SYSTEMS FOR INJECTING CATALYSTS AND/OR ADDITIVES INTO A FLUIDIZED CATALYTIC CRACKING UNIT AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING THE SAME

• US 20140255110A1
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: W R Grace & Company - CONN (WR Grace & Company)
• Original Assignee: W R Grace & Company - CONN (WR Grace & Company)
• Inventors: Albin, Lenny Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,637,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 406/145
• 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 2219/002 inside the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00213 Fixed parameter value
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00236 at the reactor outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/001 Controlling catalytic processes B01J8/1809 takes precedence
• 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 8/18 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: B65G 53/26 operating with fluidisation of the materials
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 11/18 according to the "fluidised-bed" technique
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 11/187 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4012 Pressure

Abstract

Systems for loading catalyst and/or additives into a fluidized catalytic cracking unit are disclosed. Methods of making and using the systems are also disclosed.

Claims

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

(a) a dust collector in fluid communication with at least one storage bin holding one of the catalyst and/or additives;

(b) a vacuum producer in fluid communication with the dust collector so that the vacuum producer generates a vacuum within the dust collector that draws the one of the catalyst and/or additives into the dust collector;

(c) a filter positioned within said dust collector and operatively adapted to filter fluid exiting said dust collector in response to a vacuum produced by said vacuum producer;

(d) a transfer pot in fluid communication with the dust collector for receiving the one of the catalyst and/or additives from the dust collector, the transfer pot being in fluid communication with the fluidized catalytic cracking unit and a source of pressurized air so that the one of the catalyst and/or additives is transferred to the fluidized catalytic cracking unit in response to one or more system parameters; and

(e) at least one differential pressure gauge having a differential pressure gauge component positioned so as to measure a pressure of said dust collector.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one differential pressure gauge component comprises an internal pressure nipple positioned along an inner surface of said dust collector or an outer surface of said filter within said dust collector.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one differential pressure gauge further comprises an external pressure nipple positioned so as to measure a pressure of fluid exiting said dust collector and said filter, and said at least one differential pressure gauge is operatively adapted to measure a first pressure differential across said filter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises:

a controller operatively adapted to (i) monitor a first pressure differential across said filter, and (ii) provide a signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises:

(a) a valve positioned between said dust collector and said transfer pot, said valve operatively adapted to move from an open position to a closed position in response to a transfer pot pressurizing initiation step; and

(b) a discharge valve controller positioned between said transfer pot and the fluidized catalytic cracking unit, said discharge valve operatively adapted to move from a closed position to an open position in response to one or more system parameters.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said valve positioned between said dust collector and said transfer pot comprises a pop-up valve that moves from the open position to the closed position via air impingement along an outer surface of said pop-up valve, said pop-up valve being in contact with an O-ring when in the closed position.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said valve positioned between said dust collector and said transfer pot comprises a mechanically actuated valve or an electronically activated valve.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said system further comprises:

a controller operatively adapted to;

(i) monitor a first pressure differential across said filter when said system is in a vacuum mode, and

(ii) provide a first signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount during the vacuum mode;

(iii) monitor a first pressure differential across said filter when said system is in a transfer pot pressurized mode, and

(iv) provide a second signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount during the transfer pot pressurized mode; and

(v) monitor a first pressure differential across said filter when said system is in a stand-by mode, and

(vi) provide a third signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount during the stand-by mode.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first pressure differential threshold amount during the vacuum mode is from about 0.0 psi to about 10.0 psi, the first pressure differential threshold amount during the transfer pot pressurized mode is from about 0.3 psi to about 0.6 psi, and the first pressure differential threshold amount during the stand-by mode is from about 0.3 psi to about 0.6 psi.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein each of said first signal, said second signal and said third signal independently comprises at least one of:

(i) a message to a user, (ii) a flashing light, and (iii) a system shutdown.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one differential pressure gauge comprises a single differential pressure gauge.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of load cells for measuring a weight of the transfer pot, and the one of the catalyst and/or additives positioned within the transfer pot.

13. A method of monitoring a pressure within the system of claim 1, said method comprising:

monitoring a differential pressure reading of the at least one differential pressure gauge.

20. The system or method of claim 1, the one or more system parameters comprise one or more of:

a pressure of the system, a pressure of the transfer pot, a designated length of time programmed into a system controller, a designated length of time starting at an initiation of a catalyst/additive loading step, and a designated length of time starting at an initiation of the transfer pot pressurizing step.

14. A method of monitoring a pressure within a system for injecting catalyst and/or additives into a fluidized catalytic cracking unit, said method comprising:

(a) monitoring a first pressure differential across a filter positioned within a dust collector and operatively adapted to filter fluid exiting the dust collector in response to a vacuum produced by a vacuum producer when the system is in a vacuum mode;

(b) monitoring the first pressure differential across the filter when the system is in a transfer pot pressurized mode;

(c) monitoring the first pressure differential across the filter when the system is in a stand-by mode; and

(d) providing one or more signals selected from;

(i) a first signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount during the vacuum mode,

(ii) a second signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount during the transfer pot pressurized mode, and

(iii) a third signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount during the stand-by mode.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first pressure differential threshold amount during the vacuum mode is from about 0.0 psi to about 10.0 psi, the first pressure differential threshold amount during the transfer pot pressurized mode is from about 0.3 psi to about 0.6 psi, and the first pressure differential threshold amount during the stand-by mode is from about 0.3 psi to about 0.6 psi.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said providing step comprises providing the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the first signal, the second signal and the third signal independently comprises at least one of:

(i) a message to a user, (ii) a flashing light, and (iii) a system shutdown.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said monitoring of the first pressure differential steps each independently comprise monitoring via a programmable controller.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said monitoring of the first pressure differential steps is performed via a single differential pressure gauge having a differential pressure gauge component positioned within the dust collector.