FCC Network News

August 2000

Volume 5




HIGHLIGHTS OF NPRA 2000 CAT CRACKER SEMINAR

The NPRA Cat Cracker Seminar was held August 8 and 9, 2000 at the Adams Mark
Hotel in Houston, Texas. On Tuesday, August 8, a panel of FCC experts conducted a
Q&A session with the following four categories:

1. Refractory, Materials, Internals, Expansion Joints and Slide Valves
2. Rotating Equipment
3. Turnaround/Maintenance/Inspection
4. Process/Performance Issues

A transcript of these proceeding will be issued by the NPRA which contains the full
content of the Q & A discussion. There were several points made during the Q & A that
may be of immediate interest.

There was a question regarding whether any refiners are using some type of on-line
refractory wear indicators. During the discussion, one of the panelists, Mr. Frank
DeMartino of Shared Systems Technology, indicated that he has developed a patent
pending method for refractory wear indication in FCC units. The method essentially
consists of embedding a dissimilar indicator material inside a cube or block of refractory
that will be released if the refractory is worn down to the indicator material. The
materials have been selected so that they would be released into the FCC circulating
catalyst inventory and could be detected during routine equilibrium catalyst analysis.
Using different types of materials for different points in the FCC unit would provide a
mechanism for identifying the location of the wear. If anyone is interested in further
information, Mr. DeMartino has indicated that he can be reached at (856)853-5700.
Several other refiners indicated that they have embedded thermocouples in plastic and
rammable refractory used to line FCC cyclones.

Another section of the Q & A involved discussion of innovative techniques to improve
FCC turnaround effectiveness. During this discussion, there was a brief presentation of
an innovative scaffolding design which allows for quicker turnaround time on
FCC Network News Page 2

NPRA FCC CONFERENCE (CONTINUED)

scaffold set-up. Excel Scaffold reportedly has a unique design that can meet scaffolding
requirements at any angle desired. It was reported that in one FCC application, a
scaffolding set-up was completed in 46 hours versus an estimated 180 hours for a
conventional ring and pin design. The scaffolding is manufactured by Excel Scaffold and
is offered to industry exclusively through Atlantic Scaffolding. Information can be
obtained at www.excelscaffold.com, which contains a listing of distributors.

On Wednesday, August 9, a series of Concurrent Workshops was held on various
topics of interest including Scrubbers, Regenerator Cracking, On-Line Troubleshooting,
PRT Expander Reliability, FCCU Turnaround Strategy, FCCU Hot Taps, Cyclones,
and Refractory.

NEW FEATURE PROVIDES ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS

In the July edition, FCC Network News introduced a new feature aimed at providing
answers to questions of current interest. Each month we will post one question
submitted by members of The FCC Network. We will then solicit answers from our
advisory panel. Also, we would like to invite newsletter readers to submit answers. All
submitted information will be compiled into a single response to be published in the
following edition. The source of any response will not be identified unless there is a
specific request to do so. Answers can be submitted through The FCC network contact
form or via email to refining@nauticom.net. Julys question is posted below followed by
a composite of the answers:

Question #1: What are the potential root causes of FCC debutanizer fouling on the
gasoline side? What are the potential solutions to each root cause?

Answer #1: When increasing resid addition to an FCC unit, there can be an increase in
the production of reactive diolefins because of less than ideal feed vaporization which
leads to increased thermal cracking. A step change was observed in butadiene
concentration, which resulted in polymerization of butadiene in the reboiler to form a thin
rubbery deposit. Additives are available to specifically inhibit butadiene polymerization.

A second potential root cause is corrosion upstream of or in the debutanizer overhead
which leads to the accumulation of iron sulfide (from bisulfide corrosion) in the reboiler
tubes. Iron deposits may accelerate polymerization. Potential solutions include use of
corrosion inhibitor to stop bisulfide corrosion or use of an antifoulant, which is more
expensive.



