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Welcome to Vacuum Distillation Unit Module 02 – Vacuum Ejectors,

Aftercoolers & Hotwell and Heat Recovery.

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For the Vacuum Ejectors, Aftercoolers & Hotwell and Heat Recovery unit
operations, upon completion of this module, you should be able to:

Describe the process flow

Name the principal items of equipment

Describe their function

Understand the principles of operation

Recognize their internal components

Additionally, you should be able to demonstrate an awareness of:

Important process variables and how they’re controlled

Major operating constraints

Typical operating problems

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These are our topics. We’ll start with the Vacuum Ejectors, Aftercoolers &
Hotwell.

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Picking up from the unit operations covered in Module 01, let’s take a
look at the Vacuum Ejectors, Aftercoolers & Hotwell, pictured here.

The function of this unit operation is to maintain the Vacuum Tower

under an ultra-low vacuum and condense and dispose of the overheads
stream.

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Process Description:
The overheads stream is a mixture of stripping steam and wet gas oil - a
middle distillate by-product produced by a small amount of thermal cracking
that occurs in the high temperature zones of the Vacuum Tower.
The overheads stream passes to a 3-stage Ejector system that maintains the
top of the tower under a vacuum - the motive power for the Ejectors is
medium pressure steam.
From the Ejectors, the stripping steam, wet gas oil and ejector steam pass
through 3 Aftercoolers where, with the exception of a small amount of gas and
light vapor, they are condensed.

From the Aftercoolers, the gas/vapor/oil/water mixture passes via liquid-

sealed dip-legs into a Hotwell, where the oil and water disengage and form an
interface level.

The Wet Gas Oil is pumped to the FCCU for disposal and the Sour Water is
pumped to the Sour Water Stripper where it is treated and reused.

The non-condensibles, a mixture of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and light

hydrocarbon gases and vapors, are passed to a process heater firebox where
they are fully combusted.

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Control Description:

By combined adjustment of the amount of steam passed to individual

ejectors and the cooling water flows through the associated aftercoolers,
the operators maintain the top of the tower under a vacuum of 22 mm
Hg (12 ins H2O).

The system hydraulics determine the pressure in the Hotwell, which

typically operates at a slight positive pressure of 0.13 barg (1.9 psig).

The amount of wet gas oil produced is small, so the Wet Gas Oil Pump
runs intermittently, started and stopped automatically by the Hotwell oil-
water interface level controller.

The Sour Water Pump runs continuously, with the water rundown rate
adjusted by the Hotwell water level controller.

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Functional Description:

The transition between negative and positive pressure in the Hotwell is

achieved by liquid-sealed dip-legs that extend below the level.

If the liquid level falls below the bottom of the diplegs this destroys the
vacuum, so Hotwell operation is critical.

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Operating Problems:

Some common operating problems in the overhead system are:

Holes in the Hotwell diplegs that destroy the vacuum (the holes
are caused by corrosion)

Loss of liquid level and dipleg seal in the Hotwell (caused by

liquid level measurement and control problems)

Reduced heat transfer efficiency in the Aftercoolers (caused by

fouling on the cooling water side)

Overloading of the Aftercoolers (caused by too much superheat

in the ejector drive steam)

Excessively high Hotwell interface level (caused by the presence

of middle distillate material in the VDU atmos resid feed)

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Our final unit operation is Heat Recovery.

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You can see the heat exchangers pictured here.

The Heat Recovery system removes heat from the Vacuum Tower side
and bottom draws.

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Process Description – Vac Resid:

Our first draw is Vacuum Residue or Vac Resid.

Steam stripped vacuum residue is withdrawn from the base of the

Vacuum Tower. The vac resid is used to preheat the ADU crude feed
before splitting to form a rundown and a quench stream:

The quench is returned to the base of the Vacuum Tower

The rundown is cooled by giving up heat to the ADU crude feed

and finally cooled to a safe rundown temperature by heat
exchange with tempered water

As the vac resid cools, its flow resistance increases, so viscosity cutters
(typically middle distillates) are added.

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Control Description – Vac Resid:

The stripping steam maintains the flash point of the vac resid within safe
limits for storage. An increased stripping steam flow rate raises the flash
point and vice versa.

The stripping steam flow rate is typically ratioed to the vac resid
rundown flow.

The Vacuum Tower bottoms draw temperature is controlled at 360ºC

(680ºF) by cascade control of the flow of quench returning to the top of
the stripping section of the tower.

Viscosity cutters are added to the vac resid rundown on flow control.

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Operating Problems – Vac Resid:

Process upsets that reduce the amount of vac resid quench available for
controlling the tower bottoms temperature (e.g. a diminishing bottoms
level or failure of a Vac Resid Pump) increase the potential for
overheating, coking and plugging in the bottom of the Vacuum Tower.

A further potential problem exists on the vac resid rundown where

excursions such as low flow, excessive cooling or inattention to viscosity
control can result in solidification of the vac resid.

This can be particularly problematic in cold climates or on plants that run

waxy crudes.

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Process Description – VHVGO:

Our second draw is Very Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil or VHVGO.

