Hydroconversion in refinery processes

Processing heavy oil residues is a complex task: operating temperatures above 300 °C, pressures above 160 bar and–depending on the installation site–strong fluctuations of the outside temperature, which can range from almost -50 °C up to +50 °C. These are the challenges that LEWA faces in the hydroconversion process. With its remote-head metering pumps, LEWA offers the optimum solution for hydroconversion in refinery processes.

Solutions

High pressure? Hot temperatures? No problem!

Advantages of LEWA remote-head diaphragm pumps:

Operating temperatures up to +500 °C
Pump heads with hydraulically actuated PTFE diaphragm for operating pressures up to +500 bar
Hermetically tight
Permanent diaphragm monitoring
Space-saving design

Background

Handling heavy oil residues – but how?

Crude oil must be cleaned, broken and refined after production until the final products suitable for sale are produced. About 95% of the oils can be processed directly in refineries. Five percent of heavy oil are left. Hydroconversion helps to exploit these leftovers by producing clean fuels and petrochemical raw materials. Various catalytic processes remove heteroatoms, such as sulfur or nitrogen, and convert large carbon-water molecules into smaller ones. The hydroconversion ensures a clean, residue-free oil processing of almost 100%.