The micro downflow unit (MDU) is a lab-scale technology that – similarly to commercial fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCUs) – is designed as an entrained flow reactor. At many refineries, fluid catalytic cracking is the most important process for converting heavy material flows into valuable fuels and petrochemical intermediates.
However, refineries face a whole host of challenges when it comes to fluid catalytic cracking (FCC):
This process converts heavy feedstocks, as well as high-viscosity residues that would otherwise remain unutilized or be discarded by other processes, into valuable products by bringing them into contact with catalyst in an entrained flow reactor. At the bottom of the so-called riser reactor, feed is injected and dispersed with steam. Hydrocarbons are converted and ascend through the riser reactor together with the catalyst within seconds at reactor temperatures of 530°C.
The particles then reach the stripper vessel, where the reaction is terminated at the top, and the products are stripped of the catalyst particles by the injection of steam before exiting at the top of the system. The deactivated catalyst then travels through the strip-out stand pipe to the generator vessel, where air is injected to burn off the coke and regenerate the catalyst activity. This is then repeated in a fluidized bed with the presence of 20 % steam from burning of the coke molecules. The flue gas then exits the regenerator vessel. The hot regenerated catalyst is returned to the reactor input, which is at a temperature of around 670°C to 700°C degrees and thereby provides the heat for the endothermic cracking reactions.
At hte, we are the world’s leading provider of solutions for lab-scale R&D workflows and have spent more than ten years developing and continuously improving our patented testing technology. With the micro downflow unit (MDU), we have launched an innovative, flexible, and cost-effective test technology to market that, for example, allows FCC catalysts to be tested on a laboratory scale under commercially relevant conditions. The data produced here can be generated quickly and in high quality. The data cover all commercially relevant process conditions, catalysts, and feedstocks – and can also be upscaled directly to commercial plants.
The MDU is a compact, highly automated FCC test system with high experimental throughput. This system can also be used for testing unconventional feedstocks and petrochemical integration with commercially relevant results.
Catalyst deactivation and catalyst testing are closely linked in FCC catalysis. Meaningful test results can only be attained with representatively deactivated catalysts. Ideally, catalyst deactivation should take place on the same scale as the subsequent testing. The deactivation systems from hte provide all of this. In a stationary fluidized bed, approximately 1 kg of catalyst can be treated hydrothermally (hydrothermal steaming) or by CPS (cyclic propylene steaming) at temperatures of up to 850°C.
Webinar
How hte’s micro downflow unit (MDU) featuring a fully digitalized workflow generates industry-relevant test results, supports refineries, and helps engineering companies and catalyst suppliers overcome the challenges in FCC catalyst testing.
Automatic integration into our database solution of both the parameters and results of the experiment facilitates an efficient and user-friendly form of evaluation.
MDU tends to match pilot plant cracking conversions at higher CTO. Philipp66, Walter Alvarez
MDU tends to match pilot plant cracking conversions at higher CTO.
MDU yields closely resemble those of the CDR unit for the step changes in this study. Philipp66, Walter Alvarez
MDU yields closely resemble those of the CDR unit for the step changes in this study.
