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EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPTIMISING WATER USE IN THE REFINING
INDUSTRY
SUKHOTERIN E.V.
Toraigyrov University Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, 64 Lomovo str.
Abstract. In - depth analysis is conducted in this paper on the strategies employed by refineries to manage water, specifically emphasizing the adoption of systems that recover and reuse water. The implementation of three distinct reclaimed water supply systems, each designed to meet specific operational requirements, is outlined. The significance of transitioning from open cooling systems to closed - loop systems to reduce water wastage is underscored, along with the pivotal role played by purification technologies like ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis in maintaining water quality. In addition, the article delves into the exploration of optimizing technological procedures and embracing contemporary refining techniques that require less water, thereby improving resource efficiency. It emphasizes the significance of efficient management of wastewater through the implementation of advanced treatment approaches like membrane technology and biological treatment. Furthermore, it underscores the utilization of treated wastewater as a means to reduce the consumption of fresh water.
Furthermore, the text advocates the implementation of water monitoring and management systems, including IoT - based solutions, for real-time data collection and analysis to optimize water consumption and prevent leaks. It also discusses the practical importance of water recovery systems and provides examples of notable successes companies have achieved by employing closed-loop cooling and membrane technology, resulting in significant reductions in water consumption and overall environmental impact.
Introduction
Assessment of the current state of the scientific problem being solved.
Water consumption in the oil refining industry, it is competently selected systems of water treatment and water treatment to ensure full-fledged technological processes to optimise water use in the oil refining industry.
Refineries use huge volumes of water. Water is used for a variety of purposes:
- equipment cooling;
- boiler make-up;
- oil desalting;
- domestic needs;
- condensation and cooling of products;
- preparation of solutions, emulsions, etc.
Relevance of the research work: The huge consumption of water at oil refineries, leads to the invention of new and improvement of existing methods and technologies of water use in production, the need to reduce the volume of water at the enterprises and return them to the beginning of the technological process.
Water is necessary for cooling equipment (tower cooling, circulation water supply systems, heat exchangers), refined products, use of water for dissolving, extraction, washing and oil refining (hydrotreating, catalytic cracking, hydrocracking). Necessary in steam production, the steam produced in boilers is used for various technological needs such as heating and pressurisation. Use of water in waste treatment and utilisation, removal of contaminants from industrial wastewater and sludge.
Despite the significant use of water, there are several key challenges associated with water use in the refining industry, these are high water consumption, huge volumes of water are required to
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support production processes, which puts pressure on local water resources. Pollution of wastewater during the refining process, with various chemicals, oils and other harmful substances. Treatment and reuse of water requires significant energy costs.
Existing environmental regulations and requirements are becoming increasingly stringent, increasing the need for improved water management technologies.
The purpose of the research work is the most effective way to reduce water consumption and water disposal, with the introduction of water recycling systems in the oil refining industry of Kazakhstan, taking into account national characteristics and sustainable development strategies.
The objectives of the research work are to optimise water use in the oil refining industry:
- water reuse and recycling;
- water recycling;
- improvement of technological processes;
- effective wastewater management;
- monitoring and management of water use;
- predictive maintenance.
Water recycling and water reuse is one of the most promising areas of water management at oil refineries, which significantly reduces fresh water consumption and wastewater volumes. Recirculation technologies include the use of closed cooling systems, this is a transition from open cooling systems, where water is lost to evaporation, to closed systems, where water is circulated through a closed loop, which minimises water losses. Introduction of water purification and reuse technologies in production processes, such as ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and biological purification.
Recycled water supply can be implemented in a single scheme.
There are three main types of recycled water supply systems:
A
B
C
Figure - 1. Schemes of recycled water supply
In the first scheme (Figure 1. A), water is used as a heat carrier and is categorised as conditionally clean water. In the process of use, provided that the equipment is hermetically sealed, it is not contaminated, but only heated; before reuse it is cooled in cooling ponds, splash pools and cooling towers.
