Modeling and optimizing gas solid distribution in fluidized beds

In fluidized bed reactors, uniform distribution of gas and solids is critical to achieve the desired hydrodynamic and kinetic performance. For FCC units, Technip Energies uses a proprietary distributor design to terminate both reactor risers and spent catalyst lift lines to distribute the exiting gas-solid stream into a fluidized bed. In Technip Energies' Resid FCC unit, air and spent catalyst are distributed from an upward flowing stream into a catalyst bed for coke combustion on catalyst. Proper distribution is key to achieve a uniform coke burn and an even temperature profile throughout the bed. In PropyleneMax (TM) Catalytic Cracking (PMcc (TM)) technology, the reactor riser also terminates in a fluidized bed, requiring proper distribution of the hydrocarbon vapor and solid mixture into the reactor bed, which is key to providing adequate contact for further cracking to valuable products. This paper discusses Technip Energies' gas-solid distribution technology and the recent work performed to develop an improved distributor for use as a riser termination device in both the PMcc reactor and the RFCC regenerator to achieve improved performance. The use of CFD modeling to screen and evaluate the initial concepts and optimize the final selected concept are presented here. The performance matrices used to quantify the benefits of the optimized distributor design with respect to the existing one in the reactor application are highlighted, showing the benefits of improved gas solid distribution on hydrodynamic and kinetic performance. The paper presents a systematic approach to develop a novel industrial device using physics-based computational tools.