FCC profitability assessment via

advanced modelling
Process and computational fluid dynamic modelling were applied to validate
the technology used in an FCC unit revamp at Shell’s Puget Sound refinery

Sayantan Chatterjee, Cian Carroll, Michael Basden and Kevin Kunz Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc
Charles Burton MOTIVA Refining
Steve Nelson Shell Oil Products US

T
he FCC unit at Puget
Sound was originally
To COBs
installed in 1958. Over the To MF
and WGS
intervening years, the unit was
modified several times. The last
revamp in 1999 installed a new
external riser as well as the
current reactor vessel and with
the unit configured as a two-ves-
sel side-by-side FCC unit with
an external riser. The reactor
vessel contained the reactor
cyclones with a stripper incor-
porated within the bottom
section of the reactor vessel.
The basic layout of the FCC unit Combustion
is illustrated in the process flow air to regen
Lift air
diagram used in the project ex-LAB
scope (see Figure 1).
During the refinery’s 2009
turnaround, Shell determined
the unit’s riser refractory to be
at end of life and in need of Figure 1 Process flow diagram of Shell’s Puget Sound FCC unit (revamp
renewal. Replacing the refrac- project scope items are outlined in red)
tory would have been a major
effort, potentially extending the next turnaround decided to replace the riser refractory, the
in 2014. Therefore, the company decided that incremental engineering and fabrication costs
replacement would be a more cost-effective unit were low enough to justify the increase in riser
upgrade and life extension strategy. residence time.
Technical review of the riser determined that Likewise, the as-found condition of the strip-
the riser residence time was too short per in the 2009 inspection indicated that
for the current demand. Replacement of the replacement would be cost effective as an alter-
riser simply to increase riser residence time native to the required repairs that would have
would not have met the required return on had to be scheduled for the 2014 turnaround.
investment criteria. However, once the company For example, the existing stripper was a disk and

www.digitalrefining.com/article/1001180 PTQ Q4 2015 1

 revamp scope definition, instal-
lation of an expansion joint was
in the project scope for the
spent catalyst standpipe as well.
However, after applying value
engineering practices, it was
removed with just minor regen-
erator nozzle reinforcement,
resulting in significant savings.
The regenerated catalyst slide
valve had a history of sticking,
identified as an on-going relia-
bility threat for the unit, and
therefore was replaced with a
Figure 2 Installing the new stripper into structure and its final position at new valve incorporating the best
Shell’s Puget Sound FCC unit of Shell’s current FCC technol-
ogy design elements.
donut design, which was prone to flooding at The company justified the incremental cost of
high catalyst circulation rates. As with the riser, the riser and stripper replacement partially on
the incremental cost of replacing the stripper the basis of the anticipated margin improvement
with a new Shell design was justified when from the unit revamp. Since the riser and strip-
compared to stripper repair and refurbishment. per replacement were primarily justified to
minimise turnaround duration, the incremental
FCC unit turnaround cost for upgrading this equipment was relatively
Scope and incentives small, amounting to some additional engineering
Project premise: driver for change and fabrication cost.
The 2009 equipment inspection revealed the
riser refractory to be at end of life condition and Project planning and execution
anticipated repairs would result in a significant The project was kicked off in early 2011 and
extension to the refinery’s planned 2014 turna- involved Puget Sound refinery staff and Shell
round duration. Similarly, the amount of repair Global Solutions jointly working through the
to the stripper disk and donuts, combined with options evaluation, economic reviews, and
the health, safety and environmental risks of preliminary project scoping. Shell utilised a third
extremely tight working conditions, could also party firm for detailed engineering and project
not be completed within the planned turnaround management. Concurrently, the same firm
window. Thus, replacement of the riser and disk managed a parallel upgrade project for the FCC
and donut stripper became the preferred and unit’s instrumented protective function (IPF). A
more cost effective alternative to repair. Once fabrication contractor was then brought in as
the decision to replace the riser and stripper was equipment fabricator, with field construction
made, the incremental cost of the upgrade versus completed by a construction contractor as part
an in-kind replacement was easily justified based of the overall turnaround. Part of the project’s
on the incremental margin improvement. execution strategy was to engage the construc-
Originally, an expansion joint was not included tion contractor during revamp scope design to
as part of the regenerated catalyst standpipe ensure planning for constructability and
design. Increasing the riser volume increased sequencing of delivery and lifting within the
system stiffness. The riser upgrade resulted in overall turnaround schedule.
system rigidity under start-up and shutdown Overall, the project was well developed and
conditions, which contributed to both high executed. All potential challenging issues were
regenerator nozzle stresses and regenerated quickly identified and resolved with minimal
catalyst slide valve sticking. As a result, an impact to the overall project or the turnaround.
expansion joint was added above the regener- An outstanding team effort was involved in the
ated catalyst slide valve. At the onset of the safe and successful completion of the project.

