Measurement of FCC Catalyst Fluidization using Capacitance CT in Petroleum Refinery Process

T. Zhao1, M. Takei1, R. Ogiso2, and K. Nakao2

1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan, Email: polomarslee@hotmail.com

2. Process Dynamics Solution Unit, Chiyoda Advanced Solutions Corporation, Yokohama, Japan

ABSTRACT

FCC (fluid catalytic cracking) catalysts are used to produce high quality petroleum from the residual oil by the contact cracking process in the petroleum refinery. The key point to produce high quality petroleum from the residual oil is uniform fluidization at the mixing point. The sensor for capacitance CT is designed to visualize the powders concentration in the process of mixing air and FCC catalysts in a vertical pipeline. The concentration distribution images are obtained under certain air-catalyst parameter condition. The relationship between the air-catalyst parameter condition and the powder distribution is analysed in detail. Moreover, the accuracy of the reconstructed image is discussed systemically in terms of volume fraction and capacitance correlation.

Keywords ECT flow visualization, FCC catalysts, Gas-solid two-phase flow