PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

REFINERY OPERATIONS SIMULATOR

The PS3000 is a simulation software package is rigorous and detailed
simulation models of Refinery process plants.
The package consists of the following modules:
PS-3001
PS-3002
PS-3003
PS-3004
PS-3005
PS-3006
PS-3007
PS-3008
PS-3009
PS-3010

Atmospheric Distillation Unit

Vacuum Distillation Unit
Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit
Hydrogen Generation Unit
Hydrodeslphurization Unit
Catalytic Reforming Unit
Continuous Catalytic Regeneration Unit
Hydrocracking Unit
Sulphur Recovery Unit
Amine Treating Unit

Plant familiarization: Simulator offers the best platform for learning process
plant configuration, instrumentation, control system, critical parameters and
their design values and normal plant operations.
Ensure Smooth Start Ups: Plant Simulator allows operators to become
familiar with operation while they increase their familiarity with the controls
and graphical scenes. Continued training ensures increasingly smooth start-ups
in the future.
Reduce Incidents and Downtime: Training personnel in a non-destructive
environment enable you to validate emergency controls before actual use.
Testing modifications to compressor controls can avoid damage from surges.
One can purposely trigger malfunctions (such as a trip) to test operator
reactions and improve response reactions.
Maximize Performance: The Simulators are based on rigorous first-principles
models and actual controls, allowing you to troubleshoot actual process and

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

control problems. They unlock the fundamental understanding required to
modify, test, and improve processes and maximize plant performance.
Benefits to Academic Institutions: The Dynamic Simulator helps to teach the
students the fundamentals as well as complex process operations. It provides
opportunity for the chemical / instrumentation engineering students to know
what is happening in the industry. Simulator trained students will have edge
over their counterparts in the competitive scenario with respect to their
knowledge in Instrumentation & Control and Process operations.

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

PS3001: ATMOSPHERIC DISTILLATION UNIT

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
In Preheat I section, crude is heated by a series of heat exchangers with kerosene,
Diesel and Pump around as a heating medium In Desalter, the impurities such as salt
and other contaminants are removed from crude by the desalting process. In Preheat
II section, the desalted crude is again heated by a series of heat exchangers with
kerosene, Diesel, Pump Around and reduced crude oil as heating medium.
In Crude Heater, the natural draft furnace heats the crude oil to a high temperature
enough to permit separation of components in distillation column. In Crude Column,
the tower contains 49 trays, which facilitates the contact between vapor and liquid
and through fractionation the crude oil components are separated into desired
materials for further processing.
In Product Stripper, the products like Naphtha, Kerosene and Diesel are separated
according to their boiling range. Three pump around systems namely, Top, Middle and
Bottom Pump around are employed to maintain the desired temperature gradient in
the tower.
The stabilizer unit is designed to stabilize the naphtha from the feed coming from
the overhead accumulator of a crude distillation unit. Stabilized naphtha and LPG are
the products from the stabilizer.

MAJOR EQUIPMENT

TRAINING EXERCISES

Feed pump and preheat exchangers

Desalter
Pre heat exchangers
Crude heater
Atmospheric Distillation Tower
Pump around systems
Products strippers
Product coolers
Overhead condenser and reflux drum
Stabilizer

Crude feed pump failure

Booster pump failure
RCO Pump failure
Reflux pump failure
Stabilizer Reflux Pump failure
Steam failure
Power failure
Instrument Air failure
Fin Fan failure
Atomizing Steam Indication failure

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

TRAINING BENEFITS
This dynamic simulator helps beginners, experienced operators and engineers to
achieve the following objectives:
To teach trainees and to recognize, understand the operating fundamentals of
a Crude Distillation using dynamic simulation.
To describe about the operation of a Crude Distillation.
To Startup and shutdown of the process using documented procedures.
To respond safely and efficiently to disturbances and malfunctions in the
process.

