Re-engineering materials management: a case study on an Indian refinery

Materials management function is always a major concern to the management of any industrial organisation as high inventory and an inefficient procurement process affect the profitability to a great extent. Problems multiply due to a very current business environment in India. Hence, existing materials planning and procurement processes and inventory management systems require a re-look with respect to a changing business environment. This study shows a radical improvement in materials management function of an Indian petroleum refinery through business process re-engineering (BPR) by analysing current processes, identifying key issues, deriving paradigm shifts and developing re-engineered processes through customer value analysis. BPR has been carried out on existing processes of “materials planning and procurement” and “warehousing and surplus disposal”. The re-engineered processes for materials management function trigger a few improvement projects that were identified by the group of executives who took part in the re-engineering exercise. Those projects were implemented in an integrated framework with the application of the state of art information technology tools.

Pirólise térmica e catalítica de resíduos de vácuo gerados no refino de petróleo

In this study, was used a very promising technique called of pyrolysis, which can be used for obtaining products with higher added value. From oils and residues, since the contribution of heavier oils and residues has intensified to the world refining industry, due to the growing demand for fuel, for example, liquid hydrocarbons in the range of gasoline and diesel. The catalytic pyrolysis of vacuum residues was performed with the use of a mesoporous material belonging the M41S family, which was discovered in the early 90s by researchers Mobil Oil Corporation, allowing new perspectives in the field of catalysis. One of the most important members of this family is the MCM-41, which has a hexagonal arrangement of mesopores with pore diameters between 2 and 10 nm and a high specific surface area, making it very promising for use as a catalyst in petroleum refining for catalytic cracking, and their mesopores facilitate the access of large hydrocarbon molecules. The addition of aluminum in the structure of MCM-41 increases the acidity of the material, making it more positive for application in the petrochemical industry. The mesoporous material of the type Al-MCM41 (ratio Si / Al = 50) was synthesized by hydrothermal method starting from the silica gel, NaOH and distilled water added to the gel pseudobohemita synthesis. Driver was used as structural CTMABr. Removal of organic driver (CTMABr) was observed by TG / DTG and FTIR, but this material was characterized by XRD, which was observed the formation of the main peaks characteristic of mesoporous materials. The analysis of adsorption / desorption of nitrogen this material textural parameters were determined. The vacuum residues (VR's) that are products of the bottom of the vacuum distillation tower used in this study are different from oil fields (regions of Ceará and Rio de Janeiro). Previously characterized by various techniques such as FTIR, viscosity, density, SARA, elemental analysis and thermogravimetry, which was performed by thermal and catalytic degradation of vacuum residues. The effect of AlMCM-41 was satisfactory, since promoted a decrease in certain ranges of temperature required in the process of conversion of hydrocarbons, but also promoted a decrease in energy required in the process. Thus enabling lower costs related to energy expenditure from degradation during processing of the waste

Stable Model Predictive Control for Integrating Systems with Optimizing Targets

This paper concern the development of a stable model predictive controller (MPC) to be integrated with real time optimization (RTO) in the control structure of a process system with stable and integrating outputs. The real time process optimizer produces Optimal targets for the system inputs and for Outputs that Should be dynamically implemented by the MPC controller. This paper is based oil a previous work (Comput. Chem. Eng. 2005, 29, 1089) where a nominally stable MPC was proposed for systems with the conventional control approach where only the outputs have set points. This work is also based oil the work of Gonzalez et at. (J. Process Control 2009, 19, 110) where the zone control of stable systems is studied. The new control for is obtained by defining ail extended control objective that includes input targets and zone controller the outputs. Additional decision variables are also defined to increase the set of feasible solutions to the control problem. The hard constraints resulting from the cancellation of the integrating modes Lit the end of the control horizon are softened,, and the resulting control problem is made feasible to a large class of unknown disturbances and changes of the optimizing targets. The methods are illustrated with the simulated application of the proposed,approaches to a distillation column of the oil refining industry.

