A mixed integer nonlinear programming approach for petroleum refinery topology optimisation

• Published in: Chemical engineering research & design Vol. 143; pp. 24 - 35
• Main Authors: Albahri, Tareq A., Khor, Cheng Seong, Elsholkami, Mohamed, Elkamel, Ali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rugby Elsevier B.V 01.03.2019; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Atmospheric residue desulfurizer (ARDS); Catalysts; Configurations; Crude oil; Mathematical models; Mixed integer; Nonlinear programming; Numerical analysis; Optimization; Petroleum refineries; Process synthesis; Refineries; Residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC); Structural and parameter optimisation; Superstructures; Topology; Topology optimisation; Topology optimization; Vacuum residue desulfurizer (VRDS); Vacuum residue desulfurizer (VRDS); Topology optimisation; Process synthesis; Residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC); Atmospheric residue desulfurizer (ARDS); Structural and parameter optimisation
• ISSN: 0263-8762; 1744-3563
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2019.01.001

•Proposed strategy to devise configuration then optimize conversion and temperature.•Implemented on case study of a real-world refinery in Kuwait.•Obtained resulting configuration that agrees with industrial practice. This work presents a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP)-based superstructure optimisation approach to synthesize an optimal petroleum refinery topology or configuration for large-scale grassroots refinery systems. We develop a superstructure to include many possible prospective configurations and formulate rigorous models for the 32 commercial refinery processes that constitute the configurations, which gives rise to a convex MINLP model. The objective function is to maximize the total refinery profit for a given crude oil feed subject to material and energy balance constraints. We apply a two-level optimisation procedure: a master module to construct configurations from the superstructure and a submodule to optimize the process unit conversions and product temperatures of the configurations. A numerical example based on an actual operating refinery in Kuwait is illustrated to implement the approach with a resulting configuration that agrees with real-world practices.