Fluid catalytic cracking design

Abstract

This report sheds light on fluid catalytic cracking unit design and its different operating modes. Nowadays almost every refinery has a fluid catalytic cracking unit due to its importance in producing valuable products from heavier to low valuable residues. Feed characterization is essential to determine the physical properties of the feed. One of its major parameters is Watson characterization factor K, which gives an idea about the composition of the feed and its relative crack-ability. Also the catalyst plays a major role in the FCC unit due to the special shape and size of the zeolite pore. Additives are added to it in order to improve its performance and make it suitable to resist the sever conditions of the process. In addition the circulating rate of the catalyst (tons/min) must be determined to predict the amount and the cost of the catalyst required. This can be achieved by performing the heat balance around the regenerator. Also the material balance is required in order to determine the amount of each product and the operating mode of the fluid catalytic cracking process.