FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING SYSTEM WITH FINES ADDITION SYSTEM

• US 20070251862A1
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Matthey Process Technologies Inc. (Johnson Matthey PLC)
• Original Assignee: Intercat Equipment, Inc.
• Inventors: Evans, Martin, Brown, Manfred
• Granted Patent: US 7,572,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 208/106
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 11/18 according to the "fluidised-bed" technique

Abstract

A fines injection apparatus, a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) system having a fines injection apparatus, and a method for using the same are provided. In one embodiment, a FCC system includes a FCC unit, a fines collector, and a fines injector coupled to the fines collector for retuning the fines recovered in the fines collector to the FCC unit. In another embodiment, an apparatus for injecting fines into a FCC system includes a fines separator coupled to an effluent stream and an injection apparatus coupled to a regenerator. A conduit is provided for delivering collected fines from the fines separator to the injection apparatus. In yet another embodiment, a method for injecting fines into FCC system includes collecting fines from a waste stream of a FCC system, automatically transferring the collected fines to a fines injection apparatus, and periodically injecting the transferred fines into the FCC system.

Claims

1. A method for adding fines a fluid catalyst cracking (FCC) unit, comprising:

recovering fines from the FCC unit;

transferring the collected fines to a fines addition system; and

injecting the transferred fines into the FCC unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein recovering the fines further comprises:

separating fines from an effluent stream exiting the fluid catalytic cracking unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of recovering further comprises:

storing the collected fines in a container.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

periodically transferring fines from the container to the fines addition system.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transferring new fines to the addition system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an amount of recovered fines; and

adding new fines in response to the determined recovered fines amount.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an amount of fines being lost from the FCC unit; and

replenishing fines to the FCC unit in response to the determined lost amount.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sensing a metric inactive of an amount of injected fines.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein sensing further comprises:

sensing a metric indicative of a weight of fines passing through the fines addition system.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

automatically injecting the fines in response to a metric indicative of fines within the FCC unit.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

pressurizing the fines addition system;

transferring the pressurized fines to the FCC unit;

depressurizing the fines addition system; and

adding fines to the depressurized fines addition system.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

venting the internal volume of the fines addition system to an effluent stream of the FCC unit.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

separating fines from fluid vented from the fines addition system.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

returning separated fines to the fines addition system.

15. An apparatus for injecting fines into an fluid catalyst cracking (FCC) unit, comprising:

pressure vessel suitable for high temperature operation;

a fill port formed in the pressure vessel;

a vent port formed in the pressure vessel;

a fines removal device coupled to the vent port;

a first discharge port formed in a lower section of the pressure vessel;

a metering device coupled to the first discharge port;

a heat dissipater positioned to cool fines entering the pressure vessel; and

a sensor coupled to the pressure vessel arranged to provide a metric indicative of fines passing through the pressure vessel.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a second discharge port formed in a lower section of the pressure vessel.

17. A fluid catalyst cracking (FCC) system, comprising:

a FCC unit having a regenerator and a reactor;

a catalyst addition system coupled to the FCC unit;

a fines recovery system interfaced with an effluent stream of the regenerator; and

a fines addition system coupled between the fines recovery system and the FCC unit.

18. The FCC system of claim 17, wherein the fines addition system further comprises:

a sensor configured to provide a metric indicative of fines injected in to the FCC unit by the fines addition system.

19. The FCC system of claim 18, wherein the sensor provides a metric indicative of a change in weight.

20. The FCC system of claim 17 further comprising:

a tote adapted to contain fines coupled to the fines addition system.

21. The FCC system of claim 17 further comprising:

a heat dissipater positioned to remove heat from fines passing between the fines recovery system and the fines addition system.