Modeling, Kinetic Parameters Estimation and Simulation of Fluid Catalytic Cracker Reactors

This study focuses on improvement and availability of petroleum products mainly gasoline from major refineries in Nigeria through the operation of fluid catalytic cracking unit process. Thus, steady state models were developed for fluid catalytic cracking unit that comprises of riser and regenerator reactors using five lump scheme to study their interactions. Models were developed for the fluid catalytic cracking riser reactor from the first principle as plug flow reactor and higher gasoline yield was observed for the plug flow reactor in comparison with previous study based on the effective and efficient deduction of operational kinetic parameters. Developed models were solved and simulated by estimating the five lump kinetic parameters using single point regression technique, and the estimated kinetic parameters were compared with literature data and models results compared with plant data obtained from Port Harcourt refinery Company Limited with reasonable agreement and higher gasoline yield of 56.47%, liquefied petroleum gas yield of 18.24%, flue gas yield of 15.49% and coke yield of 3.16% from the developed models due to the efficacy of estimated kinetic parameters. Also, steady state regenerator reactor was considered as two phases, bubble and emulsion phases and model developed for combustion of coke on cracking catalyst. The steady state model results for regenerator outlet temperature, coke burnt and flue gases (oxygen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide) are compared with industrial plant data of fluid catalytic cracking regenerator reactor with absolute minimal error