I.

INTRODUCTION
In order to maximize the recovery of gas oil, reduced crude from an atmospheric distillation unit is
further processed in a vacuum distillation unit. The typical products of a vacuum column are vacuum gas
oils, and vacuum bottoms residue. The vacuum gas oils which can be fed to a Unicracking and/or a Fluid
Catalytic Cracking (FCC) units for further processing are usually referred to as "money products" in the
sense that the product values far outweigh the value of the original feedstock. A vacuum unit is one
which flashes gas oils from reduced crudes at pressures much lower than atmospheric, usually less than
0.07 kg/cm²a (1.0 psia), and at temperatures at which neither the vacuum gas oil fraction nor the
vacuum residue will suffer any thermal decomposition. Under a vacuum, as in a vacuum tower, the
boiling point of the mixture is decreased to the point where heavy compounds can be fractionated at
temperatures below which “cracking” will take place. Uncracked gas oil is very important to the
manufacturers of lubricating oils. Gas oil used as charge to a catalytic cracking unit can tolerate a small
amount of cracking; however, the concern would be an uncracked vacuum residue rather than an
uncracked gas oil. The vacuum residue fraction must be uncracked if it is to be sold as an asphalt
blending component. Most asphalt specifications are sold on a negative oliensis test, which is a very
sensitive indication of cracking.

II. PROCESS PRINCIPLES

At atmospheric pressure, reduced crude contains gas oils with boiling points ranging from 343°C (650°F)
to 566°C (1050°F) that would be subjected to cracking temperatures long before meaningful quantities
of gas oils could be flashed off. By reducing the pressure, desired quantities of specification material can
be flashed off below cracking temperatures. The maximum performance or ability to lift the maximum
gas oil products depends on the lowest pressure that can be attained in the flash zone of the vacuum
column consistent with maximum non-cracking temperatures from the heater to the flash zone.
Experience has shown that for most stocks an optimum vacuum column flash zone temperature is
approximately 400°C (750°F). Although there are some stocks, usually with high characterization factor
(UOP K) that require lower temperatures. And then there are the low UOP K stocks that can tolerate
temperatures as high as 427°C (800°F). Laboratory data is required for determining yields and
decomposition temperature on stocks for which there is no commercial data available. For discussion
purposes, the vacuum unit can be divided into sections. These are termed as follows:

• Vacuum Heater Section

• Vacuum Residue Section

• Flash Zone Section

• Slop Wax Section

• Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO) Section

• Medium Vacuum Gas Oil (MVGO) Section

• Light Vacuum Gas Oil (LVGO) Section

• Vacuum Producing Section

III. PROCESS VARIABLES
A. VACUUM HEATER OUTLET TEMPERATURE
The vacuum heater supplies the required amount of heat to the reduced crude to provide proper
amount of hydrocarbon lift when the reduced crude enters the flash zone of the vacuum column. The
primary operating variable is the heater outlet temperature, as this controls the vacuum column flash
zone temperature. This flash zone temperature determines the ability of the vacuum residue to meet
product specifications and/or the product quality of the HVGO.

B. VACUUM RESIDUE SECTION

1. Vacuum Column Residue Temperature

Temperature control of the vacuum residue in the vacuum column bottom boot is critical. This
temperature is controlled by returning a slip stream of cooled vacuum residue back to the vacuum
column boot. As noted earlier, this temperature should be controlled at 365°C (690°F) or lower to
minimize potential for coking.

2. Residence Time The vacuum column residue level should be maintained as low as possible to
minimize residence time of the hot vacuum residue. There should be some allowance for upsets, but the
lower the residue level is maintained, the less residence time for coking.

C. FLASH ZONE SECTION

1. Flash Zone Temperature The flash zone temperature is varied dependent upon the crude source to
meet the vacuum residue specification and or the product quality of the HVGO. The flash zone
temperature is not directly controlled, but as stated above, the heater outlet temperature controls the
flash zone temperature.