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

PS3002: VACUUM DISTILLATION UNIT

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
In the vacuum Distillation Unit model, the bottom reduced crude oil (RCO) from the
atmospheric column is distilled into the following products: Light Vacuum Gas Oil
(LVGO), Medium Vacuum Gas Oil (MVGO) and Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO). The
vacuum bottoms exit the process as vacuum residue. The vacuum Distillation Unit
simulator, the entering feed passes through a preheat furnace where partial
vaporization occurs before the feed enters the distillation column. Vacuum column
operates below atmospheric conditions. The vacuum product cooling section consists
of steam generation facilities and tempered water cooling facilities. Vacuum is
maintained by a two stage ejector system. The vacuum column overhead vapor flows
to the pre-condensers where steam & products are condensed out. The balance vapor
passes through the first stage ejector. The discharge from the first stage goes to
the inlet condenser and the non-condensed vapors are sent to the second stage. The
discharge of the second stage goes to the after condenser and the non-condensable
are routed to atmosphere. Condensate is routed to the hot well, from which it is
pumped to the desalting water drum by sour water pumps. The condensed steam and
the slop oil are let into the Hot well from where it is pumped away.

MAJOR EQUIPMENT

TRAINING EXERCISES

Vacuum Furnace
Vacuum Distillation Column
Product stripper
Product cooling
Overhead ejector system
Hot well

Feed failure
Coil steam failure
Heater fuel failure
Cooling Water failure
Vacuum failure
Pump Failures
Change in Heater Efficiency
Change in Steam Jet Ejector Efficiency
Change in Circulating Reflux
Change in Internal Reflux

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

TRAINING BENEFITS
The Vacuum Distillation Unit simulator helps beginners, experienced operators and
engineers to achieve the following objectives:
To teach trainees and to recognize, understand the operating fundamentals of
a Vacuum Distillation unit using dynamic simulation.
To describe about the operation of a Vacuum Distillation unit.
To Startup and shutdown of the process using documented procedures.
To respond safely and efficiently to disturbances and malfunctions in the
process.

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

PS3003: FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING UNIT

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
FCC unit simulator consists of the following major sections:
Feed and pumping section
Reactor and Regenerator section
Fractionation section
Gas concentration section
The Fluidized Catalyst Cracking Unit (FCCU) upgrades relatively heavy hydrocarbon
to high grade lighter products via fluidized catalytic cracking and fractionation. The
heavy hydrocarbon oil makes contact with hot powdered catalyst under selected
conditions of time, temperature and pressure. The unit cracks the heavy hydrocarbon
oil into fuel gas, LPG, Gasoline, TCO and CLO. In Preheater section, feed is preheated
through heat exchanger with the help of slurry from fractionator bottom.
In Reactor/Stripper section, the oil feed enters the base of the reactor risers in a
liquid or partially vaporized state, and is then completely vaporized by contact with
the hot regenerated catalyst dropping from the regenerator standpipes into the
riser lines. In Regenerator section, the coke deposits accumulated on the catalyst in
the reactor are burned off at high temperature in the presence of air In
Fractionator section, it separates the reactor vapor effluent into a wide range of
cracked hydrocarbons as product streams.
In Gas concentration section, Dry gas, LPG and Stabilized gasoline are separated
from wet gas and unstabilized gasoline. The gas concentration section mainly consists
of Wet Gas Compressor (WGC), Primary Absorber, Sponge Absorber, C2 Stripper and
Debutanizer.

