Cooling fluidized catalytic cracking regeneration zones with heat pipe apparatus
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorBrian W. Hedrick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus is presented for burning carbonaceous deposits off of fluidized particles. The apparatus is preferably employed as the catalyst regeneration zone of a fluidized catalytic cracking process. Heat pipes are used to cool the particles and transfer heat to an external steam generation zone. Preferably, the heat pipes extend vertically upward from an external catalyst transfer conduit to the steam generation chamber. The water level in the steam generation chamber or the density of the fluidized particles in contact with the heat pipes can be used to control the rate of heat removal from the combustion zone.
Claims25
An apparatus for the combustion of carbonaceous materials present on fluidizable particles employed in a hydrocarbon conversion process which comprises:
- (a) means for confining a fluidized mass of said particles comprising a chamber, a particle inlet, a particle outlet, an oxygen-containing gas inlet and a flue gas outlet, with the flue gas outlet communicating with an upper end of the chamber;
- (b) a steam generating chamber having associated therewith a means to charge liquid water to the steam generation chamber and remove steam from an upper end of the steam generation chamber at a point above a level at which water would rest in a lower portion of the chamber;
- and,
- (c) a plurality of heat pipes, each heat pipe having a lower first end located within said means for confining the fluidized mass of particles and an upper second end located within said steam generation chamber.
An apparatus for the regeneration of catalyst used in a fluidized catalytic cracking process which comprises:
- (a) an upper chamber, with means being provided to withdraw a flue gas stream from an upper portion of the upper chamber and to withdraw regenerated particles from a lower portion of the upper chamber;
- (b) a lower chamber, with means being provided to pass used catalyst and an oxygen-containing gas stream into the lower chamber;
- (c) means to transfer fluidized catalyst upward from the lower chamber into the upper chamber;
- (d) a particle circulation conduit located externally to the upper and lower chambers, with the particle circulation circuit extending downward from a lower portion of the upper chamber to the lower chamber;
- (e) a steam generation chamber located outside of the upper and lower chambers;
- and
- (f) a plurality of heat pipes having a lower first end located in said particle circulation conduit and an upper second end located in said stream generation chamber, with a steam removal conduit being attached to the steam chamber at a point above the heat pipes.
An apparatus for the regeneration of catalyst used in a fluidized catalytic cracking process which comprises:
- (a) a means for confining a fluidized bed of catalyst comprising a vertically aligned first cylindrical chamber, a catalyst inlet conduit, a catalyst outlet conduit, an inlet conduit for an oxygen-containing gas stream and a flue gas outlet conduit;
- (b) a catalyst cooling chamber located outside said means for confining a fluidized bed of catalyst;
- (c) a catalyst transfer conduit extending between said first chamber and said catalyst cooling chamber;
- (d) a steam generation chamber;
- (e) a plurality of heat pipes, each heat pipe haivng a lower first end located within said catalyst cooling chamber and an upper second end located within the steam generation chamber and,
- (f) means to charge liquid water to the steam chamber and to collect and remove steam from the steam chamber at a point above the heat pipes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.