The modeling and simulation of the
reactive-molecular distillation process (centrifugal type-CRMD) to
upgrade high-boiling-point petroleum fractions is presented in this
work. A case study is presented for an atmospheric petroleum residue
(673.15 K+) of “W” crude oil. The use of
the Plackett–Burman and fractional factorial designs (2IV
4–1) permitted the evaluation of the effects
of the independent variables (evaporator temperature, feed flow rate,
percent weight of catalyst, feed temperature, condenser temperature,
rotor speed, and system pressure) on the dependent variables: film
thickness, surface evaporation rate, distillate mass flow rate, concentration
profiles, and velocity profiles. The results showed that the independent
variables, the evaporator temperature and the percent weight of catalyst,
were relevant operational conditions for the performance of the CRMD
process reaching a conversion of the feedstock about 65% at 3 wt %
of catalyst and 64% at 5 wt % of catalyst in the distillate stream
and 49% at 3 wt % of catalyst and 53% at 5 wt % of catalyst in the
residue stream. Due to the rapid temperature rise in the thin liquid
film, the thickness of the film rapidly decreased in this region,
whereas the amount of distillate mass flow rate from the split molecules
continuously increased.