UNITS SIMULATED

TRAINING EXERCISES

Feed Surge drum and preheat exchangers

Riser, Reactor, stripper
Regenerator
Flue gas waste recovery
Air Blower
Fractionator Furnace
Main Fractionator
Slurry Steam generators
Product Strippers
Wet Gas Compressor

Feed failure
Air blower failure
WGC failure
Cooling water failure
Power failure
Instrument air failure
Fail stack slide valve
Fail spent catalyst slide valve
Fail regenerator standpipe slide valve
Pump Failures

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

High Pressure Separator
Primary Absorber
Sponge Absorber
C2 Stripper
Debutanizer

Valves failures
Change in catalyst activity
Water in feed
Change in feed CONCARBON Number
Heat exchanger / cooler / reboiler fouling
Passing of FG in DFAH
Passing of torch oil to regenerator
Passing of BFW in regenerator

TRAINING BENEFITS
The Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit simulator helps beginners, experienced operators
and engineers to achieve the following objectives:
To teach trainees and to recognize, understand the operating fundamentals of a
Fluidised Catalytic Cracking using dynamic Simulation.
To identify the main equipment and operations associated with Fluidised Catalytic
Cracking
To Startup and shutdown of the process using documented procedures
To respond safely and efficiently to disturbances and malfunctions in the process.

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

PS3004: HYDROGEN GENERATION UNIT

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The Hydrogen unit is designed for a capacity of 4754 kg/hr of Hydrogen. The feed to the
unit is Naphtha. The Hydrogen unit is divided into five main sections:
Desulphurization
Reforming
CO conversion (shift section)
Separation of H2 (excluding PSA unit)
Steam Generation
Desulphurisation unit consists of three reactors, Hydrogenator R401 followed by two H2S
absorbers R402 A/B in series. In reforming section, the hydrocarbon feed is converted into
synthesis gas consisting mainly of H2, CO and CO2, besides a minor amount of CH4.
In Shift section, CO is converted to CO2 by reaction with H2O hereby generating H2. At
startup and during upsets it is possible to bypass the shift section at the expense of a
reduced H2 production. In Separation of H2, the shifted process gas contains H2, CO2 and
steam, besides a minor amount of CO and a slip of methane. The produced H2 is separated in
the PSA unit (Pressure Swing Adsorption) which also treats HCU off-gas as a feedstock. In
Steam generation section, 42 kg/cm2 steam is produced in the H2 generation plant can be
used as process steam for heat transfer within the unit and for steam export.

UNITS SIMULATED

TRAINING EXERCISES

Feed drum and preheat exchangers

Desulphurization Reactors
Pre reformer
Tubular reformer
Medium Temperature Shift converter
Low Temperature Shift converter
Recycle compressors
Deaerator and BFW pumps
BFW preheaters
Process Condensate separators

Feed failure
Pump failures
BFW failure
IF, FD fan failures
Cooling water failure
Power failure
Fail Recycle Hydrogen compressor
Start-up N2 compressor
Reformer trip
PSA trip
Reforming plugging
H2 gas leak
Fouling of heat exchangers
Sulpur in feed naphtha
Feed naphtha temperature
Desulphurization reactor catalyst activity
ZnO bed catalyst activity
Reformer catalyst activity
MTSC / LTSC catalyst activity
PSA Efficiency
Ambient air temperature
Cooling water temperature

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

PS3005: HYDRODESLPHURIZATION UNIT

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
HydroDesulphurization unit Simulator is a dynamic simulation model with following
sections:
Feed Section Heavy gas Oil along with the recycle stream enters into the
Feed Drum which is then sent to Preheaters for Preheating.
Preheat Section and Heater Feed is heated in series of exchangers and in
Fired Heater before entering the Reactor.
Reactor System - The hot Hydrogen charged feedstock stream enters the top
of Reactor for Substitution reactions to occur, removing Sulfur from the
Hydrocarbon chains and replacing it with Hydrogen.
High Pressure Accumulator system Product Section - The liquid process stream from the Cold Flash Drum, and
Hot Flash Drum are stripped in Product Stripper to strip out remaining
Hydrogen sulfide and the other contaminants from the petroleum product.