FCC Network News - Page 3

FCC NETWORK Q&A (Continued)

At one commercial FCC unit, severe fouling on a debutanizer reboiler was limiting the
operation. The causes were determined as follows. First, poor water separation in the
contact drum led to corrosion in the stripper and debutanizer. Corrosion product (iron
sulfides) collected in the thermosyphon reboiler, which was a natural low point. Second,
higher than typical reboiler temperatures contributed to accelerated gum formation in the
reboiler. These gums provided the glue for corrosion products to form. Until
turnaround, dispersants and gum inhibitors were used with mixed success to control
fouling. Addition of a nozzle to the bottom of the shell to steam sparge (i.e. knock off the
fouling layer) did not help. Decreasing FCC riser outlet temperature (lower dienes
production) and relaxing the gasoline RVP target took some load off the reboiler.

At turnaround, modifications were successfully made to the recontact drum to improve
water separation and reboiler configuration was altered to lower operating temperature.
Recently, there has been an increase in water carryover to the stripper and debutanizer
and the debutanizer fouling rate has accelerated. This problem has been compounded by
the collection of corrosion from upstream equipment.

We appreciate the responses that we received to last months question. This months
question is presented below:

Question #2: How should refiners optimize the amount of dispersion steam that is
added along with the FCC feed through the feed nozzles? What are the observed
changes that occur when either increasing or decreasing the amount of dispersion
steam? We look forward to your input.

HOW TO DETERMINE FCC CATALYST FLUIDIZATION CONDITIONS

Synetix Services has recently completed a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
related to the use of radiotracer techniques for determining the condition of catalyst
fluidization and transport as well as diagnosing and solving FCCU operating problems
related to catalyst flow. Most of the questions are hosted in the sections entitled
Fluidization Fundamentals in FCC and FCC Unit Operations and Troubleshooting.
An alternative method for accessing these FAQs is to search under the term radiotracer.

NEW INTERNAL TO IMPROVE CATALYST STRIPPER PERFORMANCE

The Mixing and Reaction Technology group at Koch-Glitsch recently unveiled a new
structured packing technology for application in FCC catalyst strippers. The new
technology, named KFBE has been installed in a commercial FCC operation and stable
operation has been achieved. As of press time, no formal evaluation had been completed
to quantify the impact of the new internals on catalyst stripping performance. Cold flow
modeling work completed during the development of this technology reportedly suggests
FCC Network News Page 4

NEW STRIPPER INTERNAL (Continued)

a strong superiority over disc & donut designs in the areas of capacity, stripping
efficiency, residence time and steam usage. Reported advantages include having close to
100% of stripper cross-sectional area open and active (vs. maybe 50% for disc &
donut), increased residence time of up to 50%, and elimination of potential steam pockets
and stagnant catalyst zones. For further information about KFBE, contact Richard
Rall of Koch-Glitsch at (316)828-7283 or by FAX at (316)828-4444.

ADVANCEMENTS IN SHORT CONTACT TIME CRACKING TECHNOLOGY

The Milli-Second Catalytic Cracking (MSCC) unit installed at Orion Refining in
Louisiana has been successfully start up.

The August 14 edition of the Oil and Gas Journal describes a new short contact time
cracking process based upon a reactor configuration employing downward flowing
catalyst. This high-severity FCC process, HS-FCC, is designed to optimize both
overall product yields and petrochemical feedstock production. Key features of the
process include contact time less than one second, down-flow reactor that suppresses
back-mixing and improves residence time distribution control, and high catalyst-to-oil
ratio to minimize thermal cracking, overcracking and hydrogen transfer. The process has
been jointly developed by the Petroleum Energy Center (Tokyo) and the King Fahd
University of Petroleum and Minerals (Dharan). The OGJ article provides pilot plant
cracking yields for the new process compared with riser results at very high cat-to-oil
ratios.

