Modeling of a pilot-scale hydrocracking unit with recycle
Direction Expérimentation Procédés

IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) est un acteur majeur de la recherche et de la formation dans les domaines de l’énergie, du transport et de l’environnement. De la recherche à l’industrie, l’innovation technologique est au cœur de son action, articulée autour de quatre priorités stratégiques : Mobilité Durable, Energies Nouvelles, Climat / Environnement / Economie circulaire et Hydrocarbures Responsables.

Dans le cadre de la mission d’intérêt général confiée par les pouvoirs publics, IFPEN concentre ses efforts sur :

• l’apport de solutions aux défis sociétaux de l’énergie et du climat, en favorisant la transition vers une mobilité durable et l’émergence d’un mix énergétique plus diversifié ;
• la création de richesse et d’emplois, en soutenant l’activité économique française et européenne et la compétitivité des filières industrielles associées.

Partie intégrante d’IFPEN, l’école d’ingénieurs IFP School prépare les générations futures à relever ces défis.

Modeling of a pilot-scale hydrocracking unit with recycle

Hydrocracking is an industrial process used to convert larger hydrocarbon molecules into smaller molecules at high pressure and high temperature in presence of hydrogen and a catalyst. The advantage of this process is the upgrading of low value feeds either fossils (VGO, LCO, gasoil) or renewables (FT wax, pyoil) into high value products like naphtha, gasoline, diesel and kerosene/SAF. Operating a hydrocracking unit with a recycle of the unconverted fraction has the advantage of maximizing the conversion of the feed while maintaining a good yield of valuable products.

The R&D of an industrial chemical process requires experimental testing using continuously operating specific tools, the pilot units, to generate data at a high TRL scale (between 4 and 6) used to extrapolate the results, design, size, and optimize the process at the industrial scale. Understanding and simulating the main chemical and physical phenomena occurring within each component of a pilot plant can significantly enhance its operation.

Therefore, this internship aims to use a chemical process simulator to create a model of the key components of the pilot plant hydrocracker with recycle.

Description

• Model the hydrocracking pilot unit in PRO/II™
• Use existing experimental data to adjust the parameters to obtain a good fit between the experiments and the model
• Design new experimental tests to validate the previously developed model in different operating conditions
• If time permits, propose a simulation at an industrial scale

Required profile

Last year of engineering schools or master equivalent in chemical or process engineering.

• Strong background in heat and mass transfer modeling, chemical and reaction engineering.
• Good knowledge of process simulation software, preferably Aspen Plus or PRO/II.
• English or French. Curiosity, enthusiasm, autonomy.