Integrating hydroprocessors in refinery hydrogen network optimisation

Recent developments on sulphur specifications in middle distillate fuels are exerting a higher demand on refinery hydrogen systems. Previous methodologies on hydrogen network optimisation have been developed mainly based on the assumption of fixed hydroprocessing performance with constant hydrogen consumption and light hydrocarbon yields in hydrogen consumer models, in order to reduce the complexity of the problem. As a result, interactions among process operating conditions, product quality and yields, and hydrogen consumption are usually neglected.