Fortum Oy recently sent The FCC Network a technical paper entitled NexCC - Novel
Short Contact Time Catalytic Cracking Technology. The paper describes a new
catalytic cracking process incorporating short contact time, higher reaction temperature
and high catalyst-to-oil ratio. A key element of the NexCC process is a completely
novel reactor design that makes it possible to construct large-scale equipment with small
height-to-diameter ratio. In NexCC, the reactor and regenerator have been built in a
concentric configuration, with riser channels that have an axially annular cross-
section. Spent and regenerated catalyst flows are controlled by special valves, which are
located inside the pressure vessel.

NexCC utilizes multiple entry cyclones for separating catalyst from gas flows in both
the reactor and regenerator. Separation efficiency of the multi-entry cyclone is reported
as usually better than that of a conventional cyclone, and is optimal for handling gas
flows with high particle concentrations. NexCC operating conditions include high
reaction temperature (1020-1150F), short residence time (0.7-2.2 sec) and high C/O ratio
(10-20). The product spectrum is more olefinic than conventional FCC. Development of
the NexCC process is described in a technical paper to be added to The FCC Network
when the site is upgraded in September. An NexCC diagram is shown below.
FCC Network News Page 5


SHORT CONTACT TIME TECHNOLOGY (Continued)



























Diagram of the NExCC Reactor System



US Patent 6,099,720 was issued to IFP on August 8, 2000 and describes a method and
device for a down-flow catalytic cracking process. The patent describes a falling curtain
of catalyst formed by a shaping means consisting of both fixed and movable elements
that combine to create constriction in the catalyst flow. The cross-sectional area of the
constriction is varied by altering the position of a conical or tapered element relative to
the fixed element attached to the vessel wall. Oil feed is injected countercurrent to
catalyst flow, but at an angle that is no greater than 30 degrees from the horizontal. The
angle of feed injection is adjusted so that the resultant vector representing linear
momentum is horizontal. The patent contains data showing the best overall combination
of yields with this feed injection configuration.

FCC Network News - Page 6

DESIGN YOUR OWN FCC CONFERENCE!

The staff of The FCC Network is in the beginning stages of planning an FCC Process
Conference for 2001. It is proposed that the conference will consist of a number of key
elements including presentation of papers, short technical seminars, and panel
discussions. At this time, we are soliciting comments from the readers of The FCC
Network News to determine your interest in regards to both subject matter and format. If
you have ideas or suggestions, please use the site Contact Us form. We are looking
forward to your comments.

HOW TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR FCC UNIT

Lets face it. The FCC process is a complex and demanding process that requires an in-
depth understanding of many different engineering disciplines such as reaction kinetics,
catalysis, fluidization, fluid-solid separation, combustion, gas compression, fractionation,
heat exchange and environmental control. To optimize FCC unit performance, it is
necessary to gain a deep understanding of core principles in many of these areas. Do you
understand everything you need to know for maximum effectiveness in your current
assignment?

It is possible to educate yourself by reading books and talking to the experienced
engineers in your company. However, for those who are interested in a more direct
approach to gaining FCC knowledge, Refining Process Services offers a series of
technical seminars. The instructors for these programs each have at least 20 years of
relevant hands-on experience and are ready to share all of their hard-earned knowledge.

Fluid Catalytic Cracking Process Technology provides an in-depth study of FCC
process fundamentals and equipment. FCCU Equipment Operation, Maintenance
and Troubleshooting emphasizes mechanical and operational aspects of the FCCU.
FCC/Coker Main Fractionators and Refinery Gas Plants provides an in-depth look
at the design, operational and troubleshooting aspects of FCC product recovery. FCC
Advances, Optimization and Revamps discusses the most recent advances in FCC
process technology and provides strategies for FCCU optimization and debottlenecking.
Production of Low Sulfur Gasoline and Diesel Fuels provides an extensive analysis
of strategies and technologies for reducing FCC gasoline sulfur. For more information,
visit www.petroleumrefining.com or email us at rps@nauticom.net .



Thanks for reading our newsletter.

Staff of The FCC Network