Fluid Catalytic Cracking Handbook

An Expert Guide to the Practical Operation, Design, and Optimization of FCC Units

Reza Sadeghbeigi

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9780128126639
• Edition: 4
• eBook ISBN:
  9780128126646
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Fluid Catalytic Cracking Handbook: An Expert Guide to the Practical Operation, Design, and Optimization of FCC Units, Fourth Edition, enables readers to maximize the profitability and reliability of fluid catalytic cracking operations by covering all stages of FCC, including their design, operation, troubleshooting and optimization. It includes valuable chapters on FCC Main Fractionator and Gas Plant and Process Engineering Tools that provide engineers with the relevant tools they need to fully optimize processes and operations. This book presents technologies and processes that will improve the profitability and reliability of FCC units, along with lessons from Mr. Sadeghbeigi's 30 years of field experience. The book provides a valuable reference for experienced engineers, but is also an ideal reference for those who are developing their skills and knowledge base. - Presents relevant, real world examples that enable petrochemical engineers to achieve real term savings - Contains dedicated chapters on lessons learned from troubleshooting cases carried out by the author - Includes sections on FCC Main Fractionator and Gas Plant - Covers both SI and Imperial Units throughout

Chapter 1

Fluid catalytic cracking process description—converter section

Abstract

The fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process has been in commercial operations for nearly 80 years. It is the most flexible process in the petroleum refinery. It can process all types of feedstock. Its cracking severity can be adjusted greatly. Since the start-up of the first commercial FCC unit in 1942, many improvements have been made to enhance the unit’s mechanical reliability and its ability to crack heavier, lower-value feedstocks. The FCC has a remarkable history of adapting to continual changes in market demands.

Keywords

Alkylation unit; Catalyst; Combustion; Distillation; Flue gas; Fluid catalytic cracking; Petroleum refinery

1. 1.1 Feed preheat section
2. 1.2 Converter section
   1. 1.2.1 Partial versus complete combustion
3. 1.3 Regenerator flue gas section
   1. 1.3.1 Regenerator catalyst separation
   2. 1.3.2 Catalyst handling facilities
4. Summary

The fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process has been in commercial operations for nearly 80 years. It is the most flexible process in the petroleum refinery. It can process all types of feedstock. Its cracking severity can be adjusted greatly.

Since the start-up of the first commercial FCC unit in 1942, many improvements have been made to enhance the unit's mechanical reliability and its ability to crack heavier, lower-value feedstocks. The FCC has a remarkable history of adapting to continual changes in market demands. Tables 1.1A and 1.1B highlight some of the major developments in the history of the FCC process.

The FCC unit uses a “microspherical” catalyst which behaves like a liquid when it is properly fluidized. The main purpose of the FCC unit is to convert high-boiling petroleum fractions called gas oil to high-value, transportation fuels (gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel). FCC feedstock is often the gas oil portion of crude oil that commonly boils in the 650 °F+ to 1050 °F+ (330 °C–550 °C) range. Feedstock properties are discussed in Chapter 3.

There are over 400 FCC/RFCC units that are operating worldwide with total processing capacity of over 20 million barrels per day. United States, China, India, Japan and Brazil have the most operating units. Most of the existing FCC units have been designed or modified by six major technology licensors:

• 1. UOP (Universal Oil Products)
• 2. Kellogg Brown & Root - KBR (formerly The M.W. Kellogg Company)
• 3. ExxonMobil Research and Engineering (EMRE)
• 4. The Technip—Stone & Webster.
• 5. CB&I Lummus
• 6. Shell Global Solutions International

Table 1.1A

The evolution of catalytic cracking—pre FCC invention.

1915	Almer M. McAfee of Gulf Refining Co. discovered that a Friedel-Crafts aluminum chloride catalyst could catalytically crack heavy oil. However, the high cost of catalyst prevented the widespread use of McAfee's process.
1922	The French mechanical engineer named Eugene Jules Houdry and a French pharmacist named E.A. Prodhomme set up a laboratory to develop a catalytic process for conversion of lignite to gasoline. The demonstration plant in 1929 showed the process not be economical. Houdry had found that Fuller's Earth; a clay containing aluminosilicate (Al2SiO6) could convert oil from lignite to gasoline.
1930	The Vacuum Oil Company invited Houdry to move his laboratory to Paulsboro, New Jersey.
1931	The Vacuum Oil Company merged with Standard Oil of New York (Socony) to form Socony-Vacuum Oil Company.
1933	A small Houdry unit processing 200 BPD of petroleum oil was commissioned because of the economic depression of the early 1930s; Socony-Vacuum could not support Houdry's work and granted him permission to seek help elsewhere. Sun Oil Company joined in developing Houdry's process.
1936	Socony-Vacuum converted an old thermal cracker to catalytically crack 2000 BPD of petroleum oil using the Houdry process.
1936	Use of natural clays as catalyst greatly improved cracking efficiency.
1937	Sun Oil began operation of Houdry unit processing 12,000 BPD. The Houdry process used reactors with a fixed bed of catalyst and it was a semi-batch operation. Almost 50% of the cracked products were gasoline.
1938	With the commercial successes of ...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• About the Author
• Preface to the Fourth Edition
• Chapter 1. Fluid catalytic cracking process description—converter section
• Chapter 2. Process description main fractionator, gas plant and product treating sections
• Chapter 3. Process control instrumentation
• Chapter 4. FCC feed characterization
• Chapter 5. FCC catalysts
• Chapter 6. Catalyst and feed additives
• Chapter 7. Chemistry of FCC reactions
• Chapter 8. Unit monitoring and control
• Chapter 9. Products and economics
• Chapter 10. Effective project execution and management
• Chapter 11. Refractory lining systems
• Chapter 12. Process and mechanical design guidelines for FCC equipment
• Chapter 13. Troubleshooting
• Chapter 14. Optimization and debottlenecking
• Chapter 15. Emissions
• Chapter 16. Residue and deep hydrotreated feedstock processing
• Chapter 17. Biofuels
• Appendix 1. Temperature variation of liquid viscosity
• Appendix 2. Correction to volumetric average boiling point
• Appendix 3. Total correlations
• Appendix 4. n–d–M correlations
• Appendix 5. Estimation of molecular weight of petroleum oils from viscosity measurements
• Appendix 6. Kinematic viscosity to Saybolt universal viscosity
• Appendix 7. API correlations
• Appendix 8. Definitions of fluidization terms
• Appendix 9. Conversion of ASTM 50% point to TBP 50% point temperature
• Appendix 10. Determination of TBP cut points from ASTM D86
• Appendix 11. Nominal pipe sizes
• Appendix 12. Conversion factors
• Glossary
• Index