2 PTQ Q4 2015 www.digitalrefining.com/article/1001180

 2 20

Riser height, m
Dimensionless
velocity
1 10

0 0
Centreline Wall 0 50 100 150 200
Riser location Pressure, mbar

a b c

Figure 3 (a) A schematic illustration of Shell’s HIB rings installed in a riser and (b) validation studies showing
presence of HIB rings lead to superior flatness of the radial catalyst velocity profile, and (c) reduced catalyst slip and
pressure drop over the riser

Puget Sound FCC unit today
Today, Puget Sound’s FCC unit operates on aver-
age at rates up to 52 000 b/d, processing
vacuum gasoil and unhydrotreated heavy coker
gasoil. The unit includes Shell’s technology
designs installed during the latest revamp in
March and April of 2014. The present
unit configuration following the revamp includes
the following plant upgrades (see Figure 2):
• New riser of larger diameter, new HIB rings to
inner lining and increased residence time
• New J-Bend
• New feed nozzles including associated piping
• New stripper, lengthened and upgraded from
disk and donuts to Shell’s PentaFlow baffle design
• New regenerated catalyst slide valve incorpo-
rating current best practice design
• Regenerator standpipe expansion bellows to
alleviate stresses
• Upgraded IPF system with new instrumenta-
tion and logic system
• Completion of new DCS cutovers.
The revamp was successfully completed on
time, within the turnaround window and the
planned budget. Post turnaround, the unit has
operated very well, realising an estimated benefit
matching the expected cost versus forecasted
gains as the business basis for the revamp.
New hardware installed
Shell has led active research in FCC technology
development for over seven decades since its first
FCC unit start-up in 1942. As an operator, the
company has safely and successfully operated
FCC units for over 1200 unit-years, and has
designed 33 grassroots FCC units. Since 2006,
Shell Global Solutions has successfully completed
over 40 FCC unit revamps across Shell owned, JV
operated and third party licensed refineries. The
portfolio of Shell’s FCC technologies that have
been implemented in these revamp projects
include: reactor and regenerator vessels with
internals; feed injection nozzles; close-coupled
reactor and regenerator cyclones; catalyst circula-
tion enhancement technology (CCET); catalyst
stripper PentaFlow baffles; air grid and spent
catalyst distributor (SCID); and third stage
separators (TSS). Most of these FCC equipment
specific technologies were incorporated in a major
riser replacement revamp project in 2012 at
Shell’s Deer Park refinery.1,2 Among the technolo-
gies listed above, some were already present in
Puget Sound refinery’s FCC unit prior to the turn-
around (for instance, reactor and regenerator
cyclone technology and air grid). Most of the
remaining technologies were incorporated during
the 2014 riser and stripper revamp project
described in this article.
Riser Internals
Shell developed riser internals known as HIB
rings, which have been installed and operation-
ally validated in several units, including the
Puget Sound FCC unit (see Figure 3a). The HIB
rings deployed in the riser reduce the catalyst
slip or back mixing and help the catalyst particles
and hydrocarbon vapours to reach ideal plug-
flow conditions. HIB rings are well documented

