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 microspherodial catalyst (zeolitic catalyst)
which fluidizes when properly aerated.
The purpose is to convert high-boiling
petroleum fractions (gas oil) to highvalue, 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 0C
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

Dense
Phase
Bed

Catalyst
(low carbon)

Air

Catalyst

Catalyst
Low
(high carbon)
Oxygen

High
Oxygen

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/m3 (40 lbs/ft3)
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

Flue gas

Regenerator

Spent Catalyst

Reactor
Products

Heat of
Coke
Combustion

Heat losses

Heat Losses

Heat of
Reaction
Recycle
Regeneration
Air

Regenerated
Catalyst

Fresh Feed
Feed Preheater

FCC Heat Balance

Flue gas

Regenerator

Spent Catalyst

Reactor
Products

Heat of
Coke
Combustion

Heat losses

Heat Losses

Heat of
Reaction
Recycle
Regeneration
Air

Regenerated
Catalyst

Fresh Feed
Feed Preheater

Heat Balance
Around StripperRegenerator
Heat to raise air from the blower discharge

temperature to the regenerator dense

phase temperature. (108 106 Btu/hr)
Heat to desorb the coke from the spent
catalyst. (39.5 106 Btu/hr)
Heat to raise the temperature of the
stripping steam to the reactor temperature.
(4.4 106 Btu/hr)
Heat to raise the coke on the catalyst from
the reactor T to the regenerator dense
phase T.
(3.7 106 Btu/hr)

Heat Balance
Around StripperRegenerator
Heat to raise the coke products from the
regenerator dense temperature to flue
gas temperature. (2.17 106 Btu/hr)
Heat to compensate for regenerator heat
losses. ( 19.3 106 Btu/hr)
Heat to raise the spent catalyst from the
reactor temperature to the regenerator
dense phase. (305.5 106 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 106
Btu/hr
Fresh feed = 267 106 Btu/hr
Atomizing steam = 12 106 Btu/hr
Heat of absorption = 35 106
Btu/hr
Total heat in = 1500 106 Btu/hr

Reactor Heat Balance

Heat

out of the reactor

Spent catalyst = 880 106 Btu/hr

To vaporize feed = 513 106 Btu/hr
Heat content of steam = 15 106
Btu/hr
Loss to surroundings = 6 106 Btu/hr
Heat of reaction = ?

heat out = 1414 106 Btu/hr

+ Heat of reaction

Total

Reaction Heat Balance

Calculation

of Heat of Reaction
Total heat out = Total heat in
Total heat in = 1500 106 Btu/hr
Total heat out = 1414 106 Btu/hr +
Heat of reaction
Therefore, Overall Endothermic Heat
of Reaction = 86 106 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

In

spent catalyst standpipe:

Pressure buildup = 27 kPa (4 psi)
Catalyst density = 658 kg/m3
Optimum pressure to circulate more
catalyst

regenerated catalyst standpipe:

Pressure buildup = 55 kPa (8 psi)

Catalyst density = 642 kg/m3

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).