Development of a mathematical model for vacuum gas oil hydrocracking based on experimental and numerical studies

Relevance. Modern refineries must increase conversion depth of heavy crude feedstocks while meeting stringent environmental standards for fuels. In this context, vacuum gas oil hydrocracking serves as a key technology for producing high-quality light petroleum products. Developing accurate mathematical models that account for complex hydrocarbon composition and catalytic process features has become essential for refinery digitalization. Aim. To develop a mathematical model of vacuum gas oil hydrocracking based on integrated experimental and numerical studies. Methods. Laboratory tests were performed in a catalytic reactor using a commercial Ni-W catalyst at temperatures from 400 to 420 °C. Product composition was analyzed by chromatographic techniques. Structure-oriented lumping approach is used combined with group contribution method to describe petroleum fractions. This approach enabled the creation of an extended component library with calculated physicochemical and thermodynamic properties. Components were grouped into 74 lumps based on structural features and carbon number. The model was formulated as a system of differential equations that includes material and energy balances. Results and conclusions. A detailed kinetic scheme was constructed using the lumped components and composed of 330 elementary hydrogen-involving reactions. Kinetic parameters were identified by solving an inverse problem using experimental data. The resulting model accurately reproduces product composition and can optimize industrial process conditions, including hydrogen-rich gas flow rate and temperature. For citation: Grigorash M.S., Ivashkina E.N., Dementyev A.Yu., Chekmeneva D.V., Vaganov R.A., Chuzlov V.A., Boev A.S. Development of a mathematical model for vacuum gas oil hydrocracking based on experimental and numerical studies. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Assets Engineering, 2026, vol. 337, no. 7, pp. 160-172. https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/7/5453