www.digitalrefining.com/article/1001180 PTQ Q4 2015 3

 protective shroud. This is
A B
expected to further improve the
life of the feed nozzle as well as
reduce exit velocity for lower
catalyst attrition at the nozzle
mix zone of the riser.
In addition to using feed
nozzles in actual operating
assets, Shell benchmarks its
feed nozzles in cold flow condi-
Figure 4 Shell’s (a) feed nozzle design;4 with a (b) sacrificial shroud5 tions at its in-house FCC
technologies research facility in
for delivering benefits such as improved overall Houston, Texas. The FCC feed atomisation test-
unit performance plus greater flexibility to oper- ing facility has been in operation for many years
ate over a wide range of conditions. Independent and is the main vehicle to test and develop full-
benchmarking studies show that HIB rings offer scale feed nozzles spraying a mixture of air and
more uniform catalyst distribution, more even water (simulating steam and oil) under ambient
velocity profile (see Figure 3b), and better catalyst conditions. Using an existing, advanced method
mixing, which consequently produce lower pres- to measure droplet sizes, the company refines
sure drop (see Figure 3c) and enhanced product and improves the feed nozzle’s development,
yields when compared to an open riser.3 coupled with direct access to the refinery data
For the Puget Sound refinery FCC revamp, from its operating assets.
CFD modelling tools were used to illustrate and The key objective is to minimise the droplet size
validate the enhanced benefits of HIB rings exiting the feed nozzles as it increases the total
installed in FCC risers. contact surface area in feed, reduces the feed
vaporisation volume in the riser, and further
Feed injection nozzles minimises coke yield and coke fouling. Shell eval-
Shell’s FCC feed injection nozzles have a unique uates feed nozzles using a novel technique that
design where atomisation occurs just before captures the full droplet size distribution, deter-
nozzle exit to create the finest drop sizes with mines the associated droplet size characteristics
the highest energy efficiency. This atomisation and distinguishes the formation of large drops in
technique produces small droplets at the nozzle the spray. This technique helps in developing
tip and avoids droplet re-agglomeration and newer feed nozzle designs with rigorous testing at
formation of stratified, two-phase flow. Shell the in-house facility prior to commercial deploy-
offers single-wide-slot (SWS) feed nozzles, which ment and subsequent validation by running in the
can usually be customised over a wide operating actual operating units.
range for greater flexibility (see Figure 4a).
Furthermore, the newest design offers a single PentaFlow stripper
flow exit with improved wear reliability and Shell developed and implemented structured
robustness compared to past Shell designs. In packing for FCC strippers in the 1990s. While
addition, the nozzles are accompanied by a the company experienced good initial perfor-
proprietary, shield-like shroud that covers most mance, the packing was found to progressively
of the nozzle tip surface and is incorporated in cause plugging, limited catalyst circulation and
the latest nozzle designs (see Figure 4b). The led to unplanned shutdowns. To address the
shroud allows feed injection to pass through it reliability concerns in structured packing in FCC
and further minimises tip erosion from flowing applications, Shell developed an improved strip-
catalyst in the riser. Shell nozzles have been per internals design with high flux PentaFlow
installed in scores of units, and in many sites baffles combining superior performance, higher
they have been retained for multiple runs. Puget reliability, improved mechanical strength, and
Sound installed the latest version of the feed easier access for equipment maintenance at
nozzle shroud in 2014; this does not mix the lower cost (see Figure 5). PentaFlow baffle tech-
steam and feed with catalyst until it exits the nology has been successfully implemented in

