 |
Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University
Date: September 29, 2009
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: ESB 1001
Modeling and Simulation of Hydrocarbon Conversion Processes
G.F. Froment, Artie McFerrin - Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University
Hydrocarbon conversion processes like the hydrocracking and catalytic cracking of vacuum gas oil proceed through complex reaction schemes and kinetics. These have been approximated in the past by excessive lumping of the components and their transformation pathways. The resulting rate parameters are inevitably also lumps and therefore not invariant with respect to the feedstock composition. Consequently, the application of simulation models of this type requires kinetic studies for each new feedstock. Instead, the approach presented here starts from the complete molecular characterization of the feed. The complete reaction scheme is developed in terms of the relevant elementary steps by means of a computer algorithm. Evidently, the number of these fundamental rate parameters is overwhelming. The set of entropy contributions can be reduced through the transition state theory based Single Event Concept, the set of activation energies through the Evans-Polanyi relationship between the activation energy and the reaction enthalpy, which is unique for elementary steps of the same type. The analytical feedstock characterization is complemented with recently developed methods of molecular reconstruction. The approach will be illustrated for trickle bed hydrocracking and riser catalytic cracking of vacuum gasoil, also accounting for "coke" formation. The application to other hydrocarbon conversion processes like solid acid alkylation and Methanol-to-Gasoline will also be discussed, thereby revealing interesting aspects of "coke" formation.
* * * * * * * *
Gilbert F. Froment received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Gent, Belgium in 1957. He did post-doctoral work at the University of Darmstadt in Germany and the University of Wisconsin. In 1968 he became a full professor of Chemical Engineering in Gent. In 1998 he joined the Chemical Engineering Department of Texas A & M University as a Research Professor.
Dr. Froment is a member of the Belgian Academy of Science, the Belgian Academy of Overseas Science, a Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Engineering and a member of the Texas Academy of Medicine, Science and Engineering. He is a Doctor Honoris Causa of the Technion, Haifa, Israel, of the Universidad Nacional de Salta in Argentina and of the University of Nancy, France.
He has directed the work of 65 Ph.D. students and published 350 scientific papers in international journals. He presented more than 320 seminars in Universities and at International Symposia all over the world. His book entitled Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design (with K.B. Bischof – Publ:. J. Wiley, N.Y., 2nd Ed.1990) is used in graduate courses all over the world and was translated into Chinese. A 3rd Edition is underway.
He received the prestigious R.H. Wilhelm Award for Chemical Reaction Engineering from the AIChE in 1978, the Villermaux-Medal from the European Federation of Chemical Engineering in 1999 and the 3-yearly Amundson Award of ISCRE in 2007.
In his present position at Texas A & M University Dr .Froment directs research of a group of Ph.D. students and Post-Docs on Chemical Reaction Engineering aspects of Hydrocarbon Processing in the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industry.
He has intensively consulted for the world’s major petroleum- and (petro)chemical companies like Petrofina, Elf, Total, Amoco, BP of America, Exxon, Mobil, Conoco, DSM, du Pont, BASF,KTI, Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Instituto Colombiano del Petroleo, Entevep (Venezuela), Institut Français du Pétrole, Rhône-Poulenc, ICI, SYNOXY, SABIC (Ryiadh), Control Data Corporation, Aspen Tech.
|
|
| |
