Dynamic modeling of adiabatic reactor for hydrocracking of VGO by using of the continuous lumping approach

•The dynamic modeling of adiabatic hydrocracking reactor was carried out.•The continuous lumping approach was used.•Thermal properties were chosen to be dependent on reactivity index.•Predictions of hydrocracking reactor performance were carried out.

The dynamic modeling of an adiabatic hydrocracking reactor was carried out by using the continuous lumping approach. Vacuum gas oil with 30.6°API and normal boiling temperature range from ~ 285 °C to about 329 °C was used as feedstock. Kinetic model parameters were derived from experimental information at three different reactor temperatures: 360, 370, and 380 °C; 1–3 h− 1 LSHV; 356 m3/m3 hydrogen-to-oil ratio, and reactor pressure of 5.3 MPa. Thermal correlations were chosen to be reliable and dependent on reactivity index. The simulations allowed predicting the dynamic behavior of the reactor regarding temperature and cumulative weight fraction profiles. At the reaction conditions of simulations an increase of almost 10 °C was observed in the bed regarding inlet temperature while the reactor position of such maximum was moved to outlet reactor as time-on-stream increased.