BITS, PILANI, K. K.

BIRLA GOA CAMPUS, SECOND SEMESTER 2017 – 2018

MID-SEM Test: Petroleum Refining Technology (CLOSED BOOK)
COURSE CODE: CHE F422
DATE: 08/03/2018 TIME: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM MAX. MARKS: 60
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Question 1 Answer the following questions [2 x 4 = 8 Marks]
a. What are different hydro-carbon groups/series present in the crude oil (Name at least four)? Discuss one
of them in terms of its structure and desirable properties (any two properties).
b. What is pour point? What is the range of its values for crude oil? For which petroleum product it is
considered as the most important property?
c. How is kinematic viscosity measured in the laboratory (Name at least two measuring instruments). What
is SSU and what information does it provide?
d. How many petroleum refineries are there in India? Name any two Indian and two world refineries. How
is generally the capacity of a refinery expressed as?

Question 2 [4 x 7 = 28 Marks]
a. What are the advantages of Visbreaking process over other cracking processes (Write any two)? What
are the two main types of Visbreaking units and how are they different from each other (Write two
differences)?
b. What is Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP)? Explain the standard method (IS: 1448-39) to determine the RVP
of a crude oil sample (gas or gasoline). How does it relate to true vapor pressure?
c. How and when does the gum formation take place? What are different types of gum? How can its
formation in gasoline be prevented?
d. What is smoke point and what does it indicate? For what type of petroleum products it is an important
property? How does it depend on PNA content of a sample?
e. How is softening point of bitumen determined? Explain the method. What are the other important tests
used for describing the properties of bitumen?
f. Why is desalting of crude required? How is it done using electric method (Explain the procedure)
g. What is hydrocracking? What kind of catalyst is used for it? Name any two commercial hydrocracking
processes along with their licensor’s (technology provider’s) name? How are catalyst fouling and heat
balance issues are taken care of in this process (Write your comments)?

Question 3 [5 Marks]
In a refinery side stream operation, the fraction to be separated and collected is kerosene. The mixture
entering the side stripper is 5000 bbls/hr. The 50% point of the kerosene is 135oC. The mixture also contains
straight run naphtha, which has the mid boiling point as 85oC. If the ASTM Gap is 5.1 and amount of
kerosene collected is 28.6% of feed, then find the number of plates used in a side stripper.
Question 4 [2 + 4 + 4 = 10 Marks]
o o
A thermal cracking operation of heavy gas oil (47 API) was carried out at 450 C. The composition of
products and respective properties are given below.
o
Sr No Component Amount (wt %) Average calorific value (kJ/kg) API
3
1 Gases 10 50.16 x 10 99
2 Gasoline 25 42.22 x 103 57
3
3 Furnace oil 20 40.12 x 10 35
3
4 Residuum 15 35.53 x 10 ___
3
5 Uncracked feed 30 39.29 x 10 47
a. Find out the API gravity of residuum.
b. What is the heat of decomposition per kg of gasoline produced?
c. If the cracking is conducted for 25 min at 450oC to form 25wt% of gasoline. Find the reaction rate
constant (with respect to conversion to gasoline) at 500oC. The pre-exponential factor for this reaction is
1.06 x 1013 sec−1. (Assume that the cracking is a first order reaction and R = 8.314 J/gmol K)
Question 5 Answer the following questions about FCC units [1 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 9 Marks]
a. What is the main purpose of having FCC unit in a refinery? (Write two main reasons)
b. What catalyst is generally used in FCC units? What are the important properties to be looked at when
catalyst is chosen for this operation? (Write any three properties)
c. Write the complete process flow diagram (along with approximate operating conditions of each stream)
of a typical FCC unit.
d. What are the current challenges faced in FCC operating units? (Write any two).