Hydrogen Integration Evaluation between HTGR Power Plants and Oil Refineries

Nowadays, refineries are engaging with hydrogen crisis in the world. Hydrogen is known as high value agent in oil refining industries used in hydro-processing units; also, hydrogen production processes are too expensive. Furthermore, nuclear power plants produce large amount of hydrogen, which can be considered as main source of hydrogen. In this regard, HTGR power plants are new age power plants that can produce hydrogen and power simultaneously. Therefore, hydrogen integration between HTGR nuclear power plant and oil refineries seems to be essential. The integration causes that causes first, governing operating costs and capital investment on hydrogen network in oil refineries to be reduced beneficially also huge amount of hydrogen, which is produced in nuclear power pants to be utilized consciously. In this paper, with considering proper case studies in both HTGR power plants and oil refineries section, a 120 MW HTGR power plants and its respective hydrogen production unit are simulated in ASPEN PLUS environment. In addition, hydrogen distribution network of Tehran refinery is simulated using REFOPT1 software, which is based on both mathematical and graphical approaches (certain data have been disguised for confidentiality). In this research by analyzing both simulation results, hydrogen integration potentials between both issues ware evaluated, discussed and the results were elaborated.

Keywords:

Hydrogen integration , nuclear power plants , oil refineries