4 PTQ Q4 2015 www.digitalrefining.com/article/1001180

over a dozen units globally, effective over narrow operating
including at the Puget Sound ranges and inefficient in elimi-
FCC unit, and its application is nating all gas bubbles. Shell
documented for the resid FCC at developed a new CCET,
Shell’s Pulau Bukom refinery.6 deployed in many units, which
Prior to the unit revamp at prevents gas bubbles from
Puget Sound, the stripper vessel entering the standpipe in the
had conventional disk and donut first place (see Figure 6).
baffles installed in the unit The device is responsible for
where the steam often got efficiently degassing the cata-
trapped underneath the baffles lyst, removing excess gas and re-
and led to poor steam distribu- introducing a controlled
tion. On the other hand, the amount of gas with fluidised
PentaFlow baffle design redis- catalyst into the standpipe to
tributes the stripping steam optimise both catalyst flow and
through holes perforated along high pressure gain in the stand-
the baffle length to guarantee pipe.8 This further improves
optimal stripping performance catalyst circulation rates and
throughout the run. In fact, offers higher reliability and flex-
PentaFlow baffles maintain ibility in performance.
higher performance even at high Figure 5 Generic design of stripper
catalyst flux rates in comparison internal with high flux PentaFlow Existing hardware from pre-
to conventional disk and donut baffles turnaround era
design.7 In addition to the supe- The 2014 Puget Sound FCC unit
rior reliability from these baffles, the design turnaround included selected Shell technologies
offers exceptional stripping quality, reducing the in the project scope. Some of the other Shell
hydrogen in coke to 6 wt% or less. At Puget hardware options already existed from the
Sound, the old stripper with disk and donuts pre-turnaround era at Puget Sound. This article
would flood at high circulation rates. The new briefly reviews these technologies and discusses
stripper with PentaFlow technology is not use of CFD modelling tools to validate the perfor-
expected to show the same behaviour. This, in mances of these equipment technology additions.
turn, provides an opportunity to change catalyst,
lower activity, increase catalyst circulation rates Reactor and regenerator cyclones
and provides more flexible oper- Cyclones were found to be a
ating options to the unit. chief cause of unscheduled shut-
Through CFD simulations, Shell downs and slowdowns in the
compared and demonstrated the 1980s. To address this reliability
performance of PentaFlow strip- issue, in the early 1990s, Shell’s
pers versus conventional disk FCC R&D initiated an advanced
and donuts. cyclone design and development
programme, and reduced
Catalyst circulation enhancement unplanned shutdowns by 90% in
technology less than a decade. Some of the
Traditionally, catalyst circulation unique features in a Shell
at the inlet of both the regener- cyclone include its close-coupled
ated and spent catalyst design with a gas outlet tube, a
standpipes is enhanced using coke catcher (in a reactor) or a
hoppers, by minimising the trash guard (in regenerator
amount of excess gas bubbles applications), and a vortex stabi-
entering the standpipes. liser. The close-coupled design
However, conventional hoppers Figure 6 Catalyst circulation optimises performance,
of a given capacity are only enhancement technology improves reliability and facili-

