Energy Optimization and Performance Improvement for Crude Distillation Unit using Pre-flash System

Crude distillation units are designed to handle either heavy or light crudes, or both of them. But when processing light crudes, there are some parameters to be taken into account, such as crude heater duty, atmospheric tower overhead condensers, preheating system efficiency and so on. Flexibility of a crude unit to handle different crude types makes it easier to achieve a high product yield with desired specifications and decreases operational upsets, leading to more profits over the unit running time.In this paper, a solution has been found for a crude distillation unit in one of the refineries to efficiently handle a light crude, avoiding unit bottlenecks by establishment of a pre-flash tower in the upstream of crude heater. A simulation model has been built by using Aspen HYSYS to obtain results and to make an economic evaluation for the new modifications; comparing them to the old case.