Parameter analysis for the industrial application of ultrasound assisted oxidative desulfurization process

Uz prirodni plin i vodu, nafta će još dugo vremena biti jedan od glavnih izvora energije. Danas nafta i njeni derivati čine oko 37 % ukupne svjetske potrošnje energije. Izgaranjem goriva sumporovi spojevi, koji su uvijek nazočni u nafti i njenim proizvodima, pretvaraju se u sumporne okside koji u doticaju s vodom iz zraka stvaraju ekološki vrlo štetne kisele kiše, te čestice sulfata koje mogu uzrokovati dišne probleme. Dakle, smanjenje sumpornih spojeva u nafti poboljšat će javno zdravlje ove, a i buduće generacije. Iz tog razloga, doneseni su pooštreni propisi koji nalažu proizvodnju goriva s ultra niskim sadržajem sumpora (ULSD), manje od 10 μg/g u Europi, što zahtjeva duboku desulfurizaciju. Proces hidrodesulfurizacije (HDS) koji se najviše koristio u industriji ima visoke operativne troškove i nije učinkovit za uklanjanje složenih sumpornih spojeva, pa suvremena naftno-prerađivačka industrija nastoji pronaći učinkovitiji proces desulfurizacije goriva koji će zadovoljiti nove strože propise. U tu su svrhu provedena brojna istraživanja, a kao najbolje rješenje nameće se modificirani proces oksidacijske desulfurizacije (ODS), tzv. Ultrazvukom potpomognuti proces oksidacijske desulfurizacije (UAOD). Mehanizam tog procesa, moguća primjena u industriji i ekonomska analiza (CBA analiza) opisani su ovim radom.Besides natural gas and water, petroleum is going to be one of the main sources of energy for a long time to come. Nowadays, petroleum and its derivative products provide approximately 37 % of the world’s energy consumption. During the combustion of fuel the sulfur compounds, which are always present in petroleum and its products, convert to sulfur oxides which in contact with water from the air create ecologically very damaging acid rains and also suspended sulphate particles which can induce respiratory problems. Thus, the reduction of sulfur compounds in the oil will improve the public health of this and future generations. For this reason stricter regulations, which require the production of ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD), have been adopted, less than 10 μg/g in Europe, which demands developement of a process for deep desulfurization. The process of hydrodesulfurization (HDS), which has been the most used in the industry, has high operating costs and is not effective for the removal of complex sulfur compounds, therefore the modern oil-processing industry seeks to find a more efficient process of fuel desulphurisation to meet the new stricter regulations. For this purpose, numerous studies have been conducted, but the best solution is imposed by the modified process of oxidative desulfurization (ODS), the so-called Ultrasound assisted oxidative desulfurization process (UAOD). The mechanism of this process, its potential industrial aplication and economic analysis are described in the following the Bachelor’s thesis