www.digitalrefining.com/article/1001180 PTQ Q4 2015 5

 tates easy maintenance and repair. The special
gas outlet tube design and the coke catcher/trash
guard minimise coke and debris falling into the
cyclone and prevent plugging of the diplegs,
enhancing reliability. A vortex stabiliser is used to
minimise erosion between the bottom of the
cyclone barrel and the top of the dipleg.9 It also
reduces the threat of efficiency loss from high
dipleg backup, a condition resulting from high
bed level operations. Typically, the secondary
cyclones employ the vortex stabiliser for improved
cyclone reliability. Shell cyclones offer higher
separation than conventional cyclones of similar
size and have been installed in about 20 units.
Two primary cyclones are deployed in the
Puget Sound FCC reactor, connected with four
secondary cyclones using an internal primary
cyclone plenum. The third-party reactor cyclones
are now effective and reliable after modifications
were made.
The Puget Sound FCC regenerator houses nine
primary cyclones and nine secondary cyclones.
The 1999 regenerator cyclones were replaced in
2004 with Shell designed cyclones having vortex
stabilisers in the secondary cyclones. The catalyst
loss rate was reduced from a design of 4 t/d with
the old cyclones to a loss rate of 1 t/d with the
new cyclones. The previous cyclones were not
capable of making a five-year run while the new
Shell cyclone design does so. Thus, they were not
included as part of the scope for the 2014 revamp.
Air grid and spent catalyst distributors
The key to good mixing in a regenerator vessel is
to ensure good air and spent catalyst distribu-
tion. Shell develops air grid distributors and
spent catalyst inlet devices (SCIDs) to address
the need for effective mixing. These air grids use
refractory lined, two-stage nozzles that retain
excellent conditions even after a runtime of five
years.
SCIDs have been installed to deliver increased
stability and reduced after burn. Currently, Shell
uses a CFD code that has been validated both
experimentally and through process data to
determine the optimum location, sizing and
shape of such distributors.
Post revamp start-up: reliability assurances
and concerns
No issues were found on start-up with the new
equipment installed during the revamp. The unit
6 PTQ Q4 2015
has operated well, meeting site expectations in
terms of feed rate, riser temperature, and NOx
emissions. Even though the unit coke burn
capacity was effectively reduced by new limits on
NOx requiring a lower CO in the regenerator flue
gas, the apparent conversion has remained at or
above pre-turnaround levels.
Post-turnaround, CFD was used to model the
performance of SCID to help understand catalyst
distribution in the regenerator, more specifically
to determine the effect of the SCID on cyclone
loading and couple this to cyclone wear observed
during the turnaround.
SHARC modelling to simulate unit
performance
Overview
Shell Advanced and Rigorous Cat Cracking
Model (SHARC) is Shell Global Solutions’ fluid
catalytic cracking simulation and optimisation
tool programmed in AIMMS, a mathematical
modelling platform.10 SHARC can be used as a
standalone program for process studies, unit
optimisation and troubleshooting, or in inte-
grated modelling environments such as refinery
simulators, real time optimisation applications,
and refinery economics and scheduling applica-
tions. The model is easy to set up, use and has
several unique features. First, it encompasses
understanding of FCC process fundamentals
developed through R&D programmes, design
experience, and pilot plant and commercial unit
operations. Secondly, Shell developed and vali-
dated SHARC using a database of thousands of
pilot plant and commercial precision test run
datasets. Current R&D efforts seek to expand the
scope of SHARC and to further develop it by
incorporating newer manufacturing technologies
to meet demand in fuels and petrochemicals.
Thirdly, the model can accurately deal with a
wide range of feedstocks such as crude sources,
vacuum gasoil (VGO), residue, straight run and
pre-treated cracked hydrocarbons. Fourthly, the
model accurately predicts operational changes
due to small perturbations in input data away
from known or well-established commercial
operation data, which makes the model impor-
tant in on-line optimisation and LP modelling.
Finally, the model has an open-equation archi-
tecture which makes it easy to maintain, develop
and integrate with other process models and
simulation tools.
www.digitalrefining.com/article/1001180
Post-turnaround model tuning
Shell maintains and manages Post-TA Pre-TA
SHARC models for all the FCC
A B
units it supports. These unit
specific models are referred to

Margin

Margin
as ‘base cases’. Post-turnaround,
Puget Sound collected test runs
to tune the unit specific SHARC
base case. Upon completion, the
model was updated by Shell Base−5 Base Base+5 Base Base+30
Global Solutions and approved Coke burn, Riser outlet
by the site before being incorpo- Mlb/h temperature, ºF
rated into the online optimiser
and LP model. The new base Figure 7 Model comparison showing pre- and post-turnaround models at
case (post-turnaround) clearly same feed (rate and properties), catalyst addition (metals), and regenerator
characterises the current opera- conditions (flue gas composition and so on) across a range of (a) coke burn
tion more closely than the and (b) riser outlet temperatures
preceding 2012 base case
(pre-turnaround). SHARC was used for the that the standalone analysis predicted for
Puget Sound FCC unit revamp to evaluate pre- projected unit operation swings and margin.
and post-turnaround operation and quantify the
yield shifts and associated margin benefits from Prediction, assessment and validation of FCC unit revamps
the revamp. One of the main capabilities of the SHARC
model is that the post-turnaround model can be
Pre- and post-turnaround yield shifts and margin benefits used to simulate improved individual yields as a
The post-turnaround model shows improved result of the equipment upgrade. The differential
yields and margin benefits reflecting installation in model predictions at Puget Sound’s FCC unit
of the new hardware. Comparing the pre- and suggests the benefit was obtained from the hard-
post-turnaround models at constant feed, cata- ware changes during the recent revamp. The
lyst and operating conditions shows a yield model is then used to quantify the unit perfor-
improvement with an estimated positive margin mance benefits as a result of these hardware
benefit and signed off by the refinery (see Figure changes. The key finding of such modelling is
7). These margin benefits were in agreement with used to assess actual margin uplift at Puget
the proposed margin gain defined in the scope. Sound FCC unit revamp and was found to be
Minor corrections were made to the pre-turna- slightly higher than that proposed in the project
round model prior to comparing it with the post- scope.
turnaround model. Both models were optimised A series of data analyses was performed during
and compared at constant feed (rate and proper- comparison of the pre- and post-turnaround
ties) and catalyst addition (and metals), models. For example, SHARC can calculate aver-
constraining the model at the same regenerator age offsets, where offset is the difference
conditions (CO in flue gas and air flow rate) into between model predictions and actual plant
two optimisation cases. Case 1 included varying measurements. For Puget Sound, the model
coke burn at constant riser outlet temperature compared average offsets between the pre- and
(see Figure 7a), and Case 2 varied riser outlet post-turnaround models. This analysis can be
temperature at constant coke burn (see Figure used further to evaluate the yield and margin
7b). Simulations show increasing margin with shifts attributed to the combined hardware
increasing coke burn and riser outlet tempera- upgrades implemented during the revamp at
tures, and the delta margin benefit was Puget Sound FCC unit. Comparing such analysis
considerably positive estimated using the new with similar studies completed at other units
model. Testing and comparing the performance may be used to parse impacts due to individual
of the pre- and post-turnaround models in the hardware components (feed nozzles, riser resi-
online unit optimiser showed the same trends dence time, and so on).

