Hydrocarbon pyrolysis offers a promising path to clean hydrogen production by avoiding CO2 emissions. Solar-driven pyrolysis, in particular, harnesses renewable energy to decompose hydrocarbon into hydrogen and solid carbon thermally. In this talk, we present the results of our experimental studies on hydrocarbon pyrolysis using a bubble column reactor and a solar reactor, both utilizing molten gallium as the heat transfer medium and catalyst. Experiments were conducted at KAUST. Key operational parameters, such as heating temperature, inlet gas flow rate, and bubble generator design, were systematically varied to examine their influence on hydrocarbon conversion. Results demonstrate that the molten gallium bubble column reactor achieved high conversion rates, with a maximum of 82% methane decomposition at 900°C. Additionally, smaller bubble sizes and lower mass flow rates enhanced conversion by increasing gas-liquid contact surface area and residence time.

This research is the first to demonstrate the potential of molten gallium reactors for solar-driven methane pyrolysis, advancing this technology toward sustainable hydrogen production. Our findings suggest that molten metal-based solar reactors can effectively decarbonize the hydrogen economy by utilizing solar energy to drive methane pyrolysis reactions while mitigating reactor clogging issues associated with carbon deposition.

Lattice Boltzmann method(LBM) is more suitable to deal with the unsteady-state flows in porous media of the field of petroleum engineering. What is more, it is found that solving this problem is an important step for LBM to obtain the ability of handling the simulation of two-phase flow. The gradient of the macroscopic quantity is required to calculate the interaction forcing term between the neighboring fluid particles. It is found that unphysical numerical oscillations would occur in the vicinity of the phase interface. Through analysis and test, this numerical oscillation is found to be related to the discretization scheme of gradient operator between the phase interface, and will lead to numerical instability, which limits the simulation ability of LBM in dealing with the two-phase interface problem with high density ratio. A comprehensive analysis of the discretized interaction forcing term in Lattice Boltzmann equation base on HCZ model is made to investigate the ef ect of dispersion and dissipation originated from dif erent kind of numerical discretization. A generalized scheme is proposed to tackle with the oscillating fluctuation of velocity field, which help to enhance numerical stability and resolution. Simulations of flat interface problem and liquid droplet system are made to confirm better performance of this optimized forcing scheme, and results of higher resolution of the flow field was obtained, which are in good agreement with analytical solutions and experimental result.

The report discusses the problems of various heat exchangers used in oil refining technology and the possibilities of their solution. The main emphasis is on the formation of contaminants in heat exchangers and their elimination. Pollutants are one of the most undesirable consequences of the course of any material process. Especially if these processes occur in closed cavities (pipes, chimneys, dishes, tanks, etc.). Settling on the inner walls of a closed cavity or adhering to them, pollutants accumulate and interfere or completely stop the passage of a particular process. Therefore, the problem of sediment removal is constantly a relevant object of scientific and practical research.

The heat exchangers used in oil refining technology are considered, the state of which determines the state of the technical condition of which determines and influences the course of technological processes. Heat exchangers during operation are exposed to the influences of chemical, thermal, etc. processes, under the influence of which contaminants and deposits accumulate between the pipes and corrosive processes in the metal, additional stresses appear in the structure. So, on the one hand, it is very important to timely identify violations of the technical condition of the heat exchanger, which are detrimental both to its performance and to the process of oil refining technology. On the other hand, to identify and use the most effective way and means to eliminate the violation. This problem must be addressed in a complex way. Options and proposals for a solution are discussed. At the end, a pneumo-shock method and device for removing pollutants from heat exchangers, developed by the author, is presented. The pneumo-shock cleaning device (PSV) is used for the mechanical removal of pollution from the spaces between the tubes of heat exchangers. This device can also be used for cleaning the slits formed by the tubes.

The predicted depletion of conventional oil reserves, together with the forecasted increase in oil demand in the coming years, has necessitated the exploration of unconventional reserves like oil sands. Canada’s oil sands are the third-largest proven oil reserve in the world, amounting to 166.3 billion barrels and this represents about 97% of Canada’s total proven oil reserves. That notwithstanding, oil sands-derived crude oil is sour and laden with large amounts of impurities including sulfur (> 4wt.%) and nitrogen (> 0.1wt.%). To meet stringent environmental standards, these impurities need to be drastically reduced to allowable thresholds to minimize the emission of combustion by-products (pollutants) such as SO_X and NO_X. Refiners employ hydrotreating as an essential process for the removal of these impurities to upgrade the crude oil from sour to sweet. However, hydrotreating is plagued by challenges; One is the difficulty in removing certain sulfur and nitrogen compounds from the crude oil due to the limitation of the conventional NiMo/Al₂O₃ catalyst and this has been one of the focal points in hydrotreating research. Hence, this plenary lecture will give insight into research aimed at developing novel catalysts such as mesoporous NiMo/TiO₂–Al₂O₃ and NiMo/ZrO₂–Al₂O₃, which have better hydrotreating conversions. Another problem that persists in hydrotreating is fouling-induced pressure-drop. Fouling occurs when ultra-fine solid particles (particle size < 5 µm) deposit on top or within the catalyst bed in the hydrotreater in operation. The accumulation of deposited particles eventually clogs the reactor, thereby restricting feed flow and resulting in a pressure drop buildup across the reactor. With time, the pressure drop becomes significant and the reactor reaches a limit where feed can no longer be processed through the catalyst bed and the system has to be prematurely shutdown. The loss of production run-time and replacement works associated with the premature reactor shutdown leads to an increase in operating costs for refiners. The plenary lecture will give a detailed overview on the mechanism behind fouling-induced pressure drop during hydrotreating. Furthermore, various foulants (clay minerals, coke, iron oxide, etc.) and their sources will be discussed. Current advances in research such as the use of catalyst acidity to reduce the occurrence of fouling will be presented. Using efficient novel catalysts and mitigating fouling-induced pressure-drop during hydrotreating will help refineries achieve lower environmental impact, optimum throughput and reduced energy consumption through improved process efficiency.