# US 10,118,143 B2 · Ceramic orifice chamber for fluid catalytic cracking unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,143 B2 - Document ID: US10118143B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/327,418 - Filed: 2015-07-23 - Published: 2017-06-15 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-28 - Assignees: Total Raffinage Chimie - Applicants: Total Raffinage Chimie - Inventors: Jean-Christophe Raboin; Marc Bories; Michaël Echard; Romain Lesage; Lassad Rezgui - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118143B2 ## CPC - B01J 8/0065: {by impingement against stationary members} - B01J 8/24: according to "fluidised-bed" technique (B01J8/20 takes precedence) - B01J 19/02: Apparatus characterised by being constructed of material selected for its chemically-resistant properties - C10G 11/18: according to the "fluidised-bed" technique - B01J 2219/0263: Ceramic - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES ## Abstract The invention relates to an orifice chamber designed to expand a gas, in particular intended for a fluid catalytic cracking unit, said orifice chamber comprising the following elements: a chamber having an axis (X), an inlet duct that opens into the chamber, an outlet duct located on the opposite side from the inlet duct following said axis (X), and a plurality of internal plates positioned crosswise to the axis (X) inside the chamber at a distance from one another along the axis (X), each internal plate being provided with a plurality of through-orifices, characterized in that at least the plurality of internal plates is made of a ceramic material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An orifice chamber designed to expand a gas, in particular intended for a fluid catalytic cracking unit, said orifice chamber comprising the following elements: a chamber having an axis (X), an inlet duct that opens into the chamber, an outlet duct located on the opposite side from the inlet duct following said axis (X), and a plurality of internal plates positioned crosswise to the axis (X) inside the chamber at a distance from one another along the axis (X), each internal plate being provided with a plurality of through-orifices, characterized in that at least the plurality of internal plates is made of a ceramic material and the ceramic material comprises a ceramic matrix selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide SiC, boron carbide B4C, silicon nitride Si3N4, aluminium nitride AlN, boron nitride BN, alumina Al2O3, and mixtures thereof, in which carbon fibres or ceramic fibres are incorporated in the ceramic matrix. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The orifice chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the chamber and/or each duct is made of metal or made of ceramic material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The orifice chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the ceramic fibres comprise crystalline alumina fibres, mullite fibres, crystalline or amorphous silicon carbide fibres, zirconia fibres, silica-alumina fibres, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The orifice chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the ceramic material is a sintered ceramic material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The orifice chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the ceramic material is a Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The orifice chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that each internal plate is formed from one part made of ceramic material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The orifice chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the elements are separate elements made of ceramic material that are assembled together, a separate element being made of one part or being made of several portions assembled together. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The orifice chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the elements and/or the portions are assembled by welding or brazing or in that elements to be assembled and/or portions to be assembled have ends shaped in order to be assembled by interlocking or screwing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The orifice chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the chamber is made of metal and in that the internal plates made of ceramic material are assembled to the metal chamber by fastening means capable of absorbing a difference in expansion between the metal of the chamber and the ceramic material of an internal plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The orifice chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the chamber is made of ceramic material and has a reinforcing outer covering in mesh form. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A system for recovering power from the flue gases exiting a regenerator of a fluid catalytic cracking unit comprising at least one orifice chamber according to claim 1. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A catalytic cracking unit comprising at least one orifice chamber according to claim 1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11, 12) The catalytic cracking unit according to claim 12 further comprising the system for recovering power according to claim 11. ### Claim 14 A method of preparing an orifice chamber made of Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC), comprising: 1) shaping a fibrous ceramic material over a supporting material that could be removed without excessive effort, in order to obtain a fibrous shape that can be assimilated to the backbone of the final device to be obtained, in the presence of a first resin, 2) coating the shape obtained at step (1) with finely divided ceramic powder and at least a second resin, in the presence of finely divided carbon powder, to obtain a coated shape, 3) repeat steps (1) and (2), 4) heating the coated shape of step (2) or (3) under vacuum and/or under inert atmosphere in order to transform the resins of step (1), (2) and (3) into a carbon-rich structure, essentially deprived of other elements to obtain a carbon-rich coated shape, 5) introducing a gas within the carbon-rich coated shape of step (4) under conditions efficient to transform the carbon-rich structure into carbide containing carbon-rich structure, 6) removing the supporting material of step (1), when present, wherein carbon fibers are present at least at step (1), (2) and/or (3) within the fibrous ceramic material, within the finely divided ceramic powder, within the finely divided carbon powder, and/or within the first and/or second resin.