhydroxy-alkanolamine (EGP-2) could result in a relatively lower linear swelling rate of montmorillonite, and the linear swelling rate of 0.3% EGP-2 is 26.98%, which is stronger than that of 4% KCl. The anti-swelling rate of 0.3% EGP-2 is 43.54%, and the shrinkage–swelling rate of 0.3% EGP-2 is 34.62%. The study on the inhibition mechanism revealed that EGP-2 can permeate and adsorb on the surface of montmorillonite. The rolling recovery rate of easily hydrated shale was as high as 79.36%, which greatly reduces the dispersion ability of water to easily hydrated shale. The results of this study can be used to maintain the stability of a wellbore, which is conducive to related research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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15 pages, 5505 KiB  
Article
Research on the Damage Model of Cold Recycled Mixtures with Asphalt Emulsion under Freeze-Thaw Cycles
by Ye Yang, Zongguang Sun, Yanhai Yang, Chonghua Wang and Lin Qi
Processes 2023, 11(10), 3031; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11103031 - 21 Oct 2023
Viewed by 790
Abstract
Cold recycled mixtures with asphalt emulsion (CRME) suffer the majority of damage from freezing and thawing cycles in seasonal freezing regions. However, an effective model for describing the internal damage evolution behavior of the CRME is still lacking. The objective of this study [...] Read more.
Cold recycled mixtures with asphalt emulsion (CRME) suffer the majority of damage from freezing and thawing cycles in seasonal freezing regions. However, an effective model for describing the internal damage evolution behavior of the CRME is still lacking. The objective of this study is to explore the performance of the destroy and damage model of the CRME subjected to freezing and thawing cycles with various water contents. The damage degree of performance at 60 °C and −10 °C, as well as the mechanical properties, were first analyzed in the laboratory. Then, the damage evolution models were established based on macroscopic properties, reliability, and damage theory. The results showed that the performance of the CRME decreased obviously as the number of freezing and thawing cycles increased; after 20 freezing and thawing cycles, the damage degree of 60 °C shear strength and 15 °C and −10 °C indirect tensile strength were 21.5%, 20.6%, and 19.8% at dry condition, but they were 34.9%, 31.8%, and 44.8% at half water saturation condition and 51.5%, 49.1%, and 56.1% at complete water saturation condition; the existence of water and the phase transition of water changed the failure characteristics of the CRME; the correlation coefficient of the damage model parameters was more than 0.98, so the damage evolution model could reveal the internal damage evolution law. Clearly, the freezing and thawing cycles accelerated the damage caused by CRME. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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16 pages, 7836 KiB  
Article
Research and Evaluation of Foam-Drainage Corrosion-Inhibition Hydrate Anti-Aggregation Integrated Agent
by Weijun Ni, Guohao Yang, Jie Dong, Yansong Pan, Gang Chen and Xuefan Gu
Processes 2023, 11(9), 2745; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11092745 - 14 Sep 2023
Viewed by 721
Abstract
In natural gas exploitation, foam drainage, corrosion inhibition and hydrate inhibition of wellbore fluid are conventional operations. However, there is often a problem where multiple chemical agents cannot be effectively used together and can only be used separately, resulting in complex production processes. [...] Read more.
