What is coker units?

A coker unit is a refinery processing unit used in the petroleum industry for the conversion of residual oil into low molecular weight hydrocarbons, petroleum coke and other byproducts. The main purpose of coking is to remove heavy hydrocarbons from crude oil that cannot be processed in conventional refining processes. Coker units are typically found in larger petroleum refineries.

There are two types of coker units; delayed coking and fluid coking. Delayed coking is the most common type and involves the heating of the residual oil in a large vessel (called a coke drum) to high temperatures, which causes the oil to crack and release gases and coke. The coke is then removed from the drum and either sold or used as a fuel source. Fluid coking, on the other hand, is a more complex process that involves mixing the residual oil with a fluidizing agent and then vaporizing it under high pressure. This process also produces low molecular weight hydrocarbons and coke.

Coker units are important to the petroleum industry as they allow refineries to process heavy crude oil and produce high-value products like gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel. However, they also produce large amounts of petroleum coke, which can have negative environmental impacts when it is burned as a fuel source. As a result, there are increasing efforts to reduce the amount of petroleum coke produced by coker units or find alternative uses for it.