www.digitalrefining.com/article/1001180 PTQ Q4 2015 7

 CFD modelling to show HIB rings
0.6
enhanced solid flow in new FCC risers feature complex
hardware 0.5
internal flow hydrodynamics.
Computational fluid dynamics Such core annulus flows
has evolved dramatically since 0.4
comprise peak centreline fluid
the development of the first finite velocity coupled with slow or
volume models in the 1980s. It is 0.3 reversed flow at the riser walls.
only with recent advances in HIB rings, designed to reduce
numerical techniques that 0.2 the wall backflow in the riser
multiphase systems have begun while improving the gas-solids
to be accurately solved on a large 0.1 contacting, are key to driving
enough scale to be applied in effective gas-solids contacting in
0
industry. For example, a typical the riser.
Disk and doughnut
FCC unit contains upwards of pre-turnaround From this standpoint, HIB
1015 particles. The modelling code PentaFlow rings serve several benefits to
Particle volume post-turnaround
of choice at Shell for FCC hybrid fraction the riser system, demonstrated
multiphase CFD is the CPFD through CFD computations:
Barracuda software package. As Figure 8 Particle volume fractions • Improved gas-solids contact-
CFD used in this manner is a for the stripper pre-turnaround ing in the riser
relatively new approach, initial (left) and post-turnaround (right). o More uniform velocity
studies focused on applying these Disk and donut baffles show distribution (see Figure 9)
techniques to both experimental significant areas of inactive volume o More uniform catalyst
under the baffles where steam
and site problems that can be and FCC catalyst cannot contact. density across the riser
validated objectively against Furthermore, the disk and donut • Improved riser performance at
existing data. Given the successes baffles were prone to flooding, with reduced feed rates
in recreating operating data, catalyst de-fluidisation observed on • Identical or lower riser pres-
Shell now uses CFD modelling in top of the disk sections. PentaFlow sure drop due to elimination of
support of hardware design and baffles showed no such weaknesses riser backflow, especially under
scale-up. reduced rate conditions, but
with improved riser performance
Stripper internals • Decreased standard deviation in both gas and
CFD simulations were performed on two different catalyst residence time in the riser.
stripper geometries to evaluate the benefit of
PentaFlow baffles over the previous disk and Generic spent catalyst inlet device
donut baffles installed at Puget Sound. Designs Recently, Shell has performed extensive CFD
are compared on the basis of particle residence modelling work at other FCC units (not applica-
time and gas-solid contacting. ble to Puget Sound) to examine the performance
From the CFD simulation perspective, of different types of spent catalyst inlet devices
PentaFlow baffles offer the following benefits: (SCIDs). To test the CFD modelling method, a
• Less inactive volume (see Figure 8); disk and unit with ski-jump style inlet device was
donut baffles have significant volumes under modelled (see Figure 10). Prior radioactive tracer
baffles where catalyst and steam do not contact. experiments on this unit provided baseline
Elimination of these regions allows for more experimental data for comparison against the
steam and hydrocarbon mixing, increasing the model results. By reproducing the experimental
efficiency of the stripper outcomes in CFD (see Figure 10), a baseline
• Less prone to plugging and flooding when model is established, which can be used for
compared to disk and donut baffles future modifications and design analysis.
• More efficient operation under higher catalyst The CFD results illustrate the motion of spent
fluxes than disk and donut baffles catalyst upon entering the regenerator vessel via a
• Improved distribution of steam and catalyst tangential inlet SCID (see Figure 10). The simula-
demonstrated by near-uniform bed density tion images appended to the vessel drawing show
throughout the stripper. the progress of the resulting spent catalyst swirl;