2. Flash Zone Pressure This pressure is not normally varied however, if the pressure can be reduced, it
will increase the lift of heavier material at a constant heater outlet temperature. Operating at too low of
a flash zone pressure increases the risk of entrainment of heavy material into the VGO. The vacuum
column C-factor should be checked before decreasing the flash zone pressure.

D. SLOP WAX SECTION

The slop wax section is provided to wash entrainment of heavy material from the vapors rising out of
the flash zone. The slop wax stream has a significant quantity of metals and asphaltenes compared to
the product vacuum gas oils. The slop wax stream provides some measure of control of these heavy,
undesirable components. These heavy materials and metals would have a negative effect on the
downstream VGO processing units. Hot slop wax flow rate is a measure of the net condensation leaving
reflux bed below the HCGO draw tray. Slop wax is recycled to the heater inlet or exported with the
vacuum residue stream. The slop wax flow rate is controlled by the amount of hot HVGO refluxed to the
bed between the HVGO and slop wax. The minimum flow of slop wax is determined by the minimum
wetting rate required at the outlet of the reflux bed between the HVGO and slop wax. If the slop wax
flow rate is too low, there is risk of coking in the reflux bed between HVGO and slop wax. If the slop wax
flow rate is too high, valuable gas oil and energy are wasted.
E. HEAVY VACUUM GAS OIL (HVGO) SECTION

The HVGO section is sometimes referred to as the heat removal section. It is here that most of the
vacuum gas oils are condensed by circulating HVGO through heat exchangers and returning a portion as
reflux to the top of this section. In most designs, the heavy gas oil draw is 30-80% of the total gas oil. By
drawing both a medium and heavy product, the HVGO drawoff temperature will be higher and provide
for more efficient heat recovery. The process variables for this section are the flow rates of the two
HVGO refluxes.

1. Hot HVGO Reflux The hot HVGO reflux is directed back to the column from the hot HVGO wash pump,
where it enters the column beneath the HVGO accumulator tray. This stream washes the metals and
heavier materials from the rising vapors. Before the hot HVGO reflux enters the vacuum column, the hot
HVGO is filtered to remove particulate that could plug the spray nozzles inside the column. The flow and
distribution of the hot HVGO is critical to the long term operation of the vacuum column. As noted in the
slop wax section, the rate of this material should be set to ensure that the bed in this section of the
tower remains wetted. Loss of flow of hot HVGO should be dealt with immediately or the bed will coke
from the hot vapors rising from the flash zone.

2. HVGO Pumparound The HVGO pumparound is directed from the discharge of the HVGO pumps to the
crude preheat exchange train. To maximize the heat exchange, observe the temperature of the crude
leaving the HVGO - crude preheat exchanger, then lower the heavy gas oil circulation rate by 5%. If the
crude temperature rises, the effect of the higher HVGO temperature has been greater than the effect of
reduced HVGO circulation, and a further trial can be made. If the crude temperature drops, a 5% change
in the opposite direction can be tested. From the crude preheat exchange train, the HVGO is returned to
the vacuum column just below the MVGO accumulator tray.

F. MEDIUM VACUUM GAS OIL (MVGO) SECTION Not all vacuum units are designed with a MVGO section;
however, most modern designs now include this section to maximize heat recovery. The middle vacuum
gas oil is collected on the accumulator tray and directed to the suction of the MVGO pumps. From the
pumps the stream is directed to the exchanger train on flow control which is varied to maintain the
design temperature exchange. Depending on heat removal and operating flexibility requirements, the
reflux stream is directed either through a cooler or around the cooler as controlled by a three-way
temperature control valve before returning to the column via a flow controller. This pumparound return
enters the column above the packed section and is varied to control the initial boiling point and flash of
the MVGO. The pumparound flow is varied to recover maximum heat and the return temperatures are
varied so that the vapors in this section are not over condensed causing flooding on the MVGO
accumulator tray. The product stream is taken from the returning exchanger train flow and is controlled
by a flow control valve that takes a signal from the level indicator on the accumulator tray. This stream is
varied to control the level on the accumulator tray.

