Petroleo Brasileiro S.a. - Petrobras

Petroleo Brasileiro S.a.

Waldir Pedro Martignoni

Wilson Kenzo Huziwara

José Mozart Fusco

Aurélio Medina Dubois

José Geraldo Furtado Ramos

Mauro Silva

Eduardo Cardoso De Melo Guerra

Paulo Sergio Freire

Luiz Carlos Casavechia

Eduardo C De Melo Guerra

A system for sealing the legs of two stages of cyclones in series used in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) processes, comprising a terminal leg configuration, which is devoid of moving parts and makes use of a long-radius curve, and which changes the flow direction of the descending mass flow of catalyst in dense phase into a plane orthogonal to the ascending gaseous flow. This prevents the entry of gaseous phase inside the leg, and promotes efficient sealing and preventing the 'packing-down' of the dense bed of particulates.

Sealing system for cyclone leg

A device and a method for operating it for application in a vertical tube reactor with downward flow (downer), has the aim of ensuring the intimate mixing of the solid particulate catalyst with a reagent fluid. Homogeneous distribution of catalyst is due to the use of a plate having perforations. Said perforated plate normally allows the passage of a portion of the stream of catalyst. The other portion overflows the edge of the plate, flowing in the form of an annular curtain, near the inner surface of the surrounding tube of the device. After passing beyond the perforated plate, the curtain-flow undergoes a deflection produced by an annular screen, to be mixed with the stream originating from the orifices in the perforated plate. A hydrocarbon charge is injected below the perforated plate, forming a certain angle with respect to the direction of the downward flow of catalyst, by means of inlets distributed uniformly about cross sections of the surrounding tube. After the mixing region, the diameter of the device, when smaller than the diameter of the associated tube reactor, expands slightly.

Multifunctional entry device for a downward flow tube reactor

A second stage cyclone dipleg termination device for cyclones that operate under conditions in which the pressure in the top of the cyclone dipleg is lower than the external pressure where fine particulate matter is collected and discharged. The second stage cyclone dipleg termination device operates in a separator vessel () or a vessel of the regenerator of a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) converter to reverse the pressure conditions commonly found in this type of equipment. One end of a cyclone dipleg () is joined to a collector vessel (), in such a way that a portion of the dipleg () enters into the inside of the collector vessel (). The end of the dipleg () is connected to the conventional, normally used sealing device () in second stage cyclone () diplegs (). The collector vessel (), in turn, has on its bottom an outlet in the form of the dipleg (). On the inside of this outlet an injector device is introduced () through which a fluid under high pressure is discharged, associated with a 'venturi' type nozzle (), which moves or drags the particulate matter discharged by the dipleg () of the cyclone () through the sealing valves (), inside the collector vessel () the exterior of the collector vessel ().

Second stage cyclone dipleg termination device in FCC units

Growing community of inventors

São Mateus do Sul, Brazil

Waldir Pedro Martignoni