A Feasibility Study of Condensate Fractionation Unit (CFU) Process Using Aspen HYSYS Simulation Software in the Petroleum Refinery Industry of Bangladesh

The design of distillation columns presents significant challenges due to the complexity of various refinery configurations, such as tray architecture, and operational issues including flooding and weeping. This study aims to investigate and simulate critical operational parameters of a distillation column utilizing the Aspen HYSYS process simulation software. A steady-state model of the Condensate Fractionation Unit (CFU) was developed and analyzed using the Peng-Robinson thermodynamic equation of state in conjunction with a stage-by-stage calculation method. The feedstock utilized in this simulation was a secondary condensate stream derived from natural gas processing, consisting of hydrocarbons ranging from propane (C₃) to octadecane (C₁₈). Notably, the volumetric flow rates for light naphtha, heavy naphtha, kerosene, JBO, and diesel products were estimated through simulation as 4350, 15600, 3000, 2200, and 1950 in kg/h (unit), respectively. However, actual plant measurements indicated values of 4300, 15900, 4300, 1600, and 1000 in kg/h (unit), respectively. These findings highlight the effectiveness of simulation tools in improving process insight, facilitating engineering decisions, and enhancing the congruence between conceptual design and operational performance.