REVAMPS AND SHUTDOWNS

Revamping FCCs - Process

and Reliability
As FCC revamps push operating severity to higher levels, reliability in the product
recovery section becomes a major issue. In particular, slurry zone coking in the
FCC main fractionators causes unit shutdowns and other problems.
The result: production losses and lower revenue

Scott W Golden
Process Consulting Services Inc

become necessary or very poor prod- Process designs and equipment

T
he cause of coking is a combi-
nation of temperature and resi-
dence time. In most cases cok-
ing is not inevitable, it is a conse-
quence of design and operating errors.
If the process equipment design is not
correct, then many units will coke
regardless of how they are operated. If
the process realities associated with
more severe operation are ignored, the
unit will coke, and a shutdown will
uct quality must be accepted.
We will present a detailed analysis
of a case where coking was caused by
poor process design and operation in
an FCC main fractionator slurry
pumparound section. The problems
shown in the case history can be
avoided by correct integration of
process design, equipment design,
installation review, and operations.
designs that work with low severity
simply do not work when the unit
operates with higher temperatures or
lower liquid rates. The use of packing
in refinery main fractionators and low
liquid rate service is common. Using
packing in FCC main fractionator
desuperheating section has process,
efficiency, and mechanical advantages
over shed or disc-and-donut trays.

REVAMP

-f-
TRAYS

+PACKING
VALVE
VALVE
TRAYS
I TRAYS
--l-

D/SC &
DONUT
TRAYS
T
3.0 M GRID

SLURRY PA
1
ROUND RETURN
-
REACTOR
EFFLUENT
SLURRY
PUMPAROUND

-SLURRY

Figure 1 Process flow scheme Figure 2 Slurry pumparound

Reprinted from PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGYQUARTERLY@ Summer 1996 issue, pgs. 65-93.


WASH
ZONE
REACTOR
EFFLUENT
_.--_
Figure 3 Desuperheating section temperatures
While packing has the advantage of
inherently low hold-up or residence
time, it is much lessforgiving. The engi-
neer must customise the equipment
designto the specificsof the system.
An FCCU main fractionator slurry
pumparound section (Figure 1) was
coking. The column had been
revamped from disc-and-donut trays
to grid packing (Figure 2) and the bed
began coking within six months of
start-up. The column had to be shut
down to replace the grid bed.
A seemingly small problem with the
distributor design caused the bed to
coke. The design data supplied to the
equipment manufacturers by a large
E&C was the typical liquid and vapour
loadings with no indication of the
process flow scheme or composition
differences between the two liquid
feeds entering the distributor. The
cause of the problem was a lack of
understandingof how the processand
equipment design are linked. Using
textbook “distillation” designsthat fail
to account for the process specific
requirementscausedthe unit failure.
Reprinted
REVAMPS AND SHUTDOWNS
TROUGHS
WASH ZONE
TRAY SUMP
Figure 4 Column internals
Properly designed FCCU slurry
zones can have four-year-plus runs,
without coking. This case study will
evaluate the theory and operation of
the desuperheatingsection as it relates
to unquenched liquid temperature
leaving the bottom of the grid, grid bed
efficiency (height of packing), and
requirements of the column internals
to have trouble-free operation.
It will present the specific distributor
design error that caused the problem
and evaluate what caused the coking.
The unit has been modified and the
most recent unit outage showed that
the grid is coke-free.
Process considerations
Figure 3 showsa processsketch of the
slurry pumparound section. The col-
umn bottom temperature is quenched
to 360°C by feeding cold circulating
slurry below the bottom liquid level of
the column. The amount of quench
duty is a function of the column pres-
sure and slurry composition. The slur-
ry composition is controlled by the
column heat balance (reflux between
from PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY@ Summer
COLD SLURRY
PUMPAROUND
LIQUID
PARTING BOX
uuuuuuu
l- TROUGHS
slurry and light cycle oil (LCO) prod-
uct) and the separation efficiency
between thesecuts.
Lowering the slurry pumparound
heat removal increases the reflux in
the LCO/slurry fractionation section
and the temperature of liquid leaving
the grid bed increases.The higher liq-
uid exit temperature from the grid
increasesthe quench duty in the bot-
tom of the column.
A column operating at a bottom
pressureof 2.26kg/cmzand high inter-
nal reflux rates between the LCO/slur-
ry requires a high flow rate of quench
to maintain bottom temperature. The
unquenched liquid leaving the grid
bed can be 0-39’C higher than the
quenched bottoms temperature.
The high temperature leaving the
grid bed was thought to causethe cok-
ing. In turn, the high temperature was
attributed to having “too much pack-
ing”. This is false.
With operating pressure set by
downstreamlimits and composition by
product quality specifications,temper-
ature is fixed by the process.
1996 issue, ~9s. 85-93.