G. LIGHT VACUUM GAS OIL (LVGO) SECTION The light vacuum gas oil section can be described as the top
or final condensing region. Here the LVGO is condensed and separated from the non-condensible gases
going to the vacuum producing section. The quantity of vapors rising to this section is considerably less
than below, so almost always, the column is swagged at this point. In some units, the LVGO is specified
to meet diesel specifications. In this case, a fractionation bed is located below the LVGO accumulator
tray. The LVGO drawn off the accumulator tray is split into two streams. The first, a slip stream of hot
reflux, is taken off the pump discharge and routed back to the tower via flow control to a distributor
located above a bed of structured packing. The second is cooled and sent on flow control back to the
upper LVGO section as pumparound. The flow rate of this stream is the process variable for this section.
In varying this flowrate, the composition of the material collected on the LVGO accumulator tray will be
changed. If the flowrate is increased, then more of the lighter vapors will be condensed out and the
initial boiling point of the LVGO will be less. The tray level is maintained by the product control valve to
storage or downstream units.

H. VACUUM PRODUCING SECTION

The vacuum column pressure is not a variable; however, minor variations in steam quality and/or
cooling water conditions can cause changes in the vacuum column pressure, thus varying the operation
of the entire column. There is a spillback from the 1st stage ejector to the vacuum column to maintain
the vacuum column pressure over minor fluctuations; but to minimize energy, this spillback should be
the minimum necessary to prevent daily blips in steam and/or cooling water conditions from impacting
the vacuum column operation.

1. Steam Pressure

Steam pressure should be maintained as close to equipment design as possible. If the steam pressure
greatly exceeds that for which the ejector was designed, the quantity of steam discharging into the
diffuser will be greater than the quantity that can pass through the diffuser/condenser and steam will
back into the suction header. Too low a steam pressure will result in a loss in performance of the
ejector. Wet steam will cause random fluctuations in ejector performance and erode the nozzle and
diffuser.

2. Discharge Pressure

If the ejector discharge pressure rises above design, there is an increasing probability of reverse flow. An
increase in discharge pressure on an ejector discharging to atmosphere is only possible if the discharge
is obstructed or the nozzle is worn. On multi-stage units, an increase in inter-stage pressure due to high
condensate temperatures or failure of an intermediate stage ejector will immediately affect the
performance of the first-stage ejector.

3. Load

A decrease in the mass flowrate of vapor to the ejector or load, will result in a somewhat higher
vacuum. If the load is increased above design the vacuum obtained will fall off quite suddenly and
dramatically.

4. Water Temperature

The temperature at which steam is condensed in the condensers will have an effect on the vacuum
obtained in a multi stage system. Higher condensate temperatures increase the amount of water vapor
that accompanies non-condensables, substantially increasing the load on the next ejector and increasing
the discharge pressure seen by the ejector. At a high enough pressure the ejector system breaks down
and the pressure in the column rises dramatically. As the condensers are normally at an elevation higher
than other cooling water services a dedicated booster pump is employed to ensure an adequate flow of
water to the exchangers. In order to ensure flexibility, an ejector system for a vacuum unit may be
constructed using parallel sets. The minimum combination of equipment that will achieve a satisfactory
vacuum is normally used to minimize cost but may result in a potential loss of operating flexiblity.
Vapors drawn from the top of a typical vacuum unit into the vacuum producing equipment consists of
stripping steam, air from leaks, steam entrained with the reduced crude, light hydrocarbons, sulfur and
nitrogen compounds from thermal decomposition in the heater, and any hydrocarbons lighter than
gasoline that have not been stripped from the reduced crude.

