A Comprehensive Model of the Catalytic Reformation of C5 to C12 Naphtha

Abstract

Modeling the behavior of the catalytic reforming process requires complex kinetics and computational rigor to give accurate results. Using 15 different reaction groups in a pathways-level model applied to the Kinetic Modeling Toolkit (KMT), a predictive model is generated to account for the network of reactions experienced in a catalytic reformer. The accuracy of the overall model fits the linear regression: yi,calculated = 0.9447 yi,observed with an R2 value of 0.7628. The accuracy of the aromatic fit is far higher (R2 = 0.8088) while the isomerization reactions have little predictive relation between observed and calculated species. In accounting for the temperature dependence of the reactions, the model would be able to predict the behavior of semi-regenerative reformers and overall refinery modeling overall.