How can the problem of water content in hydrocracked aviation fuel be better resolved?
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Recently, while carrying out water separation from the jet fuel in our hydrocracking unit, I noticed that a large amount of water was present. Every two hours that water separation was performed, a significant quantity of water was removed, which inevitably affected the quality of the jet fuel. On the other hand, performing this water separation process frequently led to waste of jet fuel. I’m wondering how to minimize waste while still removing as much water as possible. I would appreciate some advice from those who are more experienced in this area!
Aviation fuel must have water removed from it to ensure product quality; reducing this water removal process for cost reasons would have an even greater impact than wasting aviation fuel itself. Try to analyze what the exact cause is. From an upstream perspective, it is likely that the amount of steam used for stripping in the distillation tower is too high, which results in water being carried along with the jet fuel; therefore, the amount of steam used for stripping can be adjusted accordingly.
Logically, the temperature at which kerosene is extracted should be above 200°C, and since the vapor pressure in the distillation tower is low, no water should accumulate at this location. If there is really water, it should be checked whether the reboiler is working properly and whether the pressure in the kerosene tower is normal