Molecular distillation of heavy petroleum fractions: Knowledge-based understanding of its hydrodynamic parameters

ABSTRACTThe hydrodynamic parameters of molecular distillation (mean free path – MFP and Knudsen number – Kn) were estimated under a screening of evaporator temperature (423.15-623.15 K) and the pressure system (0.1-1.0 Pa). The modeling and simulation were based on the kinetic theory for a set of twenty-five pseudo-components in a heavy petroleum fraction (HPF). The results demonstrated that when distances from 0.02 to 0.08 m between the evaporator and condenser were considered, the Kn (0.01 – 2.0) elucidated a pattern with the characteristics of free-molecule flow (molecular flow regime). These results offer new insight into the processing of HPFs.