System and Process for Injecting Catalyst and/or Additives into a Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Unit

• US 20110056979A1
• Filed: 11/17/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. (WR Grace & Company)
• Original Assignee: W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. (WR Grace & Company)
• Inventors: Albin, Lenny Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,315,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00548 Flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00752 Feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00761 Discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00769 Details of feeding or discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0015 Feeding of the particles in the reactor; Evacuation of the particles out of the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0025 by an ascending fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/003 in a downward flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0035 Periodical feeding or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/004 by means of a nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/006 by filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/06 in tube reactors; the solid particles being arranged in tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/18 with fluidised particles combustion apparatus with fluidised bed in general F23C10/00; furnaces with fluidised bed F27B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/24 according to "fluidised-bed" technique B01J8/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 11/18 according to the "fluidised-bed" technique
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/80 Additives

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of a system for loading catalyst and/or additives into a fluidized catalytic cracking unit includes a bin for storing at least one of the catalyst and/or additives, and a loading unit in fluid communication with the storage bin and the fluidized catalytic cracking unit on a selective basis. The loading unit is capable of being evacuated so that a resulting vacuum within the loading unit draws the catalyst and/or additive from the bin. The loading unit is also capable of being pressurized so that the catalyst and/or additive is transferred from the loading unit to the fluidized catalytic cracking unit.

Claims

1. A process for introducing catalyst and/or additives into a fluidized catalytic cracking unit, comprising:

generating a vacuum within a loading unit;

drawing one of the catalyst and/or additives from a storage bin and into the loading unit in response to the vacuum;

pressurizing the loading unit; and

injecting the one of the catalyst and/or additives into the fluidized catalytic cracking unit in response to the pressurization of the loading unit.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a weight of the one of the catalyst and/or additives drawn into the loading unit and stopping generation of the vacuum when the weight reaches a predetermined value.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein generating a vacuum within a unit comprises initiating a flow of pressurized air through a vacuum producer in fluid communication with the loading unit.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein injecting the one of the catalyst and/or additives into the fluidized catalytic cracking unit in response to the pressurization of the loading unit comprises injecting the one of the catalyst and/or additive into a regenerator of the fluidized catalytic cracking unit.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein drawing one of the catalyst and/or additives from a storage bin and into the loading unit in response to the vacuum comprises opening a valve to place the storage bin in fluid communication with the loading unit.

6. The process of claim 5, further comprising drawing another of the catalyst and/or additives from another of the storage bins and into the loading unit in response to the vacuum by opening another of the valves to place the another of the storage bins in fluid communication with the loading unit.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein pressurizing the loading unit comprises opening a valve to place the loading unit in fluid communication with a source of pressurized air.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein generating a vacuum within a unit and drawing one of the catalyst and/or additives from a storage bin and into the loading unit in response to the vacuum comprises generating the vacuum in a dust collector of the loading unit and drawing one of the catalyst and/or additives from a storage bin and into the dust collector in response to the vacuum.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein pressurizing the loading unit and injecting the one of the catalyst and/or additives into the fluidized catalytic cracking unit in response to the pressurization of the loading unit comprises pressurizing a transfer pot of the loading unit and injecting the one of the catalyst and/or additives into the fluidized catalytic cracking unit from the transfer pot.

10. A process for loading catalyst and/or additives into a fluidized catalytic cracking unit, comprising:

storing at least one of the catalyst and/or additives at a first location;

vacuuming the at least one of the catalyst and/or additives into a unit positioned at a second location; and

injecting the at least one of a catalyst and/or additives into the fluidized catalytic cracking unit from the loading unit.