Very Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil is withdrawn from the side of the Vacuum
Tower, beneath Bed 4, cooled by heat exchange with ADU crude feed and
then split three ways:

VHVGO pumparound is returned to the tower above Bed 4

VHVGO emergency reflux (sometimes also called pumpdown) is

returned to the flash zone of the tower

VHVGO rundown is further cooled by heat exchange first with

ADU crude feed, then with tempered water before passing to
downstream process units

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Control Description – VHVGO:

VHVGO is withdrawn from a chimney tray below Bed 4 at a temperature

of 390ºC (734ºF), cooled and then split into 3 streams:

VHVGO pumparound is returned to the tower above Bed 4 on

flow control

VHVGO emergency reflux (sometimes also called pumpdown) is

returned to the flash zone of the tower, also on flow control

VHVGO rundown is further cooled by heat exchange first with

ADU crude feed and then with tempered water before passing to
downstream process units - a level to flow cascade control
arrangement ensures a level is maintained on the chimney tray
below Bed 4

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Operating Problems – VHVGO:

The VHVGO pumparound is critical to keeping Bed 4 wetted at all times,

preventing it from drying out, overheating, coking and plugging.

It is also very important to maintain the level in the chimney tray below
Bed 4 as that can suffer the same fate.

The VHVGO emergency reflux stream (or pumpdown) is used to control

temperature excursions in the flash zone or replenish a diminishing level
in the tower bottoms - a further precursor to overheating, coking and
plugging.

If the VHVGO rundown is being routed as feed to the FCCU, the

distillation end point, carbon residue and metals content must be closely
monitored and controlled.

You’ll hear more about that in the program on FCCU.

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Process Description – HVGO:

Our third draw is Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil or HVGO.

Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil is withdrawn from the side of the Vacuum Tower,
beneath Bed 3, cooled by heat exchange with ADU crude feed and then
split two ways:

HVGO pumparound is cooled by heat exchange with Boiler Feed

Water to raise Low Pressure Steam and returned to the tower
above Bed 3

HVGO rundown is further cooled by heat exchange first with

ADU Stabilizer feed, then with tempered water before passing to
downstream process units

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Control Description – HVGO:

HVGO is withdrawn from a chimney tray below Bed 3 at a temperature of

275ºC (527ºF), cooled and then split into 2 streams:

HVGO pumparound is cooled by heat exchange with Boiler Feed

Water to raise Low Pressure Steam and returned to the tower
above Bed 3 on flow control

HVGO rundown is further cooled by heat exchange first with

ADU Stabilizer feed, then with tempered water before passing to
downstream process units. A level to flow cascade control
arrangement ensures a level is maintained on the chimney tray
below Bed 3

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Operating Problems – HVGO:

The HVGO pumparound is critical to keeping Bed 3 wetted at all times,

preventing it from drying out, overheating, coking and plugging.

For the same reasons, it is also very important to maintain the level in
the chimney tray below Bed 3.

The HVGO rundown is routed as feed to the FCCU so, (in common with
the VHVGO) the distillation end point, carbon residue and metals content
must be closely monitored and controlled.

You’ll hear more about that in the program on FCCU.

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Process Description – LVGO:

Our fourth draw is Light Vacuum Gas Oil or LVGO.

LVGO is withdrawn from the chimney tray below bed 1. A portion of the
LVGO is returned to the top of Bed 2.

The balance of the LVGO is cooled in a fin-fan type cooler and then split
two ways:

LVGO pumparound passes through a water cooler and is

returned to the Vacuum Tower above Bed 1

LVGO rundown passes to downstream process units

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Control Description – LVGO:

LVGO is withdrawn from the chimney tray below bed 1. A portion of the
LVGO is returned to the top of Bed 2 on flow control as hot reflux.

The balance of the LVGO is cooled in a fin-fan type cooler and then split
two ways:

LVGO pumparound passes through a water cooler and is

returned to the Vacuum Tower above Bed 1 on flow control at a
temperature of 65ºC (149ºF) - the LVGO pumparound return
temperature is adjusted to ensure the overheads stream remains
above its dew point, avoiding corrosion

LVGO rundown passes to a downstream process unit via a level

to flow cascade control arrangement that ensures a level is
maintained on the chimney tray below Bed 1

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Operating Problems – LVGO:

The LVGO system is less susceptible to overheating, coking and plugging

than the other side and bottom draws.

However, poor control of pumparound rates and temperatures can result

in an elevated overheads stream temperature which can overload the
downstream ejectors and diminish the vacuum.

Now that can lead to higher temperatures and back to overheating,

coking and plugging.

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Moving on, for completeness, here we have the Process Flow Diagram for
the Ejector, Aftercooler, Hotwell and Heat Recovery unit operations.

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And here is the corresponding Process Flow Control Diagram for the
Ejectors, Aftercoolers and Hotwell…

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….followed by the Process Flow Control Diagram for the Heat Recovery
section.

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And this completes Module 02, in which we have covered the Vacuum Ejectors, Aftercoolers
& Hotwell and Heat Recovery unit operations.
To summarize:
The function of the Vacuum Ejectors, Aftercoolers & Hotwell unit operation is to
maintain the Vacuum Tower under an ultra-low vacuum and condense and dispose
of the overheads stream
The function of the Heat Recovery unit operation is to remove heat from the
Vacuum Tower side and bottom draws
For each of these unit operations, you should be familiar with:
Principal items of equipment and their function
Important process variables and associated controls
Principles of operation and the internal components of key items of equipment
Typical operating problems
Your task now is to take the VDU Module 02 Quiz to ensure you have fully understood the
material.
If you find the questions challenging, you should consider repeating this module before
moving on to the next one.
Good luck!

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You can now close this module.

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