IV. PROCESS EQUIPMENT

This section will present a short description of the major pieces of equipment in a Vacuum Distillation
Unit.

A. VESSELS
1. Vacuum Column

The purpose of the vacuum column is the separation of vacuum residue from the gas oil products. After
the separation has taken place in the flash zone of the column, it is only desired to condense these
vapors as efficiently as possible. The vessel shell is constructed of killed carbon steel. The bottom section
from just the middle vacuum gas oil draw tray to the bottom boot section, is typically clad lined with
alloy material such as 405 or 410S stainless steel when resistance to sulfur corrosion is desired If
resistance to naphthenic acid attack is required higher grade stainless steel such as 317SS is required. All
internals in these sections should match the cladding. All nozzles and manways in these sections should
be clad with the same material. The lining in these sections are considered to be the corrosion
allowance for these areas. All flanges below the LVGO accumulator tray are Class 300 RF of matching
material to the shell/cladding. Flanges from the top of the vacuum column to the LVGO draw tray may
be Class 150 RF. See Figure V-1 for a typical vacuum column.
2. Ejector Condensate Receiver

The purpose of this receiver is to separate the steam condensate and any liquid hydrocarbon and gases
that have been carried overhead. The vessel is constructed of killed carbon steel. The vessel has level
indication in the surge sections of the drum.
3. Amine absorber

The purpose of this vessel is to remove H2S from the ejector condensate receiver off gas via counter
current contacting with lean amine. The vessel is constructed of killed carbon steel, has baffles for
separation of light hydrocarbon slop from the rich amine. Level indication is provided for light
hydrocarbon oil, rich amine is pumped on level control to amine treating.

B. HEATER(S)
The purpose of this equipment is to provide the required heat input for the separation of the reduced
crude oil into its components of vacuum residue and gas oil products. Vacuum heaters generally are
designed with multi-pass flows and are cabin type radiant-convection section heaters. All passes must
be symmetrical. The metallurgy of the tubes is typically a miniumum of 9 Cr - 1 Mo alloy steel with a wall
thickness to meet the applied stress plus approximately 2 mm corrosion allowance. Higher alloys such as
317SS are required when processing crudes with high npahthenic acid contents. In no case should the
wall thickness be less than Sch. 40 and terminal tubes shall be flanged with ANSI, Class 300, RF flanges.
The heater is preferably equipped with fuel gas firing only but may be equipped with both fuel gas and
fuel oil burners. Each burner should have a pilot with a flame retention head. The heater may have a
steam generation coil and/or a superheater coil in the convection section or constructed with a
combustion air preheater section to improve energy efficiency.
C. HEAT EXCHANGERS
There are generally two types of heat exchangers associated with vacuum units. These are

1. Shell and Tube

All the crude preheat/vacuum stream exchangers are generally shell & tube type that allow heat
recovery between the hot vacuum streams and the unheated crude feed. The shell and tube exchanger
consists of 5 major parts. The shell, tube bundle, floating head, bell head, and channel head. The
construction material required for each exchanger must be determined by the type of service it is in.
This material will range from very simple carbon steel/carbon steel to some very sophisticated alloys,
such as 5 Cr-½ Mo/5 Cr-½ Mo or stainless steels. An improved shell side design employing helically
arranged baffles on the shell side is gaining favor in the industry as the design avoids the low flow or
dead zone areas found in conventional shell and tube exchangers. These helical flow exchangers are
specified for hot, viscous streams to minimize fouling tendencies and improve operability.
 2. Air Fin-Fan Exchangers The air fin fan exchangers are typically found in the LVGO section. There is no
heat recovery with this type of heat exchanger as the cooling medium is air. An air fin-fan exchanger
consists of a motor driven fan with one or more heat transfer sections mounted horizontally on a frame.
The heat transfer sections consist of finned tubes fixed between header boxes. Allowance for thermal
expansion of the tubes is accomplished by anchoring only one header box and allowing the other end to
move. The motor drive is connected to the fan blade by a pulley system. The cooler can be a forced draft
type, meaning the air is pushed upwards through the tubes. The construction material for these
exchangers range is killed carbon steel.