8 PTQ Q4 2015 www.digitalrefining.com/article/1001180

each snapshot is taken at the
corresponding breakthrough V* = V/Vmax
Riser backflow
time as measured experimentally 1.0
using radioactive probes.
0.8
Catalyst enters the regenerator
and travels in a counter-clock-
0.6
wise direction around the
circumference of the regenera- 0.4
tor. These results show a very
uneven particle residence time
0.2 Without HIB rings With HIB rings
across the regenerator. Part of
the area on the opposite side of 0
the SCID sees no catalyst parti-
cles at all after 30 seconds. Figure 9 Non-dimensionalised velocity (V*=V/Vmax) plot at a riser cross-
Ideally, the vessel would recreate section 15m (50ft) above the feed nozzles. Left image shows the simulation
the residence time distribution data without HIB rings; note the high velocity gradients across the riser
of a well-mixed reactor, wherein width as well as downward flowing catalyst on the riser wall. The right
image shows the simulation with HIB rings; the velocity profile is now more
the volume averaged residence
uniform. Catalyst density is consequently also more uniform across the
time distribution is identical riser since total flux is constant. The improvement in catalyst density profile
throughout the fluidised bed. implies that high density catalyst flowing down at the riser walls has been
This would allow for even coke reduced, and this acts as a driver for improved gas-solids contacting in the
burn across the entire cross-sec- riser and reduced total riser pressure drop
tion of the regenerator and
minimise local hot spots and 30s
afterburn. 3.0s

CFD analysis is also used to

assess, compare and validate
3.4s Manhole
bottom and side entry SCIDs.
180º
The CFD simulations illustrate a
FCC unit with a bottom entry Catalyst inlet
SCID (see Figure 11a) and
another FCC unit with a modi- Stripper
90º 270º standpipe
fied side entry SCID (see Figure
11b). The important parameter
to look at is how even the resi-
dence times are across the 0º
Draw-off bin
regenerator. For the bottom
entry SCID, it is seen that the
distribution is quite even in the 6.8s

centre of the vessel. However,

there is poor mixing along the
outside of the regenerator due
to the large vessel diameter, as
evidenced by the higher resi-
dence times.
In comparison, the CFD results
for the modified side entry SCID
show that distribution of spent
catalyst is focused at the vessel
centreline. Radial mixing is
stronger in this case driven by
the jet penetration of spent cata-
9.4s
Figure 10 CFD model of a regenerator unit with ski jump style SCID (not
applicable to Puget Sound). Central image illustrates the regenerator
vessel configuration with tangential spent catalyst inlet along with arrows
indicating the observed catalyst motion from radioactive tracer experiments.
The radioactive detector locations (red circles) measure the ‘breakthrough
time’ when the tracer material reaches each probe. Along the vessel
wall, model simulation snapshots correspond to the recorded catalyst
breakthrough time at each probe. Comparison between the radioactive
probe data and the simulation results shows close correspondence for both
the dynamics of the trace catalyst as well as the overall bed mixing that took
place over approximately 30 seconds