UNITS SIMULATED

TRAINING EXERCISES

Feed drum and preheat exchangers

Fired heater
Reactor
HP Accumulator
Medium Temperature Shift converter
Low Temperature Shift converter
Recycle compressors
Deaerator and BFW pumps
BFW preheaters
Process Condensate separators

Makeup compressor failure

Recycle compressor failure
Pump failures
Reactor feed heater air preheater
Fan failures
Cooling water failure
Power failure
Fail reactor feed heater fuel gas flow
Fouling of heat exchangers
Reactor catalyst activity
Maximum DEA supply rate
Hydrogen supply pressure
Hydrogen supply purity
Fresh feed olefin content
Fresh feed sulfur content
Reactor feed heater tube rupture
Reactor no. 1 plugging

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

PS3006: CATALYTIC REFORMING UNIT

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The Catalytic Reforming unit treats sweet naphtha from the naphtha hydrotreating
unit to produce high octane reformate, naphtha and hydrogen rich gas. The Catalytic
Reforming reactions involve aromatization, dehydrocyclisation of napthenes,
isomerisation and hydrocracking to a certain extent. The Catalytic Reforming unit has
four sections, namely, Feed preheat section, Reactor section, Product separator
section, Debutaniser section.
In Feed Preheat section, Feed is preheated with the help of heat exchangers
In Reactor section, it comprises of a reactor and the interstage heaters
where an endothermmic reaction takes place and further it is heated through
interstage heaters.
In Product Separator section, the two-phase mixture from the condenser
flows to the separator. The vapors rich in hydrogen are separated,
compressed and recycled back to the CFE.
In Debutaniser section, it processes the hydrocarbon liquids which contains
the maximum constituents of reformate naphtha and LPG from the separator
section.

UNITS SIMULATED

TRAINING EXERCISES

Feed tank
Combined feed exchanger
Product condenser
Charge heater
Catalytic reformer 3 stage reactors
Inter Heater 2 & 3
Separator
Debutaniser

Feed Naphtha supply Pressure

Feed Naphtha supply Temperature
Pump failures
Cooling water failure
Power failure
Fuel gas failure
Recycle gas compressor failure
Ambient Temperature
Fouling of heat exchangers
FO, PG supply pressure
Catalyst Activity

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

PS3007: CONTINUOUS CATALYST REGENERATION UNIT

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The CCR regeneration section performs two functions, namely, Catalyst transfer and
Catalyst Regeneration
In catalyst Transfer, it is transferred from the Catalytic reforming reactors to the
Regenerator and back again to regenerate the catalyst.
In Catalyst regeneration, the coke is burned off at a high temperature and low
oxygen concentration and the catalyst passes into the Chlorination Zone where it is
oxidized at high temperature and high oxygen concentration (18 to 20 mole %)
The "Logic" is divided into the following:
1. Master Controller
2. Lock Hopper No.1 Controller
3. Lock Hopper No.2 Controller
4. Miscellaneous Logic
Master controller logic contains the logic for the following:
1. Emergency Stop System
2. Regenerator Run-Stop Circuit
3. Catalyst Flow Controller
4. Chemical Selector System
5. Heater Shutdown System
6. Lift Gas Interlock
7. Lock Hopper Selector System
8. Verification

CONTROL SCHEME

TRAINING EXERCISES

Purge gas Flow Controller

Lift Gas Flow Controller
Hopper Pressure Controller
Air Heater Outlet Temperature Controller
Regenerator Heater Outlet Temp Controller
Air Flow Controller

Lock Hopper failure

Pressure Differential Controller failure
Chloride Flow failure
Downstream failure
Regeneration Heater Trip

