HU 121 History of Engineering and Technology

HU 121 History of Engineering and Technology Pharos University in Alexandria Faculty of Engineering Lect3 Prof. Dr. Abdelsamie Moet Fall 2012/13 Distillation Engineering: Alembic to Petroleum Refinery

Crude Oil • Crude oil consists of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights. • Each of the hydrocarbon compounds in crude oil has its own individual boiling point. • To make use of these hydrocarbons, they have to be separated first. • Subsequently, they may be mixed or reacted to the desired composition to be used as “petrochemicals” HU121_Lect3_Dist

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Fractional Distillation • The crude oil is heated. • The smaller molecules have a lower boiling point, so they go to the top of the column and condense out onto the trays. • The larger molecules have higher boiling points, so condense further down the column. • This process is known as Fractional Distillation • Fractions are then removed for further processing. HU121_Lect3_Dist

20th Century 9th Century HU121_Lect3_Dist

alembic • Distillation, the means of separating liquids through differences in their boiling points, was invented around the year 800 by Islam's foremost scientist, Jabir ibn Hayyan, • . • Jabir invented many of the basic processes and apparatus still in use today: liquefaction, crystallization, distillation, purification, oxidation, evaporation and filtration. HU121_Lect3_Dist

Evolution of Crude Refining • In the 9th century, the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad had appointed (wali al-naft) in every major producing district. • The famous physician Muhammad al-Razi (Rhazes, 864-930) has mentioned in Kitab al- Asrar (Book of secrets) that kerosene lamps were in common use for heating and lighting. • Al-Razi gives two methods for making kerosene: • one using clay as an absorbent and • another using sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride). • The distillation is to be repeated until the distillate is perfectly clear and "safe to light," meaning that the volatile hydrocarbon fractions had been substantially removed. • The kerosene lamps were in use in the Muslim world more than a thousand years before they became known in the West. http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/islmoil1.html HU121_Lect3_Dist

Evolution of Crude Refining • The original requirement was to produce kerosene as a cheaper and better source of light than whale oil. • The development of the internal combustion engine led to the production of gasoline and diesel fuels. • The evolution of the airplane created an initial need for high-octane aviation gasoline and then for jet fuel. • Present-day refineries produce a variety of products including many required as feedstock for the petrochemical industry. HU121_Lect3_Dist

Drivers for Advances in Crude Refining • Currently 35% of this consumed energy comes from crude oil. • Crude oil is also the main source for many products such as plastics, paints, medicines, lubricants, etc… • Therefore, advances in crude oil refining has been driven by the growth in petrochemical industries. HU121_Lect3_Dist

Almost Everything from aspirin to stealth HU121_Lect3_Dist

Carbon Fiber Composites • Stealth Fighter (F117 & B2) • The Puffin 3.7-meter-long, 4.1-meter-wingspan craft, is designed with carbon-fiber composites to weigh in at 135 kilograms, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nasa-one-man-stealth-plane HU121_Lect3_Dist

HU 121 History of Engineering and Technology