Partial Upgrading of Oilsands Bitumen and Heavy Oil: Kinetic Modeling and Reactor Design

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dc.contributor.advisorPereira-Almao, Pedro R.
dc.contributor.authorBalaghi, Vahideh Arabi
dc.contributor.committeememberKantzas, Apostolos K.
dc.contributor.committeememberMahinpey, Nader
dc.date2019-06
dc.date.accessioned2019-03-07T19:21:19Z
dc.date.available2019-03-07T19:21:19Z
dc.date.issued2019-03-06
dc.description.abstractPartial Upgrading of bitumen and extra-heavy oil has gained significant relevance as an opportunity to economically satisfy pipeline specifications with reduced or no addition of diluent. Through a combination of mild hydrogenation and catalytic steam cracking processes, the Hydro-Steam technology proposed for partial upgrading of heavy oil and bitumen, produces oil with bench scale demonstrated low viscosity and high API gravity that meets the minimum standard for pipeline transportation. This process is undertaken directly on dried SAGD produced bitumen without distillation or separation of any kind. As part of the technology development, this research conceived and carried out a set of experiments in a continuous flow isothermal trickle bed reactor using a chemically novel catalyst, disposed in a conventional fixed bed and using Athabasca bitumen as the feedstock to study the effect of operating conditions on bitumen partial upgrading. A wide set of characterization techniques was used to evaluate the performance of the hydrogenation unit in terms of liquid product quality. The hydrogenation reactor was modeled as a trickle bed reactor and an optimization technique based on minimization of the sum of square errors (SSE) between the experimental and model predicted concentrations of sulfur and asphaltene, was developed to obtain kinetic parameters for hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodeasphaltenization (HDAs) reactions. Experiments were conducted in the temperature range of 325-350 °C and liquid Weight Hourly Space Velocities (WHSV) of 0.2-0.5 hr-1, while keeping the pressure and H2/Oil ratio constant at 1400 psig and 900 Scm3/cm3 respectively, in the hydrogenation reactor operating in an up-flow mode. API gravity improved substantially from 9 to slightly lower than 17 and viscosity was improved remarkably from 78750 cP to 1720 cP, both measured at 25°C. Viscosity values under 500 cP are reached once the mildly-hydrogenated bitumen is processed and further upgraded in a second catalytic steam cracking reactor. HDS up to 60% and HDA up to 55% were obtained during this hydrogenation step. The improved characteristics make the upgraded oil almost ready for export, refining and marketing.en_US
dc.identifier.citationBalaghi, V. A. (2019). Partial Upgrading of Oilsands Bitumen and Heavy Oil: Kinetic Modeling and Reactor Design (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/36166
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/109939
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisher.facultySchulich School of Engineeringen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectHeavy Oil Partial Upgradingen_US
dc.subjectViscosity Reductionen_US
dc.subjectPipeline Transportationen_US
dc.subjectAPI Gravity Improvementen_US
dc.subjectSulfur and Asphaltene Reductionen_US
dc.subjectTechnology Developmenten_US
dc.subjectWhole Range Bitumenen_US
dc.subjectHydrogenationen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Sciencesen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Technologyen_US
dc.subject.classificationEconomicsen_US
dc.subject.classificationEngineeringen_US
dc.subject.classificationEngineering--Chemicalen_US
dc.subject.classificationPsychology--Experimentalen_US
dc.subject.classificationPsychology--Industrialen_US
dc.subject.classificationPsychology--Socialen_US
dc.titlePartial Upgrading of Oilsands Bitumen and Heavy Oil: Kinetic Modeling and Reactor Designen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineEngineering – Chemical & Petroleumen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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