D. KETTLE TYPE STEAM GENERATORS

If the vacuum heater is not constructed with a steam generation coil, then the unit will most likely have
kettle type steam generators on the HVGO stream and may have them on the MVGO and in some cases
the LVGO and vacuum residue streams as well. The purpose of these exchangers is to recover some of
the heat from the hydrocarbon streams by producing low pressure steam. The construction material
required for each steam generator must be determined by the type of service it is in. This material can
range from very simple carbon steel to some sophisticated alloy's, such as 5 Cr-½ Mo/5 Cr-½ Mo or
stainless steels.

E. PUMPS
Generally only one type of pump used in a vacuum unit and that is a centrifugal pump. However,
positive displacement pumps are also used when there is a possibility of high pour point material
plugging piping or a piece of equipment. 1. Centrifugal Pumps Centrifugal pumps are used for nearly all
applications in the vacuum unit. Some pumps in hydrocarbon service or sour water service use tandem
seals due to environmental concerns. In this application the seal oil is contained in a reservoir where it
can be pumped to and from the pump seal. Oil is continuously pumped between the seals. In the event
of a seal failure, the process will leak into the oil system and cause a pressure or level increase in the
reservoir. Generally the reservoir is equipped with a pressure alarm and gauge to alert the operator to a
seal failure. The reservoir is usually vented to the flare through an orifice plate. A pressurized seal may
be used when pump suction pressures are below atmospheric pressure. A seal pot with a barrier fluid
and pressure indicator are provided. A failed seal will be indicated by a sudden loss of barrier fluid. 2.
Positive displacement pumps A positive displacement pump / ram oil pump may be provided to allow
clearing of blocked piping or equipment of high pour point material that has been allowed to cool. Care
must be taken to not over pressure the piping / equipment with this pump. Steam is the typical driver
for this pump.

F. STEAM JET EJECTOR

Steam is injected at a high velocity through a specially designed nozzle - A, and transfers energy to the
gases from the suction – B, to entrain them through the diffuser – D, into the first-stage discharge
header - E. The pressure in the first-stage discharge header is higher than the pressure in the suction
header. 3 stages of ejectors are typical to raise the non-condensable vacuum column overhead gases to
atmospheric pressure at which point they can be vented.
The dimensions of an ejector are quite critical so that any given ejector will only operate over a
relatively limited range. A substantial change in suction or discharge conditions will probably demand a
change in the dimensions of the nozzle or diffuser, or both. The effect of changes in operating conditions
can be summarized as follows:

1. Steam Pressure

Steam pressure must be maintained quite close to that for which the equipment was designed. If the
steam pressure greatly exceeds that for which the nozzle was designed, the quantity of steam
discharging into the diffuser will be greater than the quantity that can pass through the diffuser and
steam will back into the suction header. Too low a steam pressure will mean a drastic loss in
performance of the ejector. It should be noted that wet steam will cause random fluctuations in ejector
performance and will erode the nozzle and diffuser.

2. Discharge Pressure

If the discharge pressure rises above design, there is an increasing probability of reverse flow. An
increase in discharge pressure on an ejector discharging to atmosphere is only possible if the discharge
is obstructed. On multi-stage units, an increase in inter-stage pressure due to high condensate
temperatures or failure of a second-stage or third-stage ejector will immediately affect the performance
of the first-stage unit.

3. Load

A decrease in the mass flow rate of vapor to the ejector or load will result in a somewhat higher
vacuum. If the load is increased above design the vacuum obtained will fall off quite suddenly and
dramatically.

