Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Robert Frank Tammera

Anastasios I Skoulidas

Christopher Gordon Smalley

Alvin U Chen

Christopher G Smalley

Norihiro Nakashima

The present invention relates to an improved design for use in fluid cracking processes, preferably used in either a fluid catalytic cracking ('FCC') process or a fluid coking process. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and process for improving the separation and distributing spent catalyst and gases in a spent catalyst riser associated with a fluid cracking process, and most preferably for use in a spent catalyst riser associated with an FCC regenerator vessel. A novel catalyst distributor design and associated processes are presented herein which significantly improve combustion in the dense-phase fluidized catalyst bed of a regenerator and results in improved regenerator dense bed combustion and lower migration of oxygen into the regenerator overhead region. As a result, afterburn is significantly reduced in the regenerator and higher catalyst bed temperatures are achieved with significantly more uniform bed temperatures due to the improved combustion characteristics in the dense-phase fluidized catalyst bed.

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Warrenton, VA, United States of America

Robert Frank Tammera