DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A MINI CRUDE OIL DISTILLATION UNIT

The design and construction of the crude oil distillation unit involves the fabrication and assembly of various components, such as; A 200L fractional Distillation tank made of mild steel, a 1½-inches Nipple, Cooling chamber (Atmospheric air cooled condenser) made of mild steel, a water circulation pump (0.5Hp/0.37Kw) running at a speed of 2880rpm with a 1inch PVC pipe and showers, a standard 1½-inches gate valve, a 1½- inches galvanized steel pipe with fittings, 5 electric heating coils (240V, 1Kw each) and a furnace construction of an efficiency of 74.0%, a thermometer, a pressure gauge, a relay and a temperature regulator. The testing process took place in two phases, firstly, water test, here ordinary water was loaded into the distillation tank and then a phase transformation occurred in which the water turned into steam at increasing temperature above 100⁰ C, condensed into liquid in the condenser and later collected at 45⁰ C from the condenser outlet. The second phase of the test involves the actual crude oil testing, here the crude oil (25L) was loaded into the fractional distillation tank and then heated until it approached 100⁰ C temperature where its constituents begin to break out having naphtha as the first product at 100⁰ C-150⁰ C for 33minutes and second to the same product naphtha at 150⁰ C-200⁰ C for 26minutes, third to kerosene at 200⁰ C-250⁰ C for 1 hour and 10minutes and then the last product which is diesel, it came out at 250⁰ C-300⁰ C for 1 hour and 20 minutes. All the products were collected at room temperature less than 30⁰ C indicating that the cooling system was effective. In a bid to ensure the success of the project, environmental safety, such as water and air pollution were also considered to ensure that the crude oil distillation unit has minimal impact on its surroundings. Safety protocols during the construction of this Project were strictly adhered to. Potential hazards, such as fires, explosions, and toxic emissions, were planned for and appropriate safety measures were ensured which include the use of personal protective equipment, fire suppression systems, and ventilation systems