4. Water Temperature

The temperature at which steam is condensed in the condensers will have an effect on the vacuum
obtained in a multi stage system. Higher condensate temperatures increase the amount of water vapor
that accompanies noncondensables substantially increasing the load on the next ejector and increasing
the discharge pressure seen by the ejector. At a high enough pressure the ejector system breaks down
and the pressure in the column rises dramatically. As the condenser are normally at an elevation higher
than other cooling water services a dedicated booster pump is employed to ensure an adequate flow of
water to the exchangers. In order to ensure flexibility, an ejector system for a vacuum unit may be
constructed using parallel sets. The minimum combination of equipment that will achieve a satisfactory
vacuum is normally used to minimize cost but a potential loss of operating flexibility. Vapors drawn from
the top of a typical vacuum unit into the jets consists of air from leaks, steam entrained from the bottom
of the column, light hydrocarbons, sulfur and nitrogen compounds from thermal decomposition in the
heater, and any hydrocarbons lighter than gasoline that have not been stripped from the charge.

VI. NORMAL OPERATIONS

As in any hydrocarbon process, the vacuum distillation unit has several operating variables that
influence product quality, yields, and utility consumption. The process or design specification for any
unit can only be used as a guide because reduced rates, equipment variations, changes in product
specifications, and other factors can and will cause a change in process conditions. The unit operators,
supervisors, and the other personnel involved in the startup and subsequent operation of the unit must
make adjustments to operate at maximum efficiency. The outside operator must be the eyes and ears of
the panel operator, because the outside operator is placed in the field to observe and report any
abnormalities such as leaks, unusual noise, excessive vibrations, and heater flame pattern to the panel
operator as part of the routine duties for this position. A brief description of the major pieces of
equipment and the normal methods of operations or control is given in the following text.

A. VACUUM HEATER OUTLET TEMPERATURE

The heater dryout was discussed earlier. After the initial dry out, the temperature may be raised at a
rate up to approximately 65°C (150°F) per hour.

Each heater contains a number of passes, each pass contains a number of tubes and each pass is
equipped with an inlet flow controller. It would be ideal if the flow through each pass could be equal.
Some of the tubes will receive more heat than others due to the path of the flue gases that carries the
heat to the tubes, so it is not likely that exactly equal flow rates can be maintained. The flow rates must
be adjusted so that the outlet temperatures on each pass are maintained within a close range. However,
flow in a single pass should be within 5% of the average flow through the other passes. If not, there is a
problem that must be corrected.

The heater may be provided with combination gas and oil burners so that either one or both fuels can
be used depending on the refinery fuel gas balance. It is expected that the vacuum heater will burn the
available fuel gas from the refinery system and then fuel oil will be used for the final control of the
heater outlet temperatures. However, both fuels should not be fired in a burner simultaneously.

The vacuum heater outlet temperature should be high enough to provide the desired specifications for
the vacuum residue, such as penetration and Oliensis. Too high a temperature or too low a charge rate
could result in the vacuum residue having a positive Oliensis, indicating that cracking is taking place in
the heater tubes.

If a low charge rate is the cause of the cracking, it can be corrected to a certain extent by increasing the
velocity steam to the tubes. The heater has been designed for an optimum velocity of oil through the
tubes. If the charge rate is reduced appreciably or during startup, the velocity of the oil through the
tubes will be lowered to the point where cracking of the reduced crude may take place because of the
longer residence time at high temperatures. If this condition is approached, inject velocity steam in each
pass to maintain the design velocity or reduce the transfer line temperatures. The snuffing steam
connections provided on the heater firebox is to be used to air free the heater firebox. The snuffing
steam should also be used to purge the firebox during an emergency shut down, provided that there is
no problem with the heater. In the event of a tube rupture, snuffing steam should not be used, as it
could push the hydrocarbon/flame out of the firebox.

B. VACUUM COLUMN
This column is designed to separate gas oil from the reduced crude. The vacuum column can be divided
into sections, but the basic principle of a vacuum column is to optimize heat recovery, not fractionation.

