Basic Operations
BASIC OPERATIONS
IN
REFINERY
OUTLINE OF UNIT OPERATIONS
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Used for intermittent
1. Distillation operation and handling
(a) Batch small volumes of feed
and product
Used for high volume
(b) Continuous continuous separation
fractionators of complex mixtures
such as petroleum
fractions
Connect these with
appropriate pumps,
reboilers, condensers
and automatic controls
Unit Operation Schematic Representation
Comments
Suitable for large capacity
. Drying of Solids operation on liquid feed to
give powdered, spherical,
(a) Spray drier free – flowing product ;
used in production of
pigments, detergents,
synthetic resins and misc.
inorganic salts
. Extraction
Used to contact solvent
(a) Liquid - liquid and feed to give raffinate
and extract ; widely
adapted to removal of
napthenes from lube oil
fractions using solvents
such as furfural
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
(b)Solid – liquid Involves removal of a
(leaching) solute from a solid by
means of a liquid
solvent ; often used in
ore treatment to
recover metal values
3. Fluid Handling
Most widely used for
(a) Centrifugal pump liquid of all types ;
simple in construction
and maintenance
(b) Reciprocating Generally used for
higher pressure
pump or delivery ; may be used
compressor for metering or
proportioning
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Use for low
(c) Jet ejector pressure operation
or production of
vacuum ; steam
often used as
motive fluid
Most widely used
type of catalytic
4. Fluid – solid rector ; used with
Contacting precious metal
(a) Fixed bed catalysts to
minimize attrition
losses ; catalyst
usually in form of
pellets
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Used to contact finely
(b) Fluid bed divided solids with
reactant gases, e.g.;
cracking catalyst with
oil vapors and then with
air ; also used in
roasting of sulfide ores
to give oxides and SO2
Combines virtues of
(c) Moving bed fixed bed reactor with
ability to regenerate
catalyst by movement
to separate
regeneration zone
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Fluid–solid Separation Used to separate
very finely divided
(a) Centrifugation solids from liquid
or liquid from
liquid emulsions
Simple device
used to remove
(b) Settling tank large particles
from gas stream
by simple settling
in low- velocity
zone
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Effective means of
(c) Wet scrubber removing suspended
particles from gas
stream by contact
with liquid shower
Hot, nearly-saturated
(d) Crystallizer solutions are stirred
and cooled to effect
nucleation and
crystal growth ;
widely used with
inorganic salts
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Vacuum applied to
(e) Filter (rotary) interior of drum pulls
filtrate out of cake ;
used to separate
minerals from
slurries, pulp fibers
from water, etc.
Simplest type of
(f) Filter press pressure filter ;
widely used ; plates
and fabric filter
media may be made
of a variety of
corrosion - resistant
materials
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Used to separate
(g) Cyclone separator solid particles or
liquid droplets from
gases to permit
product recovery or
to cut down product
loss and air pollution
(h) Electrostatic Used to remove fine
precipitator dusts or mists
suspended in gases
; features high
collection efficiency
at wide variety of
operating conditions
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Batteries of tubular
(i) Bag filter fabric bags are
mounted so solids
may be removed
continuously by
flow reversal and
mechanical shaking
(j) Thickener - classifier Used to separate
slurry into sludges
and clear liquid ;
used widely in
mineral industries
and in sewage
effluent clarification
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Used for low
6. Fluid Storage
pressure storages of
(a) Gas holders
gases at constant
pressure using liquid
seal (usually water)
(b) Tanks Widely used for
storage of liquids of
all types, usually at
atmospheric
pressure ; may have
floating roof (Gas,
oil, Diesel)
Unit Operation Schematic Representation
Comments Used for pressurized
(c) Pressurized storage of liquefied
spheres gases or high vapor
pressure liquids to
permit safe storage
with no vapor losses
(LPG)
(d) Under ground
caverns Used for large
volume storage of
liquids or of liquefied
gases (Natural gas)
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Used for taking up a
7. Gas – liquid soluble gas in a solvent
Contacting liquid and producing a
(a) Absorption solution plus a lean exit
gas ; e.g., used in H2S
removal from
hydrocarbons (ATU)
(Solution) (Solvent)
(b) Stripping Used for removing a
soluble gas from
solution by counter-
current contact with an
inert gas ; used to
recover solute gas and
regenerate solvent for
subsequent absorption
step.
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
8. Heat Exchange Used to heat
(a) Fired heater petroleum fractions to
distillation or cracking
temperatures in
direct-fired tubes
Uses natural
(b) Re boiler circulation to circulate
fractionating tower
bottom in heat
exchange with steam,
e.g., to provide
necessary for
fractionation
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Usually water-
(c) Condenser cooled tubular
construction to
provide reflux and
overhead product
from fractionating
column
(d) Shell and tube
exchanger Common type of
device for process
heat exchange
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
(e) Jacked kettle Common construction
for reaction kettles ;
water or brine may be
used for cooling ; hot
water, oil or
Diathermy for heating
(f) Direct mixing Features intimate
(quenching) contact of coolant
fluid (e.g., water)
quick quench, e.g., in
hydrocarbon pyrolysis
to acetylene
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
Used to separate
9. Membrane mat’ls in sol’n
Separation having widely
different mole wts.,
(a) Dialysis e.g., caustic from
sugar or cellulose
(b) Gaseous Uses micro porous
diffusion U235F6 (e.g., Ni) barriers in
multistage,
U235F6 operations to
separate light (e.g.,
U235F6) from heavy
U238F6
(e.g., U238F6)
components
Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments
10. Mixing May be used for
liquid –liquid or
Agitation solid – liquid
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ mixing in single
or multiple
compartments ;
widely used in
process
industries