APPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES → O₂ enrichment Emission reduction Water treatment Industrial services Complementary offering

Improving the performance of FCC units

by oxygen enrichment.

Diagram of an FCC unit Steam Cracked gases

Off-gas
Steam
3 1 Cracked naphtha

Boiler
feed 4
water

Light cycle oil

2
Catalyst loaded

6
Regeneration Slurry and
air heavy cycle
oil (HCO)
5

Oxygen
Catalyst regenerated

Vacuum gas oil Recycle oil

1 FCC-Reactor, 2 Regenerator, 3 Boiler, 4 Fractionation, 5 Recycle oil , 6 Riser

Background FCC units (fluid catalytic cracking units) are used to convert vacuum gas oil, often mixed with residues from
atmospheric distillation, vacuum distillation and visbreaking, into high value hydrocarbon fractions.
The products are a gas fraction (primarily C3/C4), a liquid fraction (primarily gasoline) and coke as a solid.
The coke on the catalyst is burnt off during regeneration, and provides the necessary heat of reaction.

Advantages of Oxygen enrichment in the regenerator results in higher plant efficiency due to:
oxygen enrichment →→ Increased plant capacity
→→ More flexibility in the selection of feedstock, especially to enable use of heavier
feedstock with a higher tendency to form coke
→→ Increased conversion ratio and gasoline yield
→→ Resolved air blower constraints
→→ Reduced CO in the regenerator off-gas
→→ Less abrasion of the catalyst and less erosion of the cyclones due to reduced gas velocity,
resulting in less downtimes and repairs

74
Test results from a lab unit 72.5

72

70
70.0 68.3
Conversion rate (mass %)

68 68.8

66
65.3
64
62.5
62
61.6
60

58

56
90 100 110 120 130
Feedrate (%)

Conversion rate at 27% by vol. O₂, Conversion rate at 21% by vol. O₂

Increase in Load Increase in conversion

 → Improving the performance of FCC units by oxygen enrichment.

Diagram of oxygen Liquid

enrichment in an FCC unit oxygen tank Process control system of the FCC plant

Evaporator

Oxygen

OXYMIX
Flowtrain
measuring and
control unit

ECOVAR on-site unit Air and oxygen to

Air the FCC regenerator

Gas distributor OXYMIX

Pipeline from central Air blower of the
supply point FCC regenerator

Application The oxygen content in the regenerator air is raised to a maximum of 28 % by volume, but usually stays below
25 %. Depending on the oxygen demand and infrastructure of the refinery, the oxygen can be supplied:
→→ By a liquid supply system
→→ By an ECOVAR® on-site unit
→→ By pipeline from an ASU

Liquefied oxygen supply is used when the oxygen demand varies strongly. An on-site unit is economical if
oxygen is required continuously at throughputs of 2,000 Nm³/h and more. It delivers oxygen at a purity of
90 to 94 % by volume.

Service offer →→ Integration of the specially designed oxygen distributor OXYMIX® into the air pipeline
→→ Integration of the oxygen supply system into the process control and safety system of
the FCC unit by way of a OXYMIX Flowtrain measuring and control unit
→→ Execution of tests with the customer’s oils and residues in an FCC test unit
→→ Analysis of the composition of the products
→→ Performance of profitability calculations
→→ Investigation of the optimum oxygen supply
→→ Installation of the equipment for oxygen supply and start-up
→→ Supply of oxygen

Linde AG
28265_LCS_0617

Gases Division, Seitnerstrasse 70, 82049 Pullach, Germany

Phone +49 89 7446-0, Fax +49 89 7446-1230, www/linde-gas.com/refineries

Linde is a trading name used by companies within The Linde Group. The Linde logo and the Linde word are trademarks of Linde AG. OXYMIX® and ECOVAR® are
EU-registered trademarks of The Linde Group. Trademark registrations and their status may differ from one location to another. Copyright © 2017. Linde AG.