1. Light Vacuum Gas Oil Section

The LVGO section is the top section of the column. It is a packed section with a spray header distributor
above the packing. At the bottom of this section is the LVGO accumulator tray. The hot LVGO flow
control provides some flexibity for LVGO product quality. If lighter LVGO is desired, increase the hot
LVGO reflux and/or maximize cooling in the LVGO coolers. The LVGO section is the final contact
condenser and normally the circulation rate should be adequate to keep the vapor to the jets within
approximately 5°C (9°F) of the cooling water temperature. A high circulation rate will provide against
upsets.

2. Middle Vacuum Gas Oil Section

This section of the column is not always provided in a vacuum column design. It is generally provided if
the expected reduced crude has a large amount of LVGO type material that would overload the LVGO
section or to produce a lower endpoint feedstock for hydrocrackers. This section is also a temperature
control point. The returning MVGO reflux normally has a bypass control valve which allows some of the
reflux to bypass the last cooler before entering the column. This allows for better control of the loading
of the LVGO section.

3. Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil Section

The scrubbed vapor rising above the slop wax bed is the product and no further fractionation is
required. It is only desired to condense these vapors as efficiently as possible. The most efficient method
is to contact the hot vapors with liquid product that has been cooled by pumping through heat
exchangers. It is further desired to usefully recover the heat of the rising vapors by heat exchange
against incoming crude oil, so we must arrange to have the circulating liquid at a high enough
temperature to permit efficient heat exchange. Therefore, a compromise must be made. If the gas oil
circulation is high enough to condense all the vapors, the gas oil pan temperature will be low such that
we will have inefficient heat exchange. In order to obtain a suitable draw temperature, we must reduce
the pumparound rate until some of the vapors escape uncondensed. The uncondensed vapors are
recovered by the circulating MVGO and LVGO that was previously discussed. The HVGO pumparound
rate is chosen to maximize the crude heat exchange. The hot HVGO circulation is returned to the column
on flow control generally based on the amount of metals carried into the HVGO section. A portion of the
returning cold HVGO is sent as product by the HVGO accumulator tray level controller.

4. Slop Wax Section (Entrainment Control)

The vapor rising above the flash zone will entrain vacuum residue, which is not optimal for downstream
processing units. To reduce vacuum residue entrainment in the flash zone vapor, the vapor is washed
with hot HVGO. A spray system and packed bed are used to a. minimize the amount of HVGO wash
materal and b. ensure good contact with the rising vapors. Most of the gas oil is revaporized by the hot
rising vapors and condensed in the HVGO accumulator tray. Some slop wax must be yielded in order to
reject the entrainment and keep the packed bed wet.

Slop wax can be recirculated to the flash zone and stripped to recover some of the gas oil or directly to
the vacuum bottoms in some units. However, if a crude contains volatile metal compounds, these will be
recycled with the slop wax and can finally rise into the gas oil. Where volatile metals are a problem, it is
necessary either to yield slop wax as a product or to make a lighter asphalt which will contain the metal
compounds returned with the slop wax.

5. Flash Zone and Vacuum Bottoms (Boot) Section

The vacuum heater outlet temperature is generally used for control, even though the pressure drop
along the transfer line makes the temperature at the heater oultet less meaningful, but an increase of
the heater outlet will increase the flash zone temperature at constant conditions. The flash zone
temperature and pressure are the true control point of vacuum gas oil lift.

The heater outlet/flash zone temperature can be varied to meet either

a. A vacuum residue specification, which is probably a gravity, a viscosity specification for fuel oil or a
penetration specification for asphalt. Very heavy vacuum residues are called asphalts.

b. An HVGO product quality specification.

If the flash zone temperature is too high, the reduced crude can crack and produce gases that overload
the ejectors and break the vacuum. When this occurs, it is necessary to lower the heater outlet
temperature or obtain a better vacuum.

