【Haichuan. Pioneers in the Chemical Industry】23 Long Xianlie – The Pioneer of Petroleum Refining Technology

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【HaiChuan. Pioneers in the Chemical Industry】Series of summary posts: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-1842627-1-1.html (Source: HaiChuan Chemical Industry Forum) ==================================================== Biography: Long Xianlie was born in March 1916 in Yingshan County, Sichuan Province. He graduated from the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Chongqing University in 1940. He has held various important positions, including chief engineer at the Yumen Oil Mine Refinery, deputy director of the refining department, chief engineer at Lanzhou Refinery, deputy plant manager, and chief technical advisor to the technical committee. Since July 1991, Long Xianlie has received a **special allowance** issued by the State Council. After graduating from university, Long Xianlie went to the United States to work in oil refining, and he was deeply concerned about the backwardness of refining processes and equipment in his home country. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the country’s petroleum science and technology sector. In 1954, Yumen Refinery purchased a set of dual-furnace cracking units from the United States, and many components were lost en route. Although Long Xianlie and the workers overcame difficulties to install the equipment, the American experts were also unable to get the device running and had to withdraw halfway. Faced with this difficulty, Long Xianlie refused to give up. After repeated deliberation and research, he finally identified the problem and managed to get the device running, enabling our country to acquire its first set of petroleum cracking equipment. Soon after, he changed from two-reactor cracking to three-reactor cracking, **increasing efficiency. In early 1960, the Soviet Union terminated the contracts, withdrew its experts, and reduced or halted the supply of petroleum products to China, resulting in a severe shortage of such products in the country. Long Xianlie, who has served as the chief engineer since the construction of Lanzhou Refinery began in 1956, is deeply convinced that the technical challenges in oil refining production must be overcome through one’s own efforts. Long Xianlie set the corporate development strategy goal of \"three aviation fuels, two additives, and one heavy-duty lubricant\" (namely aviation gasoline, aviation diesel, aviation kerosene, catalysts, additives, and heavy-duty lubricants). He organized scientific research and technical personnel to develop the urgently needed \"Strive-for-Excellence Fuel\" despite a lack of data, talent, and experience, thereby filling a gap in domestic production. In 1960, with the support of the Ministry of Petroleum, he established the Lanzhou Petroleum Refining Research Institute to increase investment in scientific research. 63% of the petrochemical products manufactured by Lanlian on an annual basis were developed by the research institute, and 72% of the institute’s major scientific achievements are also applied in Lanlian’s industrial production. He dared to be the first, boldly adopting new manufacturing processes to modify the original design and develop new products. In 1982, Lanlian planned to convert its two catalytic cracking units into units using the internationally advanced coaxial catalytic cracking process, but the relevant departments of the Ministry of Petroleum disagreed and recommended adopting a technical upgrade scheme using horizontal lift pipes. The horizontal lift tube system requires large investment, takes up a lot of space, and has a complex process, while the coaxial design saves on investment and reduces space requirements. Why choose the more complex option over the simpler one? Although this plan was approved by the expert review panel, it has still not been authorized. Long Xianlie, who was nearly 60 years old, argued firmly and eventually secured approval for this project, leading to its successful renovation. The successful technical upgrade of the coaxial catalytic cracking process not only saves 40 million yuan in costs each year, but more importantly, it provides valuable experience for developing this new technology in refineries across the country. Long Xianlie devoted his entire life to the development and application of petroleum refining technologies. He strongly advocated for the advancement of research and production related to these technologies, helping to turn Lanlian into a major domestic production base for petroleum catalytic cracking agents and petroleum additives.