Refining & Midstream

Crude to products. Distillation theory and columns, catalysis, refinery conversion units, pipelines, LNG and the energy transition.

• Distillation — Distillation separates liquids by volatility and is the most common separation in industry. Learn stages, reflux and boil-up, McCabe–Thiele analysis, minimum stages (Fenske), minimum reflux (Underwood), Gilliland correlation, condenser and reboiler duties, and energy-saving configurations.
• Distillation Columns — This lesson covers column hardware design. Learn trays (sieve, valve, bubble-cap) vs packing (random, structured), flooding and column diameter (Souders–Brown/Fair), tray spacing and efficiency, column height, pressure drop, weeping and entrainment, and internals like distributors and downcomers.
• Catalysis — Catalysts speed reactions without being consumed. Learn homogeneous, heterogeneous and enzyme catalysis, how catalysts lower activation energy, adsorption–reaction–desorption steps, Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics, internal diffusion (Thiele modulus, effectiveness factor), selectivity and deactivation.
• Refining, Midstream & Energy Transition — From crude to products and from well to market. Learn crude assays and the atmospheric and vacuum distillation units, conversion (FCC, hydrocracking, coking), treating (hydrotreating/desulphurisation, reforming), refinery configuration and complexity, product specifications (BS-VI), gas processing, LNG, pipeline hydraulics and storage, petrochemicals, emissions and the energy transition (biofuels, green hydrogen, CCS, crude-to-chemicals) — with Python for refinery yields and crude pipeline pressure drop.