CFD investigation of hydrodynamics, heat transfer and cracking reaction in a heavy oil riser with bottom airlift loop mixer

CATEGORY: HEAVY CRUDE

Chemical Engineering Science, Volume 78, 20 August 2012, Pages 128–143

CFD investigation of hydrodynamics, heat transfer and cracking reaction in a heavy oil riser with bottom airlift loop mixer

Jian Chang a, Fandong Meng b, Longyan Wang b, Kai Zhang a, Honggang Chen a, Yongping Yang a

a State Key Lab of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, PR China

b Luoyang Petrochemical Engineering Corporation, Luoyang, SINOPEC 471003, PR China

Abstract

Presents a CFD modeling of hydrodynamics, heat transfer and cracking reaction in a heavy oil riser together with a bottom airlift loop mixer.  Authors establish a three-phase flow and reaction model by extending a validated gas–solid flow model to incorporate feedstock vaporization and 12-lump kinetic model.

They conduct CFD analysis to evaluate the effects of operating parameters.  Results suggest that the bottom airlift loop mixer causes the hot and the cool catalyst to mix well and obtains a uniform catalyst temperature at riser inlet. There exists optimal product distribution, with a maximum light liquid yield at about 30.0 m of up the riser.

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