FCC Reactor & Regenerator Cyclones
FCC Reactor & Regenerator Cyclones
- Ducon works with major licensors of FCC processes: UoP, Exxonmobil, Technip, KBR, Shell, CB&I, Axens, Foster Wheeler and others.
- Collection efficiency maximized: leading supplier of FCC catalyst recovery cyclones since 1970's
- Reactor, Regenerator, Tertiary vessel and fourth stage cyclones
- Supply of complete Reactor & Regenerator cyclones, Hanger systems,Tertiary Plenums, Diplegs and dipleg valves with plenums fabricated complete with internals
- Ducon Dust hopper and lined dipleg designs enhance catalyst discharge while decreasing erosion
- Reactor Cyclones configuration can be directly attached to the riser with a second stage following in a closed or open coupled system. In single stage configuration cyclones are preceded by a riser termination device.
- Ducon provides performance evaluation & simulation of existing cyclones
- High efficiency at low pressure drops with enhanced aspect ratio
- Ducon Computer programs provide: Entrainment, catalyst loss, pressure drop & optimal cyclone geometry
Ducon engineers every FCC cyclone to the specific operating conditions of the individual application. Key design parameters include: inlet velocities for both primary and secondary cyclones; barrel diameter sized for throughput and target cut size; barrel length-to-diameter ratio for primary and secondary, governing residence time in the centrifugal field; vortex finder diameter and immersion depth which controls the inner vortex geometry and short-circuit flow; cone angle affecting particle descent path and vortex end location; and the dipleg diameter sized to accommodate maximum catalyst mass flux without plugging or flooding. Each FCC technology licensor's specific process architecture imposes additional constraints: UOP's combustor regenerator presents a different inlet velocity and particle loading profile from KBR's bubbling bed, and Axens' R2R demands two independent sets of cyclones — one for each regenerator stage — with different gas compositions and temperature ranges.
Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)
Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) is one of the most important refinery processes as it converts high-boiling, high-molecular weight hydrocarbon fractions of petroleum crude oils to more valuable gasoline, olefinic gases, and other products. Residue fluid catalytic cracking is the primary technology to upgrade to light products from heavy feed stocks. To ensure oil refineries work efficiently with reduced operating costs and remain competitive our expertise in designing highly efficient RFCC cyclone systems is needed.
Ducon has an ongoing record of hundreds of successful operating FCC cyclone installations since the 1970's that operate reliably and maintenance free for years. Ducon secured numerous FCC Cyclone Separator technology patents during the 1970's and 1980's. Ducon is a recognized supplier to the world's refineries. Through expert manufacturing, proven technologies, and innovative engineering, on-time delivery and proven technologies Ducon can ensure customer satisfaction. Ducon FCC Cyclones achieves over 99.9% catalyst collection efficiencies for particles smaller than 5 microns and is available in several design configurations.
How cyclones are mounted inside the FCC vessel is as important as how they are designed. Both reactor and regenerator cyclones are suspended from the vessel roof by hanger rods or structural hanger frames, with diplegs descending into the dense bed below. The hanger system must accommodate the significant differential thermal expansion that occurs as the vessel heats from ambient to operating temperature during startup — a differential that can produce several inches of relative vertical movement between the vessel shell and the cyclone assembly. Ducon's hanger designs use engineered expansion joints and flexible hanger rod configurations to absorb this differential without transmitting unacceptable bending moments into the cyclone barrel or vessel nozzles. The dipleg lower end is sealed against gas back-flow using trickle valves (opening under catalyst weight, closing on pressure differential reversal), spring-loaded flapper valves (fast response for secondary cyclones), or immersion seals where the dipleg terminates below the dense bed surface. Valve selection is application-specific, accounting for pressure differential, catalyst bulk density, dipleg diameter, and expected transient behavior during process upsets.