In natural gas exploitation, foam drainage, corrosion inhibition and hydrate inhibition of wellbore fluid are conventional operations. However, there is often a problem where multiple chemical agents cannot be effectively used together and can only be used separately, resulting in complex production processes. In this study, the final integrated formulation was determined: 0.1% sodium alpha-olefin sulfonate (AOST) + 0.3% dodecyl dimethyl betaine (BS-12) + 0.3% sodium lignosulfonate + 0.5% hydrazine hydrate. The minimum tension of the integrated agent could be reduced to 23.5 mN/m. The initial foaming height of the integrated agent was 21.5 cm at 65 °C, the liquid-carrying capacity was 143 mL, and the liquid-carrying rate reached 71.5%. The maximum corrosion depth also decreased from 11.52 µm without the addition of hydrazine hydrate, gradually decreasing to 5.24 µm as the concentration of hydrazine hydrate increased. After adding an integrated agent, the growth rate of hydrates was slow and aggregation did not easily occur, and the formation temperature was also more demanding. Therefore, the integrated agent has a inhibitory effect on the formation of hydrates and has a good anti-aggregation effect. From the observation of the microstructure, the emulsion is an oil-in-water type, and the integrated agent adsorbs at the oil–water interface, preventing the dispersed water droplets in the oil phase from coalescing in one place. The oil-in-water type emulsion is more likely to improve the performance of the natural gas hydrate anti-aggregation agent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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14 pages, 3824 KiB  
Article
Synergistic Catalysis of Reservoir Minerals and Exogenous Catalysts on Aquathermolysis of Heavy Oil
by Yunlei Zang, Huaizhu Liu, Dong Chen, Shu Zhang, Shanjian Li and Gang Chen
Processes 2023, 11(9), 2635; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11092635 - 04 Sep 2023
Viewed by 826
Abstract
In this study, based on existing heavy oil extraction technology, combined with the mineral composition in a reservoir, the synergistic catalytic effect of reservoir minerals and exogenous catalysts under the reaction system of a hydrogen-rich environment not only reduces the viscosity of thick [...] Read more.
In this study, based on existing heavy oil extraction technology, combined with the mineral composition in a reservoir, the synergistic catalytic effect of reservoir minerals and exogenous catalysts under the reaction system of a hydrogen-rich environment not only reduces the viscosity of thick oil but also reduces the extraction cost and further improves the recovery rate of heavy oil. In this study, the impacts of different reservoir minerals and exogenous catalysts on the aquathermolysis of heavy oil were investigated. The research results showed that the sodium montmorillonite within the reservoir minerals exhibited an optimal catalytic effect, and the synergistic catalytic effect of sodium montmorillonite and catalyst C-Fe (catechol iron) resulted in a viscosity reduction rate of 60.47%. Furthermore, the efficiency of different alcohols as hydrogen donors was screened, among which ethanol had the best catalytic effect. Under the optimal reaction conditions, the viscosity reduction rate after the addition of ethanol was 75.25%. Infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry were used to study the changes in heavy oil before and after hydrothermal cracking. Element analysis showed that the synergistic catalytic effect of sodium-based montmorillonite and catalyst C-Fe increased the hydrocarbon ratio from 0.116 to 0.117, and the content of S and N elements decreased. This fully confirms the catalytic effect of sodium-based montmorillonite and C-Fe catalyst for he hydrogenation reaction of the unsaturated carbon in heavy oil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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21 pages, 4126 KiB  
Article
A Volume Fracturing Percolation Model for Tight Reservoir Vertical Wells
by Dianfa Du, Peng Liu, Lichuan Ren, Yuan Li, Yujie Tang and Fanghui Hao
Processes 2023, 11(9), 2575; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11092575 - 28 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 517
Abstract
Based on the non-linear seepage characteristics of tight reservoirs and the reconstruction mode of vertical wells with actual volume fracturing, a seven-area percolation model for volume fracturing vertical wells in tight reservoirs is established. Laplace transform and Pedrosa transform are applied to obtain [...] Read more.
Based on the non-linear seepage characteristics of tight reservoirs and the reconstruction mode of vertical wells with actual volume fracturing, a seven-area percolation model for volume fracturing vertical wells in tight reservoirs is established. Laplace transform and Pedrosa transform are applied to obtain analytical solutions of bottom hole pressure and vertical well production under a constant production regime. After verifying the correctness of the model, the influence of the fracture network parameters on the pressure and production is studied. The research results indicate that as the permeability modulus increases, the production of volume fracturing vertical wells decreases. The penetration ratio of the main crack and the half-length of the main crack have a small impact on production, while the diversion capacity of the main crack has a significant impact on the initial production, but it is ultimately limited by the effective volume of the transformation. Under constant pressure conditions, the greater the width and permeability of the ESRV region, the higher the vertical well production rate is. The smaller the aspect ratio of the ESRV region, the higher the mid-term yield and the faster the yield decrease. The research results show guiding significance for the design of vertical well volume fracturing in tight reservoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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18 pages, 2043 KiB  
Article
Persistent Free Radicals in Petroleum
by Lina M. Yañez Jaramillo, Joy H. Tannous and Arno de Klerk
Processes 2023, 11(7), 2067; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11072067 - 11 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1190
Abstract
The persistent free radical content in petroleum is of the order 1018 spins/g (1 μmol/g), with higher and lower values found depending on origin and in different distillation fractions. The field of persistent free radicals in petroleum was reviewed with the aim [...] Read more.
