Systems and methods for distributing particulate material into a particulate vessel and fcc units including the systems

A fluidized catalytic cracking unit for the fluidized catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons, said fluidized catalytic cracking unit comprising:

• a reaction zone in which particulate catalyst is contacted with a hydrocarbon feed;
• a separator vessel in fluid communication with said reaction zone for receiving an effluent comprising entrained particulate catalyst from said reaction zone and separating particulate catalyst from the effluent;
• a regeneration zone in fluid communication with said separator vessel for receiving particulate catalyst from said separator vessel and with said reaction zone for passing regenerated catalyst from said regeneration zone to said reaction zone, said regeneration zone comprising:
• a particulate vessel for receiving the particulate catalyst;
• and
• a particulate material distributor for introducing the particulate catalyst into said particulate vessel, said particulate material distributor comprising a declined header defining a plurality of orifices spaced along a length of said declined header for accommodating flow of particulate catalyst from said declined header into said particulate vessel;
• and
• a vessel level controller for controlling a level of the particulate catalyst in said particulate vessel, said vessel level controller controlling flow of the particulate catalyst through one or more of said orifices in said declined header through adjustment of the level of particulate catalyst in said particulate vessel.

A method for distributing particulate material into a particulate vessel, said method comprising the steps of:

• introducing particulate material into the particulate vessel with a particulate material distributor comprising a declined header defining a plurality of orifices spaced along a length of the declined header for accommodating flow of particulate material from the declined header;
• sensing a level of particulate material in the particulate vessel with a vessel level controller;
• and
• adjusting the level of particulate material in the particulate vessel between the plurality of orifices in the declined header based upon the sensed level of particulate material in the particulate vessel to control flow of the particulate material through one or more of the plurality of orifices in the declined header.