in Jones’ study [8]. If only the costs for feedstock upgrading, hydrocracking,
and separation in Jones’ study are considered, the installed
capital cost estimates developed in this study are
approximately 4.5 greater than Jones’ estimates. This difference
in cost estimates occurred because a solvent was used in this study
but was not used in Jones’ study. In this study, the solvent to oil ratio
on a mass basis was 7:1. Therefore, when a solvent is used, a
much greater volume of material must flow through the front
end of the plant before it is separated into individual components.
A higher flow rate of material requires larger pumps, reaction vessels,
and distillation equipment, which results in greater capital
costs compared to a case where there is a lower flow rate of
material.