In the second scheme (Figure - 2. B), the water is not heated in the production process, but is contaminated and is treated before being returned to the process. Depending on the nature of the impurities contained in the water and the quality requirements for recycled water, various treatment methods and their combinations can be applied. The quality requirements for treated water are determined by the type of process in which it is used.
The third scheme (Figure - 3. C), with treatment and cooling of recycled water. In this case, the water is treated and cooled when it returns to production.
In all cases, fresh water is only added to make up for losses. Water losses due to evaporation Qevap. (evaporation) average 2.5 %, from dripping Qent. (entrainment). from 0.3 to 0.5 % of the circulating water volume. Water losses during its purification Qpurif. (purification). depend on the applied method and vary widely. To prevent accumulation of salts in the recycled water, a part of it, on average from 5 to 10 %, is discharged into a water body (blowdown or discharge Qdisch. (discharge).).
All systems that use water in circulation are divided into local, centralised and mixed systems.
In localised systems, water is used in circulation after its application in one or sequentially in several technological processes.
Centralised water supply water after different processes is treated by a single flow after which it is returned to production.
In mixed water supply, water from one recycling system is used in another one
Optimisation of technological processes allows to reduce water consumption and improve resource efficiency, application of process integration, which combines several stages of oil refining in order to use water more efficiently and reduce its consumption. Implementation of more modern and less water-intensive refining technologies, such as hydrotreating instead of traditional methods.
Effective wastewater management includes treatment and utilisation of wastewater with minimal environmental impact, using modern treatment methods such as membrane technology, biological treatment and chemical methods to remove contaminants. Utilisation and reuse of treated wastewater for technical needs, significantly reducing fresh water consumption.
The implementation of water use monitoring and management systems allows for more efficient control of water consumption and prevention of water leakages and the use of automated water use monitoring and management systems based on IoT data to optimise water consumption. IoT is a system of installing sensors and devices that collect data on various parameters such as water flow, temperature, pressure, pollution levels, etc. These devices are connected to a network, which allows the collected data to be transmitted in real time to central servers or cloud platforms for analysis and processing.
Predictive maintenance: Application of predictive analytics to detect and correct water use problems in a timely manner.
Scientific novelty.
Some companies have already achieved significant success in optimising water use. Consider a few examples:
- implementing closed - loop cooling and water recycling systems in their plants, which has reduced water consumption by 40%.
- Exxonmobil: using membrane technology to treat wastewater, which has allowed them to reuse up to 75% of their production water.
- Shell: implementation of integrated water management systems, resulting in a 30% reduction in overall water consumption.
Practical significance. The most effective way to reduce water consumption and water disposal is the introduction of water recycling systems. At present, water recycling systems are implemented at 90% of the enterprises of the industry and provide 88% of their production water requirements.
High cooling water consumption and low evaporation coefficients of recycling systems (1.21.5 on average) lead to the fact that the amount of blowdown water at refineries accounts for 6070% of the total amount of wastewater generated. In this regard, a significant reduction in water consumption and wastewater disposal can be achieved by increasing the circulation rate of recycled water.
Conclusion
At performance of the report of research work, the purposes for stage-by-stage fulfilment of the master's thesis have been considered, the acutality of a theme and tasks necessary for achievement of the purpose have been revealed.
According to the results of the research study of opportunities for optimising water use in the oil refining industry, were the most effective way to reduce water consumption and wastewater disposal, it is the introduction of water recycling systems, which will significantly reduce water consumption and reduce the ecological impact on the environment. The implementation of this method not only promotes sustainable development, but also improves the economic efficiency of production.
Thus, the oil refining industry can play an active role in conserving water resources and protecting the environment.
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LIST OF REFERENCES USED
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3. N.K. Laptedulche, E.S. Dremicheva "Water use at oil production and refining enterprises" Textbook.
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5. "Water Management in Oil and Gas Production: A Primer and Introduction" by John Novak, Lisa M. Bratton, and George D. Najjar
6. "Water Treatment and Water Supply at Oil Refineries: Current Trends and Development Prospects" by N.N. Nikolaeva and S.S. Smirnova
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