High-Efficiency Ultrajet Cracking of Heavy Crude Oil Using High-Velocity Hydrodynamic Jets

This study presents an experimental investigation into the efficiency of ultranet cracking technology for processing heavy crude oil fractions. A high-pressure hydrodynamic system equipped with tungsten carbide nozzles and rotating targets was employed to generate compact liquid jets with velocities ranging from 400 to 750 m/s. The experiments evaluated the effects of jet velocity, impact angle, and target material on the breakdown of long-chain hydrocarbons. Results demonstrated that at a jet velocity of 600 m/s and an impact angle of 80°, the yield of light fractions with boiling points below 350°C increased to 28.4%, exceeding the untreated oil baseline by approximately 9–12%. Additionally, viscosity was reduced from 220 to 145 mPa·s after two treatment cycles, indicating significant molecular degradation. The introduction of cyclic flow regimes and turbulence promoters further enhanced the performance, increasing the light fraction yield by up to 4% and 2–3%, respectively. Calculated deceleration forces reached up to 1.6×10⁶ m/s², emphasising the intense mechanical impact driving the cracking process. The findings highlight ultranet cracking as an energy-efficient and adaptable method for upgrading heavy petroleum feedstocks. Compared with ultrasonic cavitation under comparable specific energy inputs (≈500–700 kJ·kg⁻¹), ultranet cracking achieved higher light-cut yields (28.4%–31.2% vs. ~21–23%), highlighting its performance advantage in partial upgrading.