Closed-loop model re-identification of processes under MPC with zone control

This work deals with a procedure for model re-identification of a process in closed loop with ail already existing commercial MPC. The controller considered here has a two-layer structure where the upper layer performs a target calculation based on a simplified steady-state optimization of the process. Here, it is proposed a methodology where a test signal is introduced in a tuning parameter of the target calculation layer. When the outputs are controlled by zones instead of at fixed set points, the approach allows the continuous operation of the process without an excessive disruption of the operating objectives as process constraints and product specifications remain satisfied during the identification test. The application of the method is illustrated through the simulation of two processes of the oil refining industry. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wastewater Treatment of Diesel Power Plant

Diplomityön tavoitteena on selvittää Wärtsilän dieselvoimalaitosten jätevedenkäsittelyn vallitseva tila. Tutkimuksessa keskitytään raskaspolttoöljykäyttöisiin voimalaitoksiin. Työssä selvitetään yleisimmät dieselvoimalaitosten jätevesille asetetut vaatimukset. Selvitys tehdään keräämälläja tutkimalla dieselvoimalaitosten jätevesille sovellettuja standardeja. Työssä selvitetään myös dieselvoimalaitokselta ulostulevan jäteveden laatu sekä nykyisen jätevedenkäsittelyjärjestelmän toiminta. Selvitys tehdään keräämällä ja tutkimalla yrityksen sisäisiä tietoja, sekä ottamalla ja analysoimalla jätevesinäytteitä. Näytteiden otto ja analysointi toteutetaan vierailemallakahdessa voimalaitoksessa sekä yhdessä muussa kohteessa. Jäteveden laatu ennen ja jälkeen käsittelyn määritetään. Myös öljynjalostusteollisuuden jätevedenkäsittelyä tarkastellaan kirjallisuuteen pohjautuen. Tarkastelun tavoitteena on hankkia tietoa jätevedenkäsittelystä kohteissa, joissa jäteveden laatu vastaa dieselvoimalaitoksella syntyvää jätevettä. Vertailun vuoksi myös öljynjalostusteollisuudelle asetetuttuja jätevesistandardeja tutkitaan. Lisäksi työssä tutkitaan myös joitakin muita jätevedenkäsittelymenetelmiä. Diplomityön tuloksena määritetään dieselvoimalaitosten jätevedenkäsittelyn tulevaisuuden haasteet ja mahdollisuudet.

Rikkiyhdisteiden laskenta simuloinneissa

Diplomityön tarkoituksena on tutkia eri laskentamenetelmien soveltuvuutta kevyiden rikkiyhdisteiden laskentaan ja kuinka mitatusta kaasu-neste tasapainotiedoista sovitetut binääriset vuorovaikutusparametrit parantavat kaasu-neste tasapainojen laskentaa simuloinneissa. Kirjallisuusosassa paneudutaan kevyisiin rikkiyhdisteisiin ja niiden aineominaisuuksiin. Lisäksi käsitellään öljynjalostuksessa nykyisin käytettäviä ja uusia kehitteillä olevia rikinpoistomenetelmiä.Kokeellisessa osassa tarkastellaan eri laskentamenetelmien soveltuvuutta rikkiyhdisteiden ja kevyiden hiilivetyjen kaasu-neste tasapainon laskentaan. Mitatusta rikkiyhdisteiden ja hiilivetyjen kaasu-neste tasapainoista sovitetaan binäärisiä vuorovaikutusparametrejä tarkentamaan käytettäviä laskentamenetelmiä. Osassa verrataan binääristen seosten mittaustuloksia eri laskentamenetelmillä saatuihin simulointituloksiin. Tarkasteluiden perusteella tehdään johtopäätöksiä laskentamenetelmien soveltuvuudesta kevyiden hiilivetyjen ja rikkiyhdisteiden laskentaan. Tarkastellaan kahden prosessin (rikkivetystripperi ja butaaninpoistokolonni) rikkiyhdisteiden laskentaa. Prosesseille tehdään taseajot, joista saatuja analyysituloksia verrataan simulointien antamiin tuloksiin. Työssä tarkastellaan myös veden liukoisuuden laskentaa ja mahdollisten laskentamenetelmien käytön vaikutusta rikkiyhdisteiden laskentaan.

Aplicação catalítica de peneiras moleculares básicas micro e mesoporosas

Catalysis by solid acids has received much attention due to its importance in petroleum refining and petrochemical processes. Relatively few studies have focused on catalysis by bases and even les on using basic molecular sieves. This paper deals with the potential application of micro and mesoporous molecular sieves in base catalysis reactions. The paper is divided in two parts, the first one dedicated to the design of the catalysts and the second to some relevant examples of catalytic reactions, which find a huge field of applications essentially in the synthesis of fine chemicals. Here, recent developments in catalysis by basic molecular sieves and the perspectives of applications in correlated catalytic processes are described.

Cério: propriedades catalíticas, aplicações tecnológicas e ambientais

Cerium based-compounds have great importance in a wide range of technological applications, such as: fuel cell devices development; metallurgic processes, petroleum refining; glass and ceramic production. Recently, its catalytic properties have been also explored for environmental applications, especially those to prevent or to control atmospheric and water pollution. Subjects covered in this work include a brief description of the fundaments of cerium catalytic properties and some relevant technological applications. Special attention is given to its photocatalytic activity and its ability to degrade pollutants. Recent results and future prospect about these applications are also evaluated.

