Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Mark Fligner

Edward C Luckenbach

The invention relates to a system for the discharge and/or distribution of a gas from a source of the gas, and more specifically relates to such a system which enables gas from a source to be discharged and/or distributed to at least two gas-utilizing units irrespective of the operational status of each unit. The gas from the source is conducted from a manifold to each unit via respective conduits. Each conduit has a valve having a maximum closed position, in which the valve is open to a predetermined minimum degree exceeding zero, and a maximum opened position, in which it is open to a predetermined extent set by the maximum gas capacity of the respective unit. One valve maintains a gas flow delivery pressure to its respective unit not exceeding a selected maximum pressure. The other valve maintains a gas flow-rate corresponding to the gas-requirement of its respective unit. Means are provided for on-stream diversion and discharge of gas passing to each unit to permit emergency independent shutdown of each unit. Accordingly, discharge of gas from the source can always take place irrespective of the operational status of the units to which the gas is distributed and without causing excessively high back-pressures at the source when the units are inoperative. In a specific embodiment, the source is the regenerator of a catalytic cracker, one unit is a CO-boiler and the other unit is a CO-furnace.

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Madison, NJ, United States of America

Mark Fligner