Energy and materials flows in petroleum refining
The total energy consumed by petroleum refining is approximately 3 quads, making refining the largest industrial use of energy. United States refineries processed 13.5 x 10/sup 6/ bbl/d of crude oil in 1980, about 39% of which was imported. Refinery processes, which separate and transform crude into desired end products, consume - mostly for separation - about 10% of the energy content of the crude, taking 23% of this energy for crude distillation, 31% for cracking and fractionation, 11% for reforming and fractionation, and 6% for alkylation and fractionation. The last three of these processes are primarily designed to increase yield of gasoline, which makes up 42% of refined product volume. Lubricating products constitute only 1% of product volume, but their manufacture, being energy intensive, consumes 8% of total refinery energy. Lubricating oils are unusual among refinery products in that they can be recycled, as can asphalt, and some chemicals and polymers derived from petroleum. Several straightforward process modifications could reduce refinery energy consumption as much as 20%. Further reductions in energy use would require development of new processes, such as alternatives to distillation. Shale oil, coal, and biomass are possible substitutes for petroleum in the long term.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 6491042
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/CNSV-10; ON: DE81024484
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ACCOUNTING
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DISTILLATES
DISTILLATION
ENERGY ACCOUNTING
ENERGY ANALYSIS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL CONSUMPTION
FUELS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INFORMATION
MATERIAL BALANCE
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DISTILLATES
PETROLEUM FRACTIONS
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
PROCESSING
REFINING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
USA