The persistent free radical content in petroleum is of the order 1018 spins/g (1 μmol/g), with higher and lower values found depending on origin and in different distillation fractions. The field of persistent free radicals in petroleum was reviewed with the aim of addressing and explaining apparent inconsistencies between free radical persistence and reactivity. The macroscopic average free radical concentration in petroleum is persistent over geological time, but individual free radical species in petroleum are short-lived and reactive. The persistent free radical concentration in petroleum can be explained in terms of a dynamic reaction equilibrium of free radical dissociation and association that causes a finite number of species at any given time to be present as free radicals. Evidence to support this description are observed changes in free radical concentration related to change in Gibbs free energy when the bulk liquid properties are changed and responsiveness of free radical concentration to dynamic changes in temperature. Cage effects, solvent effects, steric protection, and radical stabilization affect free radical reaction rate but do not explain the persistent free radical concentration in petroleum. The difference between persistent free radicals in straight-run petroleum and converted petroleum is that straight-run petroleum is an equilibrated mixture, but converted petroleum is not at equilibrium and the free radical concentration can change over time. Based on the limited data available, free radicals in straight-run petroleum appear to be part of the compositional continuum proposed by Altgelt and Boduszynski. Persistent free radical species are partitioned during solvent classification of whole oil, with the asphaltenes (n-alkane insoluble) fraction having a higher concentration of persistent free radicals than maltenes (n-alkane soluble) fraction. Attempts to relate persistent free radical concentration to petroleum composition were inconclusive. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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11 pages, 1542 KiB  
Article
Ketones in Low-Temperature Oxidation Products of Crude Oil
by Shuai Ma, Yunyun Li, Rigu Su, Jianxun Wu, Lingyuan Xie, Junshi Tang, Xusheng Wang, Jingjun Pan, Yuanfeng Wang, Quan Shi, Guangzhi Liao and Chunming Xu
Processes 2023, 11(6), 1664; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11061664 - 30 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1402
Abstract
Ketone compounds are oxidation products of crude oil in the in-situ combustion (ISC) process. Revealing the molecular composition of ketones can provide theoretical guidance for understanding the oxidation process of crude oil and valuable clues for studying the combustion state of crude oil [...] Read more.
Ketone compounds are oxidation products of crude oil in the in-situ combustion (ISC) process. Revealing the molecular composition of ketones can provide theoretical guidance for understanding the oxidation process of crude oil and valuable clues for studying the combustion state of crude oil in the reservoir. In this study, low-temperature oxidation (LTO) processes were simulated in thermal oxidation experiments to obtain thermally oxidized oil at different temperatures (170 °C, 220 °C, 270 °C, and 320 °C). A combination of chemical derivatization and positive-ion electrospray (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) was used to analyze the molecular composition of different kinds of ketones (fatty ketones, naphthenic ketones, and aromatic ketones) in the oxidized oils at different temperatures. The results showed that the concentration of aliphatic ketones and aliphatic cyclic ketones in the product oils decreased with the increase in temperature, while aromatic ketones increased with the increase in temperature. At the same oxidation temperature, the content of ketones follows this order: fatty ketones < cycloalkanes < aromatic ketones. The concentrations of ketones reached their maximum value at 170 °C and decreased at high temperatures due to over-oxidation. It was also found that nitrogen-containing compounds are more easily oxidized to ketone compounds than their hydrocarbon counterparts in the LTO process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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18 pages, 5704 KiB  
Article
A New Approach for Synthesizing Fatty Acid Esters from Linoleic-Type Vegetable Oil
by Sofia M. Kosolapova, Makar S. Smal, Viacheslav A. Rudko and Igor N. Pyagay
Processes 2023, 11(5), 1534; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051534 - 17 May 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1516
Abstract
Countries around the world recognize the numerous social, economic and environmental advantages of promoting liquid biofuels. They invest in its development and introduce tax incentives for its manufacture and tariffs of production regulation. In most studies, the process of synthesizing fatty acid esters [...] Read more.