Principais aplicações das microondas na produção e refino de petróleo

Microwave irradiation offers a clean, inexpensive, and convenient method of heating, which is an alternative way of introducing energy into chemical systems. In particular, applications of microwave irradiation technology for petroleum processing have been developed in the last twenty years. The main objective of this paper is to review the use of microwave irradiation technology as an alternative technique applied during petroleum refining and primary processing of petroleum fluids, presenting and discussing successful applications of this technology as a tool for petroleum emulsion separation and catalytic reactions normally found at hydrorefining plants.

Intensification of hemicellulose hot-water extraction from spruce wood by parameter tuning

The growing population on earth along with diminishing fossil deposits and the climate change debate calls out for a better utilization of renewable, bio-based materials. In a biorefinery perspective, the renewable biomass is converted into many different products such as fuels, chemicals, and materials, quite similar to the petroleum refinery industry. Since forests cover about one third of the land surface on earth, ligno-cellulosic biomass is the most abundant renewable resource available. The natural first step in a biorefinery is separation and isolation of the different compounds the biomass is comprised of. The major components in wood are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, all of which can be made into various end-products. Today, focus normally lies on utilizing only one component, e.g., the cellulose in the Kraft pulping process. It would be highly desirable to utilize all the different compounds, both from an economical and environmental point of view. The separation process should therefore be optimized. Hemicelluloses can partly be extracted with hot-water prior to pulping. Depending in the severity of the extraction, the hemicelluloses are degraded to various degrees. In order to be able to choose from a variety of different end-products, the hemicelluloses should be as intact as possible after the extraction. The main focus of this work has been on preserving the hemicellulose molar mass throughout the extraction at a high yield by actively controlling the extraction pH at the high temperatures used. Since it has not been possible to measure pH during an extraction due to the high temperatures, the extraction pH has remained a “black box”. Therefore, a high-temperature in-line pH measuring system was developed, validated, and tested for hot-water wood extractions. One crucial step in the measurements is calibration, therefore extensive efforts was put on developing a reliable calibration procedure. Initial extractions with wood showed that the actual extraction pH was ~0.35 pH units higher than previously believed. The measuring system was also equipped with a controller connected to a pump. With this addition it was possible to control the extraction to any desired pH set point. When the pH dropped below the set point, the controller started pumping in alkali and by that the desired set point was maintained very accurately. Analyses of the extracted hemicelluloses showed that less hemicelluloses were extracted at higher pH but with a higher molar-mass. Monomer formation could, at a certain pH level, be completely inhibited. Increasing the temperature, but maintaining a specific pH set point, would speed up the extraction without degrading the molar-mass of the hemicelluloses and thereby intensifying the extraction. The diffusion of the dissolved hemicelluloses from the wood particle is a major part of the extraction process. Therefore, a particle size study ranging from 0.5 mm wood particles to industrial size wood chips was conducted to investigate the internal mass transfer of the hemicelluloses. Unsurprisingly, it showed that hemicelluloses were extracted faster from smaller wood particles than larger although it did not seem to have a substantial effect on the average molar mass of the extracted hemicelluloses. However, smaller particle sizes require more energy to manufacture and thus increases the economic cost. Since bark comprises 10 – 15 % of a tree, it is important to also consider it in a biorefinery concept. Spruce inner and outer bark was hot-water extracted separately to investigate the possibility to isolate the bark hemicelluloses. It was showed that the bark hemicelluloses comprised mostly of pectic material and differed considerably from the wood hemicelluloses. The bark hemicelluloses, or pectins, could be extracted at lower temperatures than the wood hemicelluloses. A chemical characterization, done separately on inner and outer bark, showed that inner bark contained over 10 % stilbene glucosides that could be extracted already at 100 °C with aqueous acetone.

Transition metal and rare earth metal modified sol-gel titania: a versatile catalyst for organic transformations

Catalysis is a mature field with extensive practical applications in today's society.indeed,the catalysis of petroleum refining,fine chemical synthesis and emission control demands the production of catalysts in bulk quantities.Future improvement of these well established processes is likely to be incremental.On the other hand,the continuous demand for new products will require additional novel and innovative processes.The need for pollution abatement and prevention also imposes new demands on catalysis, and new processes are periodically advanced for the control of emission of gases as well as for remediation processes such as the cleaning of underground waters. The number of problems where catalysis can have a big impact is constantly growing.In general,science stimulated by the technology has enriched the field of catalysis in a way that has had broad and lasting value.The thesis"Transition metal and rare earth metal modified sol-gel titania: a versatile catalyst for organic transformations" accounts the preparation and characterization studies of both transition metals and rare earth metals modified sol-gel titania and its applications in industrially useful organic reactions.