www.digitalrefining.com/article/1001180 PTQ Q4 2015 9

 lyst into the bed. Moreover, the catalysis technology, Shanghai, China,
breakthrough of spent catalyst 2014.
into the vessel freeboard can be 3 Ludolph R, Question Answer Session,
AFPM Cat Cracker Meeting, Houston TX,
quantified by CFD (see Figure
Question 24, 2012.
11b). The blue dots spaced evenly
4 Brosten D J, Chen Y, Feed nozzle assembly,
around the regenerator are the 60
2014, US Patent 20140145356 A1.
cyclone dipleg exit. 54
5 Chen Y, Geertshuis B M, Horwege J A,
Shell uses CFD for SCID 48 Samson R, Protective shroud for FCC feed
design to achieve improved 42 nozzles and method for designing such
spent catalyst distribution. SCID 36 Bottom entry SCIDs shroud, 2006, US Patent 7108195 B2.
redesign should reduce total 30 6 Dries, et al, First-rate FCC technology
afterburn and minimise 24 design for sustainable reliability: The Pulau
localised peak afterburn temper- 18 Bukom LRCCU in Singapore, Singapore,
ARTC, 2004.
atures. Coupling the flow 12
7 Chen Y, et al, Stripper technology - how to
hydrodynamics with combustion 6
get more profits from FCC units, NPRA AM
chemistry allows Shell to illus- 0
San Francisco CA, AM-05-25, 2005.
trate afterburn mitigation in the 8 Chen Y, McIntyre, Catalyst circulation
regenerator. enhancement technology provides new
Particle
residence opportunity for debottlenecking FCC unit,
Conclusion time
NPRA AM, San Antonio TX, AM-04-08,
Shell’s Puget Sound refinery Modified side entry 2004.
SCIDs
replaced its old FCC unit end-of- 9 Chen, et al, Keeping FCC units on
life riser with a larger riser to Figure 11 CFD models of regenerator track: winning the operation race with
increase residence time, conver- unit with bottom and modified side an innovative cyclone technology, NPRA
sion, and to offset the penalty by entry SCIDs Annual Meeting, Phoenix AZ, AM-10-108,
2010, 12-14.
moving to a lower coke burn
10 Mo W, Hadjigeorge G, Khouw F H H, van der Werf R P, Muller F,
(driven by NOx emission limits). Furthermore, it
FCCU process modeling and development in Shell, Hydrocarbon
replaced the stripper from existing disk and Asia, 2002.
donuts to PentaFlow baffles, feed injection
nozzles and associated hardware. Sayantan Chatterjee is an FCC Research Engineer with Shell
Margin improvement was slightly above the Global Solutions (US) inc in Houston, Texas.
predicted level for the project. Shell uses the Cian Carroll is an FCC Research Engineer with Shell Global
SHARC model to characterise FCC unit opera- Solutions (US) inc in Houston, Texas.
tions and to assess margin benefits derived from Michael Basden is an FCC Research Engineer with Shell Global
installing the new hardware options at Puget Solutions in Houston, Texas.
Kevin Kunz is FCC Licensing & Design Team Lead with Shell Global
Sound FCC unit. In addition, CFD modelling
Solutions (US) Inc in Houston, Texas.
illustrates and validates performance enhance-
Charles Burton is a FCC/Alkyl Subject Matter Expert with MOTIVA
ments as a consequence of installing new
Refining, previously Senior FCC Technologist with Shell Global
hardware. Solutions (US) Inc., in Houston, Texas.
Steve Nelson is Senior Staff Engineer Projects, Shell Oil Products
This paper was presented at the AFPM Annual meeting 2015 in US, in Anacortes, Washington.
San Antonio, Texas.
SHARC and PentaFlow are registered trademarks of Shell Global
Solutions.

References LINKS
1 Hunt D S, Chatterjee S, Munsch C B, Sanborn, Implementation
of state-of-the-art FCC technology for improved reliability and More articles from: Shell Global Solutions
profitability at Deer Park refinery, AFPM AM, Orlando FL, AM-14- International
28, 2014. More articles from the following categories:
2 Hunt D S, Chatterjee S, Munsch C B, Sanborn R, Implementation Fluid Catalytic Cracking
of state-of-the-art FCC technology for improved reliability and Revamps, Shutdowns and Turnarounds
profitability at Deer Park refinery, International conference on

10 PTQ Q4 2015 www.digitalrefining.com/article/1001180