Simulation of a Naphtha Reforming Reactor

Abstract

Mathematical models for the reforming reactors of a Catalytic Reforming Unit were developed. The models were developed from first principles (conservation of mass and energy). The developed models were ordinary differential equations; were solved using ODE 45 solver of MATLAB and validated using plant data from the Catalytic Reforming reactor of the Port-Harcourt Refinery Company, Nigeria. The results gave a minimum percentage absolute error (deviation) between model predictions and industrial plant results of 0.0026% for inlet temperature, a maximum of 5.8% for Naphthene concentration; 2.1%, 2.2% and 1.6% for the concentrations of Aromatics, Paraffin and Hydrogen respectively. These shows that the model developed predicted the output of the catalytic reforming reactor very closely. The models were used to study the effect of process parameters such as inlet feed temperature, reactor pressure and the feed flow rate on the performance of the reforming reactor.

Keywords: Catalytic Naphtha Reforming, Modeling, Simulation.