Fluid Catalytic Cracking

(FCC)
Quak Foo, Lee
Chemical and Biological Engineering
The University of British Columbia
Outline
What is FCC?
Why use circulating Fluidized Bed
Reactor in FCC?
Operating Characteristics
Description of the Process
Heat Balance
Pressure Balance
Conclusions

What is FCC?
Primary conversion process in petroleum
refinery.
The unit which utilizes a micro-spherodial
catalyst (zeolitic catalyst) which fluidizes
when properly aerated.
The purpose is to convert high-boiling
petroleum fractions (gas oil) to high-value,
high-octane gasoline and heating oil.
Why use Circulating Fluidized
Bed in FCC?
Compared with Fixed Bed, Fluidized Bed
CFB fast fluidization regime
CFB good for catalyst size < 0.2 mm
Excellent in:
Gas-solid effective contact
Catalyst effectiveness
Catalyst internal temperature control
Catalyst regeneration

Operating Characteristics
Particle Diameter = 150 m
Geldart Classification = A
Temperature = 650
0
C
Pressure = 100 kPa
Superficial gas velocity = 10 m/s
Bed depth = 0.85 m
Fresh feed flow rate = 300,000 kg/hr
Catalyst to oil ratio = 4.8
FCC Reactor-Regenerator
Description of the Process
Reactor
Riser
Cyclones
Stripper
Regenerator
Standpipe and Slide Valve
Reactor Performance
Feed oil enters the riser near the base
Contacts the incoming regenerated catalyst
Cracking reactions occur in the vapor phase
Expanded volume of vapors lift the catalyst
and vaporized oil rises
Fast reaction, few seconds of contact time

Riser
Dimensions
Diameter: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height : 36.6 m (120 ft)
Plug flow with minimum back-mixing
Steam is used to atomize the feed
Increases the availability of feed
Outlet vapor velocity: 18 m/s (60 ft/sec)
Hydrocarbon residence time: 2 seconds

Cyclones
Located at the end of riser to separate the
bulk of the catalyst from the vapor
Use a deflector device to turn catalyst
direction downward
Two-stage cyclones
To separate the remaining of the catalyst
Return the catalyst to the stripper through
the diplegs
The product vapors exit the cyclones and
flow to the main fractionator column
Cyclones
Riser
Stripping Bed
Stripping Section
The spent catalysts falls into the stripper
Valuable hydrocarbons are absorbed
within the catalyst bed
Stripping steam, at a rate of 4 kg per 1000
kg of circulating catalyst, is used to strip
the hydrocarbons from the catalyst
The catalyst level provides the pressure
head which allows the catalyst to flow
into the regenerator


Inside Stripping Section
Steam
Reactor
Stripper
Catalyst
Level
Reactor
Riser
Regenerator
Two functions:
Restores catalyst activity
Supplies heat to crack the feed
Air is the source of oxygen for the combustion of
coke
The air blower with 1m/s (3 ft/s) air velocity to
maintain the catalyst bed in a fluidized state
14 kPa (2 psi) pressure drop in air distributors to
ensure positive air flow through all nozzles
Inside Regenerator
Catalyst
(low carbon)
Catalyst
(high carbon)
High
Oxygen
Low
Oxygen
Dense
Phase
Bed
C
a
t
a
l
y
s
t






A
i
r

Standpipe & Slide Valve
Standpipe provides the necessary pressure
head needed to circulate the catalyst
around the unit
The catalyst density in standpipe is 642
kg/m
3
(40 lbs/ft
3
)

Slide valve is used to regulate the flow rate
of the regenerated catalyst to the riser
Slide valve function is to supply enough
catalyst to heat the feed and achieve the
desired reactor temperature
Heat Balance
A catalyst cracker continually adjusts itself
to stay in heat balance.
The reactor and regenerator heat flows
must be equal.
Heat balance performed around
the reactor
the stripper-regenerator
Use to calculate catalyst circulation rate and
catalyst-to-oil ratio
overall heat balance


Heat Balance
The unit produces and burns enough coke to
provide energy to:
Increase the temperature of the fresh feed, recycle,
and atomizing steam from their preheated states to the
reactor temperature.
Provide the endothermic heat of cracking.
Increase the temperature of the combustion air from
the blower discharge temperature to the regenerator
flue gas temperature.
Make up for heat losses from the reactor and
regenerator to surroundings.
Provide for heat sinks, such as stripping steam and
catalyst cooling.