Slight cracking may occur without breaking the vacuum. This is sometimes indicated by a positive result
from the Oliensis Spot Test. The Oliensis Spot Test is a simple laboratory test that indicates the presence
of cracked components by the separation of these components when a 20X solution of asphalt in
naphtha is dropped on a filter paper. The flash zone temperature will vary depending upon crude
source, pitch specifications, quantity of product taken overhead, and flash zone pressure. Temperatures
from 315°C (600°F) to over 425°C (797°F) have been used in commercial operations. Steam stripping of
the vacuum residue will lower the heater outlet temperature necessary to meet an asphalt specification
or a given vacuum gas oil lift, since more of the light ends can be flashed out of the vacuum residue, but
an excessive quantity of steam will overload the jets because all steam injected will have to be
condensed overhead.

The vacuum residue must be handled with more care than most refinery products. The pumps which
handle this hot, heavy material have a tendency to lose suction. This problem is reduced by returning
some cooled vacuum residue to the bottom boot, thus reducing the tendency of vapor to form in the
suction line. Most vacuum bottoms are solid at atmospheric temperature, all bottoms handling
equipment must either be kept in service or flushed out with gas oil when it is shut down. Steam tracing
alone is not adequate to keep vacuum bottoms fluid.

C. NORMAL OPERATIONS CONTROL POINTS

The operating control points should be held as constant as possible. When changes have to be made,
they should be made gradually, so as not to upset the operation of the column.

1. Vacuum Column Pressure

The vacuum column is designed to operate at 30 – 40 mmHg pressure in the flash zone and 10 mmHg
pressure in the top. The column should be operated at the design pressure. An excessive quantity of
stripping steam or heater coil steam could overload the condensers and result in a poor vacuum on the
column. The lower the pressure on the vacuum column in the flash zone will lower the heater outlet
temperature required for the same product qualities. However, operation at too low a pressure can
cause entrainment of the bottoms material into the HVGO due to the high vapor velocities.

The vacuum overhead pressure is controlled by allowing some of the outlet of the 1st stage ejector to
return to the vacuum column.

2. Temperature Control

There is no temperature controller on the column as there is on most other types of columns. The
vacuum column is operated to condense all of the condensible material. The purpose of the hot HVGO
reflux is not to control temperature, it is a hot reflux to keep the packing clean by scrubbing or washing
the heavy material to the bottom of the column.. These are very important functions in the operation,
as the packing can become plugged with coke and cause a shutdown due to the pressure drop across
the plugged bed. The cold HVGO, MVGO, and LVGO reflux streams are temperature control points to be
used for economic heat recovery, and to reduce the load on the upper section of the column.

D. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

The following items are considered as preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is generally
considered maintenance that is performed before they become severe. The following maintenance
items should be addressed in a preventative manner.

1. Leaks

The quantity and O2 content of the off gas from the ejector condensate receiver should be monitored
closely. A sudden increase in quantity could indicate an air leak into the vacuum system – check the O2
content immediately. Finding the source of the leak can be very difficult because the leak is into the
system. Check all hot flanges that are under vacuum and hot bolt as necessary. Leaks in the overhead
system – condensers and condenser dip leg piping can also contribute to high O2 content in the off gas.
2. Spare Pump Operation

Operation of the vacuum unit spare pumps is considered good preventive action. The spare pump is
confirmed ready for service in case there is a problem with the primary pump. All hot service pumps
should be kept hot with the piping set up provided.

3. Unit Corrosion Tracking

A thorough program of corrosion tracking must be initiated as soon as possible. This kind of program
must be on a regularly scheduled basis in order to determine if the corrosion preventative program is
functioning properly. The following are some of the inspection methods used:
a. Regular corrosion probe readings

b. Regular thickness readings on vessels and lines during operation

c. Laboratory analysis of the ejector receiver water for metal content

d. Thorough visual inspection of the internals of all equipment and vessels during turnarounds.