Fluid cracking reactor-regenerator design

UOP fluid catalytic cracking a fluid process of using a reactor-over-regenerator design. 

Designing a catalyst for effective removal of SOx (S02 + S03) in a fluid catalyst cracking unit regenerator is a challenging problem. One must come up with a particle having physical properties similar to FCC catalysts which will 1) oxidize S02 to S03, 2) chemisorb the S03/ and 3) be able to release it as H2S as it enters the reactor side of the unit. A cerium containing magnesium aluminate spinel was found to be very effective for this purpose (1). The preparation methods and characterization techniques utilized for this spinel catalyst and how the SOx abatement activity of this catalyst is related to the preparative route used are discussed in this paper. 

The fluid-bed process differs from the fixed-bed and moving-bed processes, insofar as the powdered catalyst is circulated essentially as a fluid with the feedstock. The several fluid catalytic cracking processes in use differ primarily in mechanical design. Side-by-side reactor-regenerator construction along with unitary vessel construction (the reactor either above or below the regenerator) are the two main mechanical variations. 

The work just cited refers to beds of small diameter. Designers and operators of large-scale catalytic fluid beds of Group A powders now appreciate that all of these beds function beyond the Lanneau-Kehoe-Davidson transition (Avidan, 1982 Squires et al., 1985). Most are turbulent beds Sasol reactors and some fluid catalytic cracking regenerators are fast beds. Sasol engineers reported successful development of a turbulent bed for hydrocarbon synthesis (Steynberg et al., 1991). 

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