Development of energy saving forms of natural rubber

Although the physical and technological properties of modified rubbers were compared with those of conventional rubbers in the earlier studies reviewed above, the extent of energy saving possible by their use has not been quantified. In the present work it is proposed to determine the energy saving possible by using the following forms of natural rubber: 1. Oil extended natural rubber, 2. peptised natural rubber, 3. latex stage compounds. The process of production and quality control of the above types of processed rubbers are proposed to be standardised. It is also planned to work out a methodology for utilising field coagula for production of constant viscosity rubbers. The variation in processing properties of rubber from popular Indian clones will be examined and those with energy advantages in the processing stage will be identified. In conclusion a recommendation for adoption of a commercially advantageous processing procedure among Indian rubber plantation industry is also given.

Studies on metal resistant bacteria in cochin estuary and its response towards antibiotics and silver nanoparticles

The Cochin estuary (CE), which is one of the largest wetland ecosystems, extends from Thanneermukkam bund in the south to Azhikode in the north. It functions as an effluent repository for more than 240 industries, the characteristics of which includes fertilizer, pesticide, radioactive mineral processing, chemical and allied industries, petroleum refining and heavy metal processing industries (Thyagarajan, 2004). Studies in the CE have been mostly on the spatial and temporal variations in the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the estuary (Balachandran et al., 2006; Madhu et al., 2007; Menon et al., 2000; Qasim 2003;Qasim and Gopinathan 1969) . Although several monitoring programs have been initiated in the CE to understand the level of heavy metal pollution, these were restricted to trace metals distribution (Balachandran et al., 2005) or the influence of anthropogenic inputs on the benthos and phytoplankton (Madhu et al., 2007;Jayaraj, 2006). Recently, few studies were carried out on microbial ecology in the CE(Thottathil et al 2008a and b;Parvathi et al., 2009and 2011; Thomas et al., 2006;Chandran and Hatha, 2003). However, studies on metal - microbe interaction are hitherto not undertaken in this estuary. Hence, a study was undertaken at 3 sites with different level of heavy metal concentration tounderstand the abundance, diversity and mechanisms of resistance in metal resistant bacteria and its impact on the nutrient regeneration. The present work has also focused on the response of heavy metal resistant bacteria towards antibacterial agent’s antibiotics and silver nanoparticles

Sustainability and Consumer Preference of Wild Caught Ornamental Fishes from Kerala: Scope of Certification

The Indian ornamental fish industry is divided into two-the domestic market and the export market. 90% of the freshwater ornamental fish exported from India are wild caught indigenous species. The study formed the criteria and indicators assessing the sustainability of wild caught ornamental fish exported from India. These indicators were then analyzed for their interactions, connections, linkages and relationships using cognitive mapping. The work is first of its kind in the ornamental fisheries

Estrés laboral y su relación con los turnos y áreas de trabajo en el personal que labora en campos de perforación de una empresa del sector hidrocarburos en Colombia

El personal que labora en áreas de campo en las empresas de hidrocarburos se enfrenta de manera sistemática a diferentes exposiciones ocupacionales que pueden estar relacionadas con el estrés laboral o tener algún tipo de incidencia en este sentido. Objetivo: establecer la prevalencia de síntomas de estrés percibidos por un grupo de trabajadores que laboran en cuatro campos de perforación de hidrocarburos e identificar su relación con el turno y área de trabajo (administración y producción) en que desempeñan su labor. Metodología: Estudio de corte transversal, en una empresa del sector hidrocarburos que opera en el municipio de Puerto Boyacá, con una muestra de 115 trabajadores, la información se recolectó a través de la aplicación del cuestionario para la evaluación del estrés – Tercera versión del Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social de la República de Colombia y la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá. Resultados: El género de mayor frecuencia fue el masculino con el 86%, el 39% de los trabajadores se encuentra en el grupo etario entre los 47-57 años refirió un nivel de estrés alto. Se observó que la línea operativa y profesional y los analistas, fueron los que reportaron un nivel de estrés alto. Conclusiones: El trabajo que desarrolla el personal que labora por turnos en campos de perforación, es un generador de estrés por lo que debe ser monitoreado de forma periódica, haciendo énfasis en la promoción de estilos laborales saludables y la prevención de diagnósticos que afecten el componente conductual.