SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR INJECTING CATALYST AND/OR ADDITIVES INTO A FLUIDIZED CATALYTIC CRACKING UNIT

• US 20110280769A1
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Published: 11/17/2011
• 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: Yaluris, George, Albin, Lenny Lee, Jordan, Alfred Ferdinand
• Granted Patent: US 9,504,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/119
• 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: B01J 8/32 with introduction into the fluidised bed of more than one kind of moving particles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/28 Systems utilising a combination of gas pressure and suction inducing feed of the materials by suction in gas pressure systems B65G53/14
• 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

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A system for storing and loading catalyst and/or additives into a fluidized catalytic cracking unit, comprising a storage bin for storing at least one of the catalyst and/or additives at a first location, and a loading unit positioned in a second location remote from the first location, the loading unit being in fluid communication with the storage bin and the fluidized catalytic cracking unit on a selective basis, wherein the loading unit is capable of being evacuated so that a resulting vacuum within the loading unit draws the at least one of the catalyst and/or additives from the storage bin, and the loading unit is capable of being pressurized so that the least one of the catalyst and/or additives is transferred from the loading unit to the fluidized catalytic cracking unit.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the thaw loading unit comprises a dust collector and a transfer pot.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a vacuum producer for evacuating the loading unit.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the dust collector comprises a filter in fluid communication with the vacuum producer for collecting dust generated by transfer of the at least one of the catalyst and/or additives from the storage bin to the dust collector.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of load cells for measuring a weight of the loading unit and the one of the catalyst and/or additives in the loading unit.

23. The system of claim 18, further comprising a cabinet for housing the loading unit, wherein the loading unit is mounted on a plurality of legs, each of the legs is secured to a common plate, the plate is mounted on the load cells, and the load cells are mounted on a base of the cabinet.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the dust collector comprises a substantially cylindrical upper portion and an adjoining, substantially conical lower portion; and

the transfer pot comprises a substantially cylindrical upper portion adjoining the lower portion of the dust collector, and substantially conical lower portion adjoining the upper portion of the transfer pot.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the lower portion of the dust collector has an opening formed therein for permitting the one of the catalyst and/or additives to flow from the dust collector to the transfer pot as the at least one of the catalyst and/or additives is drawn into the dust collector from the storage bin, and the system further comprises a valve for covering the opening on a selective basis, the valve having a plug movable between an upper and a lower position in response to impingement of pressurized air thereon.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the lower portion of the transfer pot has an opening formed therein for permitting the one of the catalyst and/or additives to flow from the transfer pot to the fluidized catalytic cracking unit.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the dust collector and the transfer pot each comprise a respective sidewall.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein the second location is located no more than approximately twenty feet from the first location.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein the system comprise at least two of the storage bins.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the loading unit further comprises a manifold for placing the loading unit in fluid communication with the at least two of the storage bins on a selective basis.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the dust collector adjoins the transfer pot.

72. The system of claim 23, wherein the cabinet is adapted to function as a shipping container for the system.

73. The system of claim 30, further comprising a first pipe guide in fluid communication with a first of the storage bins, and a second pipe guide in fluid communication with a second of the storage bins, wherein a first end of the first pipe guide and a first end of the second pipe guide are each secured to a sidewall of the loading unit.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein a second end of the first pipe guide is secured to a second end of the second pipe guide.

75. The system of claim 74, wherein the second end of the first pipe guide is secured to the second end of the second pipe guide within the loading unit, and the first and second pipe guides discharge the catalyst and/or additive at a location proximate a centerline of the loading unit.

76. The system of claim 74, further comprising a third pipe guide in fluid communication with a third storage bin, and a fourth pipe guide in fluid communication with a fourth storage bin, wherein a first end of the third pipe guide and a first end of the fourth pipe guide are each secured to the sidewall of the loading unit, a second end of the third pipe guide is secured to the second end of the second pipe guide, and a second end of the fourth pipe guide is secured to the second end of the third pipe guide.

77. The system of claim 73, further comprising a manifold, the manifold being secured to a second end of the first pipe guide and a second end of the second pipe guide so that the manifold is located within the loading unit.

