NONTRADITIONAL OPTIMIZATION FOR ISOM UNIT IMPROVES PROFITS

A real-time, closed-loop optimization of the Penex process for light-naphtha isomerization was implemented at Bayernoil's (formerly Raffineriegesellschaft Vohburg/Ingolstadt GmbH) Ingolstadt, Germany, refinery in July 1996. Bayernoil is a joint venture of British Petroleum Co. plc, Mobil Oil Corp., Ruhr Ol GmbH, and Agip Petroli SpA. This article is an excerpt from a paper that describes techniques to optimize a multiunit naphtha complex on-line using steady state models. The naphtha complex includes naphtha hydrotreating, naphtha splitting, isomerization, and reforming in a typical refinery. These units rarely achieve steady state simultaneously.