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

PS3008: HYDROCRACKER UNIT

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The Hydrocracking process is a versatile process for catalytically hydrocracking
heavy petroleum fractions into lighter, more valuable products.
The simulated plant processes a feedstock of vacuum gas oil from the vacuum
distillation Column. The feed is converted into lower molecular weight components
namely sour gas, heavy naphtha, light naphtha, diesel oil and kerosene. The desired
degree of hydrocracking takes place as the feed is processed over a fixed bed of
catalyst at elevated hydrogen pressure and temperature. The amount of catalyst
required per volume of fresh feed and the pressure level required depend on the
nature of the feed and the products desired. When the feed and hydrogen contact
the catalyst, nitrogen compounds are converted to ammonia and hydrocarbons, sulfur
compounds are converted to hydrogen sulfide and hydrocarbons, and the hydrocarbon
feed is hydrocracked into the lower molecular weight products. The effluent from
the reactors is sent to the fractionation section where the products and bottoms are
separated. The simulated plant is divided into two major sections to accomplish the
hydro cracking process:
A Reactor section, in which the feedstock is processed through two hydrogencharged catalytic bed reactors namely lead reactor and main reactor.
A Fractionator section, in which the reaction product is separated into several
grades of hydrocarbon products, some of which go on to further treatment
and some to storage.

MAJOR EQUIPMENT

TRAINING EXERCISES

Feed preheat exchangers and surge drum

Lead and Main reactors
HP, LP Hot Separators
HP, LP Cold Separators
H2S absorber
Recycle Gas compressor
Makeup Hydrogen compressor trains
Fractionator furnace
Main Fractionator
Product strippers

Pump failures
Cooling water failure
Power failure
Fuel gas failure
Recycle gas compressor failure
MUG compressor failure
Ambient Temperature
Fouling of heat exchangers
FO, PG supply pressure
Catalyst Activity for R1, R2
Make-up H2 Purity
Heat Exchangers fouling

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

PS3009: SULPHUR RECOVERY UNIT

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The process consists of controlled combustion of a hydrogen sulfide gas stream,
followed by a (catalytic or thermal) reaction between hydrogen sulfide and sulfur
dioxide to produce sulfur as a vapor. The vapor is collected and condensed, and the
liquid is collected in the sulfur pit. The objectives of the unit operation are not only
the production of sulfur, but also the reduction of undesirable gases (such as SO2)
being released into the atmosphere. These objectives must be achieved in spite of
changes in feedstock properties and upsets to the various operating conditions.

MAJOR EQUIPMENT

TRAINING EXERCISES

Feed gas knockout drums

Pump failures
Cooling water failure
Power failure
Fuel gas failure
BFW failure

Combustion chamber
Reaction furnace
Sulfur condenser 1,2,3, 4
Steam re-heater 1,2,3
Catalytic converter 1,2,3
Sulphur pit

Plugged S Line To Coalescer

Fouling of heat exchangers
Feed gas composition
Feed gas temperature

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

PS3010: AMINE TREATING UNIT

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
In Amine plant, CO2 present in the feed synthesis gas is reduced from 54.0% to
0.06% by selective absorption using MEA (Mono Ethanol Amine). Gas handling
capacity of the simulated amine plant is 114 TPH of synthesis gas.
Amine

plant consists of the following three sections:

Absorber Section
Turbines and Pumps Section
Stripper Section

MAJOR EQUIPMENT

TRAINING EXERCISES

Absorber Column
K.O Drum
Lean Amine Cooler
Lean Amine Heat Exchanger
Amine Guard Inhibitor system
Lean Solvent Pump A - Motor Driven
Lean Solvent Pump B - Turbine Driven
Hydraulic Turbine
Stripper Column
Flash Drum
Reflux Drum (D-02)
Lean Solvent Exchanger 1
Stripper Overhead Condenser
Steam Reboiler
Hot Oil Reboiler

Pump failures
Power failure
Blow absorber relief valve
Blow stripper relief valve
High CO2 in feed gas
Fouling of heat exchanger
Cooling water temperature
Feed gas temperature
Exchanger fouling
Stripper efficiency
Absorber efficiency
FOAMING IN STRIPPER

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com

PS3000: Refinery Operations Simulator

SIM INFOSYSTEMS PVT LTD, 2, DSilva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, INDIA
Phone: +91-44-24982617, Email: [email protected]. Website: www.siminfosystems.com