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IndianOil

R&D in Refinery Processes for Fuel Quality Upgradation

R.P. VermaExecutive Director

Indian Oil Corporation Limited

R&D Centre, Faridabad

National Workshop Auto Fuel Policy – Way Forward

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Discussion on ……..

Current/future fuel

specifications

Status & trends in technology

for fuel quality upgradation

R&D’s role

Summary

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Technologies used in Indian refineries for fuel quality upgradation

Technologies used in Indian refineries for fuel quality upgradation

SULPHUR PLANT TAIL

GAS TREATING

ACID GAS

ISOMERIZATION ISOMERIZATION

JET/DIESEL

HT

JET/DIESEL

HT

GASOLINE

REFORMER REFORMER GASOLINE

JET/DIESEL

LN

HN

JET

DIESEL

HGO

ATM

TOWER

GASOLINE

SR Coker / Visbreaker

REFORMER JET/DIESEL HT

HCU/FCC

LSFO

LVGOVAC

TOWER

HCU HCULCO

HVGO

VGO HT VGO HT FCCU FCCG HDT

FCCG HDT

Crude

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Environmental Regulations

Rapid changes in combustion

technologies & fuel specifications induced

by Legislative bodies

Recommendation of Euro / BS

specifications for India by Mashelkar

Committee

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Gasoline Specification - Trend

BS-II Euro-III Euro-IV WFC (*)Year of Implementation 2000-2001 2005 2010

Sulfur, ppm 500 150 50 10RON, min. 88 91 91MON, min. - 81 81Benzene, max., vol% 5/3 1 1Aromatics, max., vol% - 42 35Olefins, max., vol% - 21 21 10RVP, KPa 35-60 60 max. 60 max.

* Proposed by World Fuel Charter

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Effect of Gasoline Specifications on Major Parameters

Lower Sulfur content

Lower RVP

Lower benzene & aromatics

Lower olefin content

Limited Oxygen content

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Technologies for Gasoline

Reformer (Major technology for MS)•Technological / operational change

Low pressure operationChange to CCR from SRPre-fractionation for Benzene SpecIntegration with Isomerisation unit

FCC (Major technology for MS)•Technological / operational change

Use of low ‘S’ crude, Hydrocracker bottom/ Hydrotreated feed for ‘S’ spec

Use of desulfurisation additivesSelective desulfurisation of FCCGTreatment of heart-cut of FCCG in reformer

Contd.

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Technologies for Gasoline (Contd.)

IsomerisationIdeal choice for upgrading light naphthaUsed for saturation of benzene alsoPt on Chlorinated alumina – most active catalystZeolite catalyst based technology to be improved

(more activity required)

AlkylationNo unit in India (High LPG demand)Proven technology based upon HF / H2SO4

hazardousSolid acid based process at development /

demonstration stage

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Diesel Specifications- Trend

BS-II Euro-III Euro-IV WFC (*)Year of Implementation 2000-2001 2005 2010

Sulfur, ppm 500 350 50 10Cetane Number 48 51 51 55Density, kg/cm2 820-860 820-845 820-84595% recovery, oC 370 360 360 340PAH, wt% - 11 11 2

* Proposed by World Fuel Charter

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Effect of Diesel Specifications on Major Parameters

Low sulfur

Low aromatics / PAH

High cetane number

Lower density

Lower distillation end point

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Technologies to meet Diesel specifications

DHDS for meeting sulfur specifications Intensive research on DHDS catalyst for improving

activityDevelopment of high performance internals

High Pressure DHDT/MHC for Cetane improvementSingle stage units based upon non-noble metal

catalystsMHC an attractive option along with FCC

Hydrocracking process for best quality diesel

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R&D’s role

Technologies For Environ-friendly Fuels

Tailor-made Catalysts / Additives

Technologies For Future

Alternate Fuels

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Technologies For Environ-friendly Fuels

Conversion of Naphtha to LPG & MS:

Hydrocracking Low pressure process of conversion of naphtha to

auto-LPG and high octane, very low S MS component

Indalin + Catalytic cracking process for conversion of

naphtha to LPG and high-aromatics, low S MS component

Treating Process: IndeTreat/IndeSweet Non-dispersive extractive process for

desulfurisation of LPG and Naphtha

Contd.

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Technologies For Environ-friendly Fuels (Contd.)

DHDS / DHDT Development of Hydroprocessing technology for

production of ultra low sulfur and high Cetane diesel Commercialisation at BRPL (with EIL) and at Paradip (with

EIL and Shell)Development of high performance DHDS catalystHydrodynamic studies & development of reactor

internals (with EIL)

Adsorptive desulfurisationReactive adsorption based process for desulfruisationMost suitable as a finishing reactor

IsomerisationDevelopment of zeolyte based catalyst (jointly with IIP)Process development

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Tailor-Made Catalysts / Additives

FCC catalysts & additives – Developed & commercialized by Indian Oil

Lotus-24 (Catalyst with higher LPG yield)i-Max / Super i-Max (ZSM-5 additive)

Hydrocracking catalyst – Developed by Indian Oil

IZV (Along with M/s Zeolyst International) – For increase in LPG make (Commercialised)IZN (Naphtha hydrocracking to LPG)

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Technologies for future

Coal/residue/biomass gasification - Production of premium liquid fuels, hydrogen and / or power

Reactivity studies for Indian coal, petroleum residue, biomass and combination

Pilot plants for feasibility data generation

Gas to liquid technologies - High quality middle distillates

Development of catalysts Pilot plant studies

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Technologies for future

Bio-oil refining

Thermochemical Routes from Biomass to H2

Gasification/Water-Gas Shift

Supercritical Steam/Water Conversion

Pyrolysis/Steam Reforming

Does not require tricky gas clean-up step

Processing biomass has nearly zero net CO2 impact

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Technologies for future

Pyrolysis/Steam Reforming

Liquid bio-oil can be pumped and has higher energy volumetric density than biomass

Can be processed in distributed systems • or at locations with existing hydrogen

infrastructure in large-scale centralized reformers (earlier concept)

Can be co-processed with traditional fossil feedstocks

Biorefinery Integration• Produce from residues

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Alternate Fuels

Alternate fuels currently in use CNG LPG Ethanol & Biodiesel

Emerging fuels & engine technologies Bio-fuels Hydrogen Electric vehicles Fuel cells

Considerable R&D activities in progress on bio-fuels, H2, HCNG, Fuel cells etc.

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Hydrogen

Developments in H2 production from various sources – renewable & non-renewable

Environmental benefits realizable with use of H2 as neat fuel or in admixture with CNG in existing IC engines

High-energy conversion efficiencies & associated environmental benefits of emerging fuel cell technology

National Hydrogen Energy Board prepared an extensive report

IOC-R&D the nodal agency for research on Hydrogen fuel

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Summary

Environmental regulations have led to • Development in new processes / catalysts• Significant enhancement of catalyst

performance• Re-orientation of technologies• Prominence of hydroprocessing

Innovative approach & new technologies and willingness to look beyond fossil fuels would sustain the industry in longer term