Riser velocities

Slip factor is defined as the ratio of catalyst residence time in the riser to the hydrocarbon vapor residence time. Some of the factors affecting the slip factor are circulation rate, riser diameter/geometry, and riser velocity. 

The minimum velocities for risers are listed in Table 1. For a feed riser the lowest velocity is normally encountered at the bottom where the oil is first vaporized. In a vertical feed riser (e.g., Figure 6) it is important that the diameter of the riser at the feed injection point is sized to give at least 15 to 20 Ft/S (based on 100% vaporization of the feed). The riser diameter may be increased further up the riser as velocity picks up due to molar expansion. The bottom, narrow part of the riser is often referred to as the acceleration zone. Riser exit velocities are generally in the 60 Ft/S range. Riser velocities rarely exceed the limits of erosion resistant lining (90 Ft/S). 

While the 20 ft/sec may be maintained in the summer, more efficient condensation in the winter may reduce vapor flow. This can cause the riser velocity to drop below the minimum to prevent phase separation. Throttling the cooling water will stabilize the tower pressure, but may result in salting up the exchanger with water-hardness deposits. 

Fig. 7. Axial density profiles in the (—) bubbling, (------) turbulent, and (----) fast and ( ) riser circulating fluidization regimes. Typical gas velocities for...

Radial density gradients in FCC and other large-diameter pneumatic transfer risers reflect gas—soHd maldistributions and reduce product yields. Cold-flow units are used to measure the transverse catalyst profiles as functions of gas velocity, catalyst flux, and inlet design. Impacts of measured flow distributions have been evaluated using a simple four lump kinetic model and assuming dispersed catalyst clusters where all the reactions are assumed to occur coupled with a continuous gas phase. A 3 wt % conversion advantage is determined for injection feed around the riser circumference as compared with an axial injection design (28). 

The gas risers must have a sufficient flow area to avoid a high gas-phase pressure drop. In addition, these gas risers must be uniformly positioned to maintain proper gas distribution. The gas risers should be equipped w ith covers to deflect the liquid raining onto this collector plate and prevent it from entering the gas risers where the high gas velocity could cause entrainment. These gas riser covers must be kept a sufficient distance below the next packed bed to allow the gas phase to come to a uniform flow rate per square foot of column cross-sectional area before entering the next bed. 

PR valve risers in flammable service should also be sized such that exit velocities are at least 30 m/s under all foreseable contingencies (except fire) which would cause the valve to release. On the basis of experimental work and plant experience, this minimum velocity, in conjunction with the riser elevation requirements, has been shown to ensure effective dispersion. Entrainment of air and dilution result in a limited flammable zone, with a negligible probability of this zone reaching any equipment which could constimte an ignition source. 

Risers are normally designed for an outlet vapor velocity of 50 ft/sec to 75 ft/sec (15.2 to 22.8 m/sec). The average hydrocarbon residence time is about two seconds (based on outlet conditions). As a consequence of the cracking reactions, a hydrogen-deficient material called coke is deposited on the catalyst, reducing catalyst activity. 

In earlier Model II and Model III FCC units, spent catalyst was transported into the regenerator using 50% to 100% of combu.stion air. This spent cat riser was designed for a minimum air velocity of 30 ft/sec (9.1 m/sec). 

Compare the cyclone loading with the design. If the vapor velocity into the reactor cyclones is low, consider adding supplemental steam to the riser. If the mass flow rate is high, consider increasing the feed preheat temperature to reduce catalyst circulation. 

High velocity coverage of riser cross-section... 

In the riser, baffles are placed at intervals to break up bubbles by increasing turbulence and shear. At the top erf the riser the expanded section decreases the upward flow rate of the medium and this, together with the lack of baffles, decreases turbulence and shear, which in turn promotes coalescence of bubbles. Larger bubbles form which have increased slip velocity, so they more easily disengage from the medium. 

Direct measurement of particle velocity and velocity fluctuations in fluidized beds or riser reactors is necessary for validating multiphase models. Dudukovic [14] and Roy and Dudukovic [28] have used computer-automated radioactive particle tracking (CARPT) to foUow particles in a riser reactor. From their measurements, it was possible to calculate axial and radial solids diffusion as well as the granular temperature from a multiphase KTGF model. Figure 15.10 shows one such measurement... 

For the sake of developing commercial reactors with high performance for direct synthesis of DME process, a novel circulating slurry bed reactor was developed. The reactor consists of a riser, down-comer, gas-liquid separator, gas distributor and specially designed internals for mass transfer and heat removal intensification [3], Due to density difference between the riser and down-comer, the slurry phase is eirculated in the reactor. A fairly good flow structure can be obtained and the heat and mass transfer can be intensified even at a relatively low superficial gas velocity. 

In the riser tube, the gas velocity of chlorine, is greater than both of the terminal velocities of the slag particle and the petrocoke particle, makes the particles to be at a pneumatic transport state. No agglomeration occurs in the riser tube. At the top of the riser tube, a... 

The local liquid velocity in the riser was measured by a backward scattering LDA system (system 9100-8, model TSl). Details have been given by Lin et al. [2]. 

Figure 3 shows the radial profile of the gas holdup in the riser with increasing superficial gas velocity under different solid holdups. The gas holdup increases with increasing superficial gas velocity at the different solid holdups. At a low superficial gas velocity, the liquid velocity... 

Fig.2 and Fig.3 show the typical liquid velocity and gas hold up distribution in the ALR. From the figures, one notices that the cyclohexane circulates in the ALR under the density difference between the riser and the downcomer. An apparent large vortex appears near the air sparger when the circulating liquid flows fi om the downcomer to the riser at the bottom. In the riser, liquid velocity near the draft-tube is much larger than that near the reactor wall, the latter moved somewhat downward. The gas holdup is nonuniform in the reactor, most gas exists in the riser while only a little appears in the dowmcomer. 

In the Fig.4, it can be seen that the gas hold-up in both riser and downcomer decreases with increasing the draft-tube horn-mouth diameter and approaches the maximum when the draft-tube hom-mouth diameter is 1.05m. However, due to the gas hold-up decreases more in the downcomer, the gas hold-up difference between the downcomer and the riser increases. Therefore, the apparent density difference between the riser and the downcomer enhances, causing higher liquid superficial velocity in the downcomer and in the riser With increasing the hom-mouth diameter. Fig.5 also shows that the existence of hom-mouth promotes the ability to separate gas from liquid and decreases the amount of gas entrained into the downcomer. 

Fig.6 and Fig.7 illustrate the effect of draft-tube diameter on liquid superficial velocity, liquid circulating flowrate and gas hold-up. Results show that the liquid superficial velocity in the riser increases with increasing the draft-tube diameter while the liquid velocity in the... 

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