Study of the catalyst deactivation in an industrial gasoil HDS reactor using a mini-scale laboratory reactor

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 87; no. 12; pp. 2444 - 2449
• Main Authors: Kallinikos, L.E., Bellos, G.D., Papayannakos, N.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Catalyst deactivation; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; HDS reactions; Mini-scale reactors; Multiphase systems; Processing of crude oil and oils from shales and tar sands. Processes. Equipment. Refinery and treatment units; Reactor model; Reactor model; Catalyst deactivation; Multiphase systems; HDS reactions; Mini-scale reactors; Catalyst poisoning; Deactivation; Hydrotreating; Hydrogen; Laboratory scale; Neural network; Catalyst deactivation;HDS reactions;Mini-scale reactors;Multiphase systems;Reactor model; Sulfur; Catalyst activity; Catalyst; Hydrodesulfurization
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2008.03.007

The activity of a hydrodesulphurization catalyst loaded in an industrial hydrotreater is studied at start up and end of run. Catalyst initial and final activity was determined by performing HDS experiments at industrial conditions in a laboratory mini-scale hydrotreater. The results show that the deactivation of the catalyst samples collected from three different places of the industrial reactor do not vary significantly, the maximum difference among the catalyst samples, being less than ±4%. The experimentally determined deactivation level of the catalyst samples is compared with the deactivation estimated for the same industrial reactor and the same load using a hybrid neural network model trained with operational data of the industrial and the results are in close agreement. Catalyst deactivation appears to be faster for hydrogen consumption reactions than for hydrodesulphurization reactions indicating a decreasing hydrogen consumption trend with time in operation for specific sulphur content in the product.