Countries around the world recognize the numerous social, economic and environmental advantages of promoting liquid biofuels. They invest in its development and introduce tax incentives for its manufacture and tariffs of production regulation. In most studies, the process of synthesizing fatty acid esters takes a long time from 1 to 8 h. In this work, the synthesis of fatty acid esters was carried out in the range of volumetric ratios of ethanol to linoleic type oil in order to increase the kinetics of the process. The main parameters of the synthesis were studied by use of magnetic stirred tank reactors in a parallel reactor system, H.E.L. The synthesis was carried out in the presence of a homogeneous alkaline catalyst. The volumetric ratio of ethanol to oil was maintained at 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1 and 5:1. The amount of catalyst added to the reaction mixture ranged from 0.25 to 2.5% by the weight of the reaction alcohol. The dryness of ethanol varied from 91 to 99%. Effective process conditions have been established to reduce the reaction time from 2.5 h to 5 min while maintaining a high degree of conversion. The results obtained during the study suggest the possibility of using a continuous reactor to produce fatty acid esters from linoleic raw materials containing up to 16% of free fatty acids. This also means the possibility of using second generation biofuel feedstock. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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38 pages, 8335 KiB  
Article
SAR-AD Method to Characterize Eight SARA Fractions in Various Vacuum Residues and Follow Their Transformations Occurring during Hydrocracking and Pyrolysis
by Jeramie J. Adams, Joseph F. Rovani, Jean-Pascal Planche, Jenny Loveridge, Alex Literati, Ivelina Shishkova, Georgi Palichev, Iliyan Kolev, Krassimir Atanassov, Svetoslav Nenov, Simeon Ribagin, Danail Stratiev, Dobromir Yordanov and Jianqiang Huo
Processes 2023, 11(4), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11041220 - 15 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1385
Abstract
Model compounds were used to provide some chemical boundaries for the eight-fraction SAR-ADTM characterization method for heavy oils. It was found that the Saturates fraction consists of linear and highly cyclic alkanes; the Aro-1 fraction consists of molecules with a single aromatic [...] Read more.
Model compounds were used to provide some chemical boundaries for the eight-fraction SAR-ADTM characterization method for heavy oils. It was found that the Saturates fraction consists of linear and highly cyclic alkanes; the Aro-1 fraction consists of molecules with a single aromatic ring; the Aro-2 fraction consists of mostly 2 and 3-ring fused aromatic molecules, the pericondensed 4-ring molecule pyrene, and molecules with 3–5 rings that are not fused; and the Aro-3 fraction consists of 4-membered linear and catacondensed aromatics, larger pericondensed aromatics, and large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The Resins fraction consists of mostly fused aromatic ring systems containing polar functional groups and metallated polar vanadium oxide porphyrin compounds, and the Asphaltene fraction consists of both island- and archipelago-type structures with a broad range of molecular weight variation, aromaticity, and heteroatom contents. The behavior of the eight SAR-ADTM fractions during hydrocracking and pyrolysis was investigated, and quantitative relations were established. Intercriteria analysis and evaluation of SAR-ADTM data of hydrocracked vacuum residue and sediment formation rate in commercial ebullated bed vacuum residue hydrocracking were performed. It showed that total asphaltene content, toluene-soluble asphaltenes, and colloidal instability index contribute to sediment formation, while Resins and Cyclohexane-soluble asphaltenes had no statistically meaningful relation to sediment formation for the studied range of operation conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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14 pages, 3398 KiB  
Article
Properties of Selected Alternative Petroleum Fractions and Sustainable Aviation Fuels
by Hugo Kittel, Jiří Horský and Pavel Šimáček
Processes 2023, 11(3), 935; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030935 - 19 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2435
Abstract
With regard to speed, comfort, and a dense network of destinations, the popularity of air transport is on the rise. For this reason, jet fuel is a commodity with rapidly growing consumption and interesting refinery margins. At the same time, however, it is [...] Read more.