78. The system of claim 77, wherein the manifold comprises a first valve in fluid communication with the first storage bin for placing the dust collector in fluid communication with the first storage bin on a selective basis, and a second valve in fluid communication with the second storage bin for placing the dust collector in fluid communication with the second storage bin on a selective basis.

79. The system of claim 77, wherein the manifold further comprises a discharge pipe guide for discharging the catalyst and/or additives from the manifold and into an interior volume of the dust collector at a location proximate a centerline of the dust collector.

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

a first bin for storing a first of the catalyst and/or additives;

a second bin for storing a second of the catalyst and/or additives;

a loading unit in fluid communication with the first and second bins and the fluidized catalytic cracking unit;

a first valve for isolating the first bin from the loading unit on a selective basis;

a second valve for isolating the second bin from the loading unit on a selective basis; and

a third valve for isolating the loading unit from the fluidized catalytic cracking unit on a selective basis.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising a manifold comprising the first and second valves.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the loading unit is capable of maintaining a vacuum therein so that the first and second of the catalyst and/or additives can be drawn into the loading unit from the respective first and second bins by the vacuum, and the loading unit is capable of being pressurized so that the first and second of the catalyst and/or additives can be injected into the fluidized catalytic cracking unit in response to pressurization of the loading unit.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising first and second hoses for coupling the respective first and second bins to the loading unit.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the loading unit comprises a dust collector and a transfer pot.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the dust collector is capable of maintaining a vacuum therein so that the first and second of the catalyst and/or additives can be drawn into the dust collector from the respective first and second bins by the vacuum, and the transfer pot is capable of being pressurized so that the first and second of the catalyst and/or additives can be injected into the fluidized catalytic cracking unit in response to pressurization of the transfer pot.

38. The system of claim 34, further comprising a vacuum producer for generating the vacuum within the loading unit.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the dust collector comprises a filter for collecting dust generated by transfer of the at least one of the catalyst and/or additives from the respective first and second bins and into the loading unit.

40. The system of claim 34, further comprising a volume chamber and moisture trap for drying air used to pressurize the loading unit.

41. The system of claim 32, further comprising a controller, the controller being electrically coupled to respective actuators of the first, second, and third valves so that the controller can open and close the first, second, and third valves.

42. The system of claim 36, wherein:

the dust collector comprises a substantially cylindrical upper portion and an adjoining, substantially conical lower portion; and

the transfer pot comprises a substantially cylindrical upper portion adjoining the lower portion of the dust collector, and substantially conical lower portion adjoining the upper portion of the transfer pot.

43. The system of claim 36, wherein the transfer pot and the dust collector each comprise a respective sidewall.

44. The system of claim 32, wherein the first bin and the loading unit are non-adjoining, and the second bin and the loading unit are non-adjoining.

45. The system of claim 36, wherein the dust collector adjoins the transfer pot.

80. The system of claim 32, further comprising a first pipe guide in fluid communication with the first bin, and a second pipe guide in fluid communication with the second bin, wherein a first end of the first pipe guide and a first end of the second pipe guide are each secured to a sidewall of the loading unit.

81. The system of claim 80, wherein a second end of the first pipe guide is secured to a second end of the second pipe guide.

82. The system of claim 81, wherein the second end of the first pipe guide is secured to the second end of the second pipe guide within the loading unit, and the first and second pipe guides discharge the catalyst and/or additive at a location proximate a centerline of the loading unit.

83. The system of claim 81, further comprising a third pipe guide in fluid communication with a third storage bin, and a fourth pipe guide in fluid communication with a fourth storage bin, wherein a first end of the third pipe guide and a first end of the fourth pipe guide are each secured to the sidewall of the loading unit, a second end of the third pipe guide is secured to the second end of the second pipe guide, and a second end of the fourth pipe guide is secured to the second end of the third pipe guide.

84. The system of claim 80, further comprising a manifold, the manifold being secured to a second end of the first pipe guide and a second end of the second pipe guide so that the manifold is located within the loading unit.

85. The system of claim 84, wherein the manifold further comprises a discharge pipe guide for discharging the catalyst and/or additives from the manifold and into an interior volume of the dust collector at a location proximate a centerline of the dust collector.

46-71. -71. (canceled)