Day 1: Fundamentals of Crude Oil Distillation

• Overview of CDUs – Introduction to Crude Distillation Units (CDUs) in refining, types of crude oil, and key components like preheat trains, desalters, and distillation columns.
• Principles of Distillation – Explanation of vapor-liquid equilibrium, fractionation theory, and the role of reflux, reboilers, and side strippers in distillation.
• Pretest and Group Discussion – Pretest to assess baseline knowledge and discussion on challenges in crude oil variability and feedstock quality.
• Case Study – Analyze the performance of a basic CDU setup.
• Interactive Learning – Group discussion and practical case study to reinforce distillation concepts.

Day 2: Advanced Operational Techniques

• Feed Preparation & Desalting – Importance of desalting, operating parameters, and the impact of poor desalting on downstream units.
• Atmospheric & Vacuum Distillation – Design and operation of atmospheric distillation columns and vacuum distillation for processing heavy residues.
• Optimization of Cut Points – Techniques for maximizing product yields by optimizing cut points.
• Practical Exercises – Simulate an atmospheric distillation column operation and calculate cut points for diesel yield.
• Quiz – Evaluate understanding of distillation principles with a quiz.

Day 3: Energy Efficiency and Heat Integration

• Heat Integration & Energy Recovery – Design of preheat trains, fouling mitigation, heat exchangers, and waste heat recovery systems.
• Energy Optimization – Introduction to pinch analysis for optimizing energy use.
• Fouling & Corrosion – Discussion on causes, effects, and preventive measures for fouling and corrosion in CDUs.
• Case Study – Optimize a preheat train to reduce energy consumption, followed by group discussions on balancing energy efficiency with operational constraints.
• Quiz – Assess understanding of energy integration and fouling mitigation strategies.

Day 4: Troubleshooting and Problem Solving

• Common Operational Problems – Discuss flooding, weeping, entrainment, pressure drops, temperature excursions, and product contamination in distillation columns.
• Troubleshooting Tools – Use of process simulation software, real-time monitoring, and predictive maintenance tools.
• Hands-On Simulation – Simulate and troubleshoot a flooding issue using process simulation software.
• Group Activity – Develop a troubleshooting plan for a hypothetical CDU problem.
• Practical Learning – Apply learned troubleshooting techniques in hands-on and group activities.

Day 5: Advancements and Final Assessment

• Innovations in CDU Technology – Overview of advanced control systems, automation, carbon capture, renewable feedstocks, and emerging trends in refining technologies.
• Career Pathways & Industry Outlook – Future opportunities in CDU operations, professional development, and global trends in the energy transition.
• Final Assessment – Comprehensive written test covering all course content.
• Post-Test Comparison – Compare results with the pretest to measure knowledge progress.
• Feedback Session – Discuss key takeaways and address any remaining participant questions.