With regard to speed, comfort, and a dense network of destinations, the popularity of air transport is on the rise. For this reason, jet fuel is a commodity with rapidly growing consumption and interesting refinery margins. At the same time, however, it is becoming a focus of attention in terms of reducing negative environmental impacts. As a response to these trends, it will be necessary to coprocess alternative petroleum fractions with sustainable aviation components in oil refineries. Six alternative jet fuel samples of different origin were used to investigate their jet fuel-specific properties, that is, aromatics (from 0 to 59.7 vol%), smoke point (from 12.2 to >50 mm), freezing point (from −49 to <−80 °C) and net specific energy (41.2–43.7 MJ·kg−1), and these properties were compared to standard hydrotreated straight-run Jet A-1 kerosene. The properties of the components studied differed significantly with respect to each other and to the requirements of Jet A-1. Nevertheless, the properties could be well correlated. This provides an opportunity to study possible synergies in blending these components. It was also found that the current methods and instruments used do not always allow a precise determination of the smoke point (>50 mm) and freezing point (<80 °C). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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25 pages, 3198 KiB  
Article
Screening and Investigation on Inhibition of Sediment Formation in a Kuwait Light Crude Oil by Commercial Additives with Some Guidelines for Field Applications
by A. Qubian, A. S. Abbas, N. Al-Khedhair, J. F. Peres, D. Stratiev, I. Shishkova, R. Nikolova, V. Toteva and M. R. Riazi
Processes 2023, 11(3), 818; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030818 - 09 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1393
Abstract
The precipitation of asphaltene and waxes occurs when crude oil characteristics change as a consequence of pressure, temperature variations, and/or chemical modifications, etc. The costs associated with the cleaning of deposition on the production equipment and the loss of profit opportunities can go [...] Read more.
The precipitation of asphaltene and waxes occurs when crude oil characteristics change as a consequence of pressure, temperature variations, and/or chemical modifications, etc. The costs associated with the cleaning of deposition on the production equipment and the loss of profit opportunities can go beyond hundreds of millions of USD. Thus, there is a strong incentive to search for ways to mitigate deposit formation during the crude production process. A light crude bottom hole fluid sample from a deep well with an asphaltene deposition problem was analyzed in the laboratory. Basic data on density, viscosity, bubble point, GOR, and asphaltene onset pressure were measured at a PVT laboratory. Asphaltene characterization, as a prescreening for appropriate inhibitors, has been conducted using asphaltene phase diagrams (APD). The APD generated from two developed software programs in both Matlab and Excel codes were favorably compared with the phase behavior of other oil samples available in the literature and has shown to be an excellent match. Various test methods were used to demonstrate the asphaltene instability of the oil samples. Eleven chemical inhibitors from five global companies were screened for testing to inhibit the precipitation. The optimum concentration and the amount of reduction in precipitation were determined for all of these chemicals to identify the most suitable chemicals. Finally, some recommendations are given for the field application of chemicals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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23 pages, 2048 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Asphaltene Precipitation Models from Solubility and Thermodynamic-Colloidal Theories
by Esaú A. Hernández, Carlos Lira-Galeana and Jorge Ancheyta
Processes 2023, 11(3), 765; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030765 - 04 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1649
Abstract
Asphaltenes are known to cause problems related to flocculation, precipitation, and plugging, either in the formation, production lines, and processing equipment. Different models have been proposed to predict the thermodynamic conditions under which asphaltenes precipitate over the past years. This work analyses the [...] Read more.
