Hey everyone, I’m trying to wrap up plans for my HO layout (1980s to current). I want to include a large refinery (approx. 4 x 12 feet), but am having trouble finding the information I need. I need to find models of refineries (already have 2 of the Walthers kits) or information for scratchbuilding them. I also need to get a good idea of how to position everything. I’ve tried google maps, but I can only see so much. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I don’t know if the Plastruct “kit” is still available-- the instructions for the Plastruct “kit” would be a good polace to start. I put the word “kit” in quotation marks because basically what you get is not a kit in the pre-fab parts sense, but rather the scratchbuilding materials from the Plastruct general stock that are needed to build the model.
Sneaking up on refineries with a camera might be a good way to meet Homeland Security personnel.
Refinery planning, construction and modification projects often inclove building big 3D engineering models. Sometimes where they are finished, the models are donated to engineering schools and museums. I know we have such a model here in Corpus Christi, Texas at the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History.
Another thought— the Walthers refinery kits are basically the “process” part of the plant. You also need storage, such as a tank farm, and loading racks.
Another principle-- refinery elements don’t always have to be put together in logical process order. A reactor vessel made be added where there is a place to put it, and the process stream piped to it from the existing works, then the output of the new reactor piped back into the older part of the system.
One of these days I plan to actually get started on building all of the refinery process units for the refinery on my layout. In order to do this, I did some research a few years ago. I cannot find the binder I put everything in, so hopefully I remember most of the information accurately. I do remember that after all of the time I spent research, I still need to do more.
Here are the various process units.
Atmospheric Distillation - distills the crude oil, usually relatively tall towers.
Vaccum Distillation - usually receives the heavy atmospheric distillation products, not all refineries have these.
Hydrotreating - it seems like this is usually done to the streams coming off of the distillation columns. However, I seem to recall reading that the crude oil is sometimes hydrotreated. The purpose is to remove sulfur and nitrogen compounds.
Hydrocracking - this is used to turn larger molecules into smaller alkanes such as pentane, octane, etc. I think gases (butane, propane) may also be produced as a by-product.
Catalytic Cracking - this is similar to hydrocracking except hydrogen is not put into the reactor. This produces alkenes (also known as olefins). Cracking units operate at high pressures and temperatures. It seems like the units are generally shorter and wider. They will probably have their own furnace.
Catalytic Reforming - this is used to produce aromatics such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylenes (BTEX). These are used to increase octane ratings and make into other chemicals, such as styrene, then polystyrene.
Alkylation - this is used to turn gases into larger alkanes. This is usually done to produce more gasoline. These are usually tall towers.
Polymerization - this is not the type where large quantities of monomers are turned into plastics. This is used to achieve the same result as alkylization.
Delayed Coking - this takes the heavy distillations products and turns them into light molecules and petroleum co
Does it have to be a “large” refinery?
I am partial to my locale, so may I suggest some Northwest PA refineries: United in Warren, Pa. and there is one in Bradford, Pa. I do not know that one’s owner (could be Penzoil)
Both are located in valleys with extensive exposed piping, small tank farms, rail facilities and trucking/transfer spots. Residential neighborhoods, parks and public streets are close by where you can get a good look at them without getting into too much trouble.
PM me back if you want more specific details.
Best,
Ignatius
Hi!
I’m retired from 40 years in the oil “bizzness” and have spent time in various refineries in Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas. You have picked yourself a major project (building a model refinery) but having the rather large space dedicated to it is a major plus to authenticity.
The previous posters all had good advice, and may I add my own… The latest “grassroots” refinery in the US is Mobil’s (now ExxonMobil) Joliet Illinois refinery located on I-55 at the DesPlaines river. It started up in 1973, and was built so that each of the various processing units could expand with minimum difficulty. Spacewise, I would estimate that 1/3 is tankage, 1/3 is operating units, and 1/3 maintenance & offices. Tankage is typically of three types - large crude oil tanks, medium in-process tanks, and medium sized finished products. Most all tankage are the typical vertical “can” type, some with fixed roofs and some with floating roofs. There are some spherical tanks, which hold gas liquids (ethane, butanes, and propane) under pressure.
Operating units are pretty much interconnected with a maze of piping either on overhead racks or ground level. The different units were explained in a previous posting, and getting them together can be as complicated as you wish. Note that Walthers Cornerstone has two different piping kits, and you will need several.
Crude typically comes in via pipeline, although port refineries get it in via ship or barge. Deliveries of crude via tankcar may still happen at smaller refineries in the northwest, but for the most part this ceased in the late '50s and '60s. However, various additives and in-process feedstock does arrive via tankcars, so you will need unloading racks. Note that typically, unloading and loading racks for tankcars (or trucks) are separate facilities.
Finished product - gasolines, fuel oil, diesel, aviation gas,
There is a company trying to build a refinery in Arizona, http://www.arizonacleanfuels.com/refinery.htm. I first heard about this years ago and so far it has not been built. We will see if it is ever built.
There were 4,534,000 barrels of crude oil moved by tankcar in 2006. That works out to about 7,324 tankcars, assuming 26,000 gallon capacity.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/refinery_capacity_data/current/table11.pdf
The Old Dog would suggest a trip over to
http://books.google.com/advanced_book_search
There are several books that have info on petroleum production and/or refining free for the downloading
Have fun
Ericsp,
Good catch! I am familiar with that EIA report but have not had access to them for 4 years (as I am retired). In my experience, the only movement of crude via tankcar I know that occurred in the last few decades was in the west (of the Mississippi) where pipelines were not readily accessible.
One caveat I will make is that it is very possible that many of these movements were from the oil fields to a pipeline hub or gathering spot - and not directly into a refinery per se. Of course there may be many smaller refineries in the west that may take crude directly into their facility via T/C.
Historically, before the “big inch” crude p/l was built in the early '40s, you could see miles and miles of crude bearing tankcars coming into refineries to unload.
Thanks!
Mobilman44
BNSF:
A 4 x 12 - foot refinery in HO scale would be spectacular! I’d like to build an HO pulp or paper mill on a base that size! Regarding the arrangement of components of the refinery, there are numerous refineries in the country, and you can get a great bird’s eye view of all of them by using GOOGLE Earth, which give you access to overhead satellite images. This would be invaluable for positioning your components, and this tool has the resolution to reveal piping, loading/unloading facilities, rail lines, etc. Try it! Good Luck, and post photos when you start building!
For a reat aerial view (where the have the coverage) maps.live is hard to beat. I ooked at the refinery at Martinez,CA . Click on “birds eye”. Its better than their 3d for most places.
There’s a nice tank farm at Oleum, CA
I want to thank everybody for everything suggested so far; it is a huge help. Also, fyi, the maps.live.com (birds eye view) is incredible…so much clearer than the google maps that I had tried first. I also want to mention that my intent is to (preferably) model a refinery in the Houston vicinity since that is where I spent the first 25 years of my life. I am hoping to begin benchwork in about another week, and I will try to keep ya’ll updated. Again, thanks for the info, and if you think of anything else, please let me know.
bnsf76
As well as looking up articles on refineries, may I suggest also looking at the various articles on the use of mirrors on layouts? I’m far from an expert in refineries, HOWEVER they seem to have a LOT of repetitive elements. A mirror (or two) can give the visual illusion of a massive facility without having to build the whole thing. This could help in areas like the tank farms, etc. Just an additional thought.
Gary
Wasn’t there an MR article in the past two years on use of mirrors and other optical illusions? That would be worth linking here.
~Ignatius
FWIW, BNSF still runs (about 3 times a month) Unit trains of Gasoline and Diesel from Houston to Belen, NM for Love’s truck stops out west.