Technology
Vacuum distillation, in a modular train.
Lowering the pressure lowers the boiling point of every fraction. Heavy cuts separate cleanly, without cracking the product, in a unit that fits on a few skids.
The unit separates; it does not crack or desulphurise. Cuts are named by their range and final quality is confirmed with the characterisation of each feedstock.
Why under vacuum
What vacuum makes possible.
Higher-quality cuts
Without thermal cracking, diesel keeps a high cetane index and naphtha a high octane.
Less energy
Under vacuum each fraction boils at a lower temperature, and less heat is needed to reach it.
Sharp cuts
Each tower controls its heat and its vacuum separately, to make the intended cut exactly.
Flexibility
Adjusting vacuum, flow and temperature changes qualities and quantities to what the market asks for.
Intrinsic safety
In a vacuum system there is no oxygen: combustion is physically impossible.
Site independence
Air condensation and own generation: no process water and no dependence on the grid.
Stage 01 · Rising film
1 to 3 towers
The light cuts
- Naphtha
- Diesel
- Kerosenes
- Light gas oils
The feed enters at the base of vertical tubes heated from outside by thermal oil. As it boils, the vapour rises and pushes the liquid against the wall as a thin film that climbs the tube. At the top, one cyclonic separator per cut divides vapour and liquid.
High heat transfer and little time at temperature. And by removing the volatile fractions first, what follows reaches the second stage better conditioned.
Stage 02 · Wiped film
1 to 4 towers
The heavy cuts
- Heavy gas oils
- Fuel oil
- Lubricant bases
- Waxes
- Asphalt
The feed enters at the top. A bladed rotor spreads the liquid over the heated wall as a uniform film that is renewed without pause. The vapour goes to an external condenser; the residue falls by gravity to the bottom outlet.
Viscous and heat-sensitive material does not form a film on its own; the rotor forms it. And the minimum time at temperature recovers the valuable fractions before they degrade.
The differentiator
Every tower is independent.
In conventional designs one vacuum system and one thermal loop serve every tower. Here each tower has its own.
One vacuum pump per tower
Sized to the cut it produces: in the order of 20 mmHg for the light cuts and 0.1 mmHg for the heavy ones.
One thermal loop per tower
Thermal oil with its own temperature control. No flame touches the product.
One separator per cut
Each product leaves through its own cyclonic separator, never crossing the others.
What it buys
Sharper cuts, because each tower runs in its own regime. And continuity: if one tower stops, the others keep producing.
Utility systems
Four systems, one control.
Thermal oil
Heaters bring the oil to temperature; no flame touches the product. Against electric heating it cuts electricity use by about 70 %.
Vacuum
One pump per tower, each with its own operating pressure.
Air cooling
Air coolers condense the vapours without consuming water.
PLC and screen
One temperature loop (TIC) and one vacuum loop (PIC) per tower. One PLC and one HMI bring them together: recipes, alarms and interlocks, stage by stage.
Options the client chooses
Three decisions per project.
Heater fuel
External fuel or the fuel oil the unit itself produces, whichever suits the project.
Own generator
To run off the power grid, connected to the same PLC.
Air cooling
Air coolers that condense the vapours without consuming process water.
Configuration
How many towers, according to the products.
The recommendation to start is three towers: naphtha, diesel and heavy oil. The rest are for more specific products, such as lubricant bases. A 500 bpd pilot unit proves the yields on one stream before scaling.
| 2 + 1 | To start | Naphtha · Diesel · Heavy oil |
| 2 + 3 | With specific oils | + Gas oils · Lubricant bases |
| 3 + 4 | Complete train | Every cut, from naphtha to asphalt |
rising film + wiped film
Delivery
In modules, in stainless steel.
- 500 to 20,000+ bpd
- per unit
- 4 to 6 months
- of fabrication
- 45 to 90 days
- of installation on site
The unit is fabricated and tested in our facilities, shipped as skid-mounted modules and assembled at the client site.