Asphaltenes are known to cause problems related to flocculation, precipitation, and plugging, either in the formation, production lines, and processing equipment. Different models have been proposed to predict the thermodynamic conditions under which asphaltenes precipitate over the past years. This work analyses the performance of various models on their capability to match the literature experimental data of precipitated asphaltene mass fractions. Twenty-five different models based on equation-of-state (EoS), polymer solution, and thermodynamic-colloidal theories were identified. The performance/test datasets were collected and classified according to their pressure/temperature conditions, CO2, n-C5/n-C7 gas, and liquid titrations. Statistical analysis, including residuals, parity plots, and average absolute relative deviation (AARD, %), were used to compare the adequacy of selected models. Results confirmed the need for further model development for general applications over wide pressure, temperature, and composition intervals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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16 pages, 2652 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Molecular Weight of Petroleum Fluids by Empirical Correlations and Artificial Neuron Networks
by Dicho Stratiev, Sotir Sotirov, Evdokia Sotirova, Svetoslav Nenov, Rosen Dinkov, Ivelina Shishkova, Iliyan Venkov Kolev, Dobromir Yordanov, Svetlin Vasilev, Krassimir Atanassov, Stanislav Simeonov and Georgi Nikolov Palichev
Processes 2023, 11(2), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11020426 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2250
Abstract
The exactitude of petroleum fluid molecular weight correlations affects significantly the precision of petroleum engineering calculations and can make process design and trouble-shooting inaccurate. Some of the methods in the literature to predict petroleum fluid molecular weight are used in commercial software process [...] Read more.
The exactitude of petroleum fluid molecular weight correlations affects significantly the precision of petroleum engineering calculations and can make process design and trouble-shooting inaccurate. Some of the methods in the literature to predict petroleum fluid molecular weight are used in commercial software process simulators. According to statements made in the literature, the correlations of Lee–Kesler and Twu are the most used in petroleum engineering, and the other methods do not exhibit any significant advantages over the Lee–Kesler and Twu correlations. In order to verify which of the proposed in the literature correlations are the most appropriate for petroleum fluids with molecular weight variation between 70 and 1685 g/mol, 430 data points for boiling point, specific gravity, and molecular weight of petroleum fluids and individual hydrocarbons were extracted from 17 literature sources. Besides the existing correlations in the literature, two different techniques, nonlinear regression and artificial neural network (ANN), were employed to model the molecular weight of the 430 petroleum fluid samples. It was found that the ANN model demonstrated the best accuracy of prediction with a relative standard error (RSE) of 7.2%, followed by the newly developed nonlinear regression correlation with an RSE of 10.9%. The best available molecular weight correlations in the literature were those of API (RSE = 12.4%), Goosens (RSE = 13.9%); and Riazi and Daubert (RSE = 15.2%). The well known molecular weight correlations of Lee–Kesler, and Twu, for the data set of 430 data points, exhibited RSEs of 26.5, and 30.3% respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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23 pages, 2592 KiB  
Article
Correlations of HTSD to TBP and Bulk Properties to Saturate Content of a Wide Variety of Crude Oils
by Dicho Stratiev, Rosen Dinkov, Mariana Tavlieva, Ivelina Shishkova, Georgi Nikolov Palichev, Simeon Ribagin, Krassimir Atanassov, Danail D. Stratiev, Svetoslav Nenov, Dimitar Pilev, Sotir Sotirov, Evdokia Sotirova, Stanislav Simeonov and Viktoria Boyadzhieva
Processes 2023, 11(2), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11020420 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1322
Abstract
Forty-eight crude oils with variations in specific gravity (0.782 ≤ SG ≤ 1.002), sulphur content (0.03 ≤ S ≤ 5.6 wt.%), saturate content (23.5 ≤ Sat. ≤ 92.9 wt.%), asphaltene content (0.1 ≤ As ≤ 22.2 wt.%), and vacuum residue content (1.4 ≤ [...] Read more.