FCC Heat Balance
Regenerator Reactor
Spent Catalyst Flue gas
Heat losses
Regeneration
Air
Feed Preheater
Recycle
Fresh Feed
Products
Heat Losses
Heat of
Coke
Combustion
Heat of
Reaction
Regenerated
Catalyst
FCC Heat Balance
Regenerator Reactor
Spent Catalyst Flue gas
Heat losses
Regeneration
Air
Feed Preheater
Recycle
Fresh Feed
Products
Heat Losses
Heat of
Coke
Combustion
Heat of
Reaction
Regenerated
Catalyst
Heat Balance
Around Stripper-Regenerator
Heat to raise air from the blower discharge
temperature to the regenerator dense phase
temperature. (108 10
6
Btu/hr)
Heat to desorb the coke from the spent
catalyst. (39.5 10
6
Btu/hr)
Heat to raise the temperature of the stripping
steam to the reactor temperature.
(4.4 10
6
Btu/hr)
Heat to raise the coke on the catalyst from the
reactor T to the regenerator dense phase T.
(3.7 10
6
Btu/hr)
Heat Balance
Around Stripper-Regenerator
Heat to raise the coke products from the
regenerator dense temperature to flue gas
temperature. (2.17 10
6
Btu/hr)
Heat to compensate for regenerator heat
losses. ( 19.3 10
6
Btu/hr)
Heat to raise the spent catalyst from the
reactor temperature to the regenerator
dense phase. (305.5 10
6
Btu/hr)

Reactor Heat Balance
Hot-regenerated catalyst supplies the bulk
of the heat required to vaporize the liquid
feed
To provide the overall endothermic heat of
cracking
To raise the temperature of dispersion
steam and inert gases to the reactor
temperature
Reactor Heat Balance
Heat into the reactor
Regenerated catalyst = 1186 10
6

Btu/hr
Fresh feed = 267 10
6
Btu/hr
Atomizing steam = 12 10
6
Btu/hr
Heat of absorption = 35 10
6
Btu/hr
Total heat in = 1500 10
6
Btu/hr
Reactor Heat Balance
Heat out of the reactor
Spent catalyst = 880 10
6
Btu/hr
To vaporize feed = 513 10
6
Btu/hr
Heat content of steam = 15 10
6
Btu/hr
Loss to surroundings = 6 10
6
Btu/hr
Heat of reaction = ?
Total heat out = 1414 10
6
Btu/hr +
Heat of reaction
Reaction Heat Balance
Calculation of Heat of Reaction
Total heat out = Total heat in
Total heat in = 1500 10
6
Btu/hr
Total heat out = 1414 10
6
Btu/hr + Heat
of reaction
Therefore, Overall Endothermic Heat of
Reaction = 86 10
6
Btu/hr


Pressure Balance
Deals with the hydraulics of catalyst
circulation in the reactor and regenerator
circuit.
The incremental capacity come from
increased catalyst circulation or from
altering the differential pressure between
reactor-regenerator.
Pressure Balance Results
In spent catalyst standpipe:
Pressure buildup = 27 kPa (4 psi)
Catalyst density = 658 kg/m
3
Optimum pressure to circulate more catalyst
In regenerated catalyst standpipe:
Pressure buildup = 55 kPa (8 psi)
Catalyst density = 642 kg/m
3


Conclusions
Circulating Fluidized Bed is used in FCC
unit.
Stripping steam of 4 kg per 1000 kg
circulating catalyst is required.
Overall endothermic Heat of Reaction is
86 MBtu/hr.
Pressure buildup in spent catalyst
standpipe is 27 kPa (4 psi).
Pressure buildup in regenerated catalyst
standpipe is 55 kPa (8 psi).