Forty-eight crude oils with variations in specific gravity (0.782 ≤ SG ≤ 1.002), sulphur content (0.03 ≤ S ≤ 5.6 wt.%), saturate content (23.5 ≤ Sat. ≤ 92.9 wt.%), asphaltene content (0.1 ≤ As ≤ 22.2 wt.%), and vacuum residue content (1.4 ≤ VR ≤ 60.7 wt.%) were characterized with HTSD, TBP, and SARA analyses. A modified SARA analysis of petroleum that allows for the attainment of a mass balance ≥97 wt.% for light crude oils was proposed, a procedure for the simulation of petroleum TBP curves from HTSD data using nonlinear regression and Riazi’s distribution model was developed, and a new correlation to predict petroleum saturate content from specific gravity and pour point with an average absolute deviation of 2.5 wt.%, maximum absolute deviation of 6.6 wt.%, and bias of 0.01 wt.% was developed. Intercriteria analysis was employed to evaluate the presence of statistically meaningful relations between the different petroleum properties and to evaluate the extent of similarity between the studied petroleum crudes. It was found that the extent of similarity between the crude oils based on HTSD analysis data could be discerned from data on the Kw characterization factor of narrow crude oil fractions. The results from this study showed that contrary to the generally accepted concept of the constant Kw characterization factor, the Kw factors of narrow fractions differ from that of crude oil. Moreover, the distributions of Kw factors of the different crudes were different. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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Review

Jump to: Research, Other

40 pages, 5159 KiB  
Review
Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil: A Perspective on Catalytic Processes
by Montserrat Cerón Ferrusca, Rubi Romero, Sandra Luz Martínez, Armando Ramírez-Serrano and Reyna Natividad
Processes 2023, 11(7), 1952; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11071952 - 28 Jun 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6109
Abstract
Presently, the use of fossil fuels is not ecologically sustainable, which results in the need for new alternative energies such as biodiesel. This work presents a review of the classification of the lipidic feedstocks and the catalysts for biodiesel production. It also presents [...] Read more.
Presently, the use of fossil fuels is not ecologically sustainable, which results in the need for new alternative energies such as biodiesel. This work presents a review of the classification of the lipidic feedstocks and the catalysts for biodiesel production. It also presents the pros and cons of the different processes and feedstocks through which biodiesel is obtained. In this context, cooking oil (WCO) has emerged as an alternative with a high potential for making the process sustainable. A detected limitation to achieving this is the high content of free fatty acids (FFA) and existing problems related to homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. To overcome this, the use of bifunctional catalysts is being evaluated by the scientific community. Thus, this work also explores the advances in the study of bifunctional catalysts, which are capable of simultaneously carrying out the esterification of free fatty acids (FFA) and the triglycerides present in the WCO. For the sake of an improved understanding of biodiesel production, flow diagrams and the mechanisms implied by each type of process (enzymatic, homogenous, and heterogeneous) are provided. This article also highlights some of the challenges in catalyst development for sustainable biodiesel production from low-grade raw materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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Other

Jump to: Research, Review

10 pages, 1781 KiB  
Opinion
The Handicap of New Technologies: Nobody Wants to Be the First for Commercial Application
by Jorge Ancheyta
Processes 2024, 12(3), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12030467 - 25 Feb 2024
Viewed by 517
Abstract
This work highlights the frustration that a researcher may face when trying to convince people in industries to use a new technology that has been developed in a small-scale laboratory. A moderate-reaction-severity process for hydrotreating of heavy crude oil (HIDRO-IMP technology) in fixed-bed [...] Read more.
This work highlights the frustration that a researcher may face when trying to convince people in industries to use a new technology that has been developed in a small-scale laboratory. A moderate-reaction-severity process for hydrotreating of heavy crude oil (HIDRO-IMP technology) in fixed-bed reactors is used as an example. Although the development of such a technology has been scaled-up from bench and pilot-plant scales to a semi-commercial level with positive technical and economical results, the people in petroleum refinery who make decisions on the suitability of technologies for commercial implementation always ask for previous applications of the process developed. The different stages of development of the HIDRO-IMP technology are commented on, and some results that corroborate its feasibility for commercial application are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petroleum Characterization and Bioprocesses: Numerical and Experimental Investigation)
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