“The operation of the
FCCU desuperheating
section is sometimes
/ not well understood in
I terms of its impact on
unquenched liquid
temperature. It is not
i a pure heat transfer
i section, where the
; bottoms unquenched
/ liquid temperature
/ leaving the grid goes
/ up because of better
i heat transfer”
L the lighter wash oil, then sections dry
Determining the cause of the unit fail-
ure requires a thorough understanding
of how equipment operates in a partic-
ular process. The heat and mass trans-
fer that occurs in the grid bed affects
the grid bed internal liquid and vapour
temperatures.
The vapour temperature reduction
across the grid comes from heating the
cold circulating slurry to its bubble
point, and fractionation that occurs
between the liquid leaving the wash
section and the reactor effluent. It is
important to understand what hap-
pens to the process stream tempera-
tures entering and leaving the grid bed
(Figure 3) to evaluate the potential
causes of coking. The vapour tempera-
ture decrease across the grid bed is
approximately 178°C.
The liquid temperatures entering the
grid for the cold circulating slurry and
the liquid leaving the wash section are
approximately 238°C and 343”C,
respectively. The flow rates of the indi-
vidual liquid streams entering the grid
bed are a function of the column heat
balance (for a given reactor effluent).
The combined liquid temperature
entering the grid bed is 271°C for this
case. Hence, a large quantity of the wash
liquid is revapourised in the grid bed.
Reprinted
REVAMPS AND SHUTDOWNS
The efficiency of the grid bed affects
the slurry bottom product composi-
tion, which changes the unquenched
liquid temperature leaving the grid
bed. The higher the unquenched liq-
uid temperature leaving the grid, the
higher the coking potential in this sec-
tion of the column. The unquenched
bottoms liquid temperature is 393°C.
The high vapour temperature,
527”C, entering the column, and the
high liquid temperature, 393”C, leav-
ing the bottom of the slurry
pumparound section require a reason-
able quantity of liquid in each cross-
sectional area of the column to keep
the bed cool and eliminate coking. If
the liquid distribution to the slurry
pumparound section is not relatively
uniform across the column cross-sec-
tional area, or if there is no mixing of
out and the grid will coke.
Vapour maldistribution
Poor distribution of vapour to the
desuperheating section column inter-
nals is a reality on all units. The reac-
tor effluent feed to a FCCU main frac-
tionator enters the column on many
units at a velocity in excess of
45m/sec. The combination of high feed
velocity and the fact that most units
have no vapour distribution results in
vapour entering the grid quite maldis-
tributed. The liquid distributor design
controls the quality of liquid distribu-
tion. With the inherently poor vapour
distribution and large quantity of
desuperheating that takes place, it is
possible that dry sections of the pack-
ing can result without adequate liquid
distribution. Slurry grid bed coking is
largely a function of proper distribu-
tion of both the liquid leaving the
wash section and the cold circulating
slurry.
Bottoms quench
Bottoms quench is employed to avoid
coking problems in the bottom of the
fractionator vessel. The main fraction-
ator bottom temperature is controlled
in the range of 360-370-C by feeding
from PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY@ Summer 1996
cold slurry pumparound below the
bottom liquid level. The quench
reduces the column bottom tempera-
ture below the slurry product equilibri-
um temperature for the column oper-
ating pressure. The composition of the
slurry (specifically the quantity of
343°C minus material) sets the
unquenched liquid temperature leav-
ing the grid for a given reactor effluent
yield structure. Small changes in the
quantity of LCO boiling range material
in the slurry make large changes in the
unquenched bottom temperature.
Figure 3 shows the liquid rates from
the wash section, slurry pumparound,
and quench for this example. The
wash liquid and slurry pumparound
temperature are 343°C and 238”C,
respectively.
The liquid rate leaving the wash
zone is 3720 litres/min and the cold
slurry circulation is 6620 litres/min.
The cold slurry pumparound liquid
represents 65 per cent of the total flow
to the grid. The slurry pumparound
has much higher heat removal per
mass flow of liquid than the liquid
leaving the wash zone because of the
temperature difference. The slurry is
almost 155°C sub-cooled, whereas the
wash liquid temperature is at its bub-
blepoint.
Desuperheating design and opera-
tion
The operation of the FCCU desuper-
heating section is sometimes not well
understood in terms of its impact on
unquenched liquid temperature. It is
not a pure heat transfer section, where
the bottoms unquenched liquid tem-
perature leaving the grid goes up
because of better heat transfer.
The efficiency of this section of the
column affects the unquenched liquid
temperature by changing the amount of
light ends (relatively speaking) in the
slurry product. When increasing the
efficiency of this section of the column,
for given heat balance, the unquenched
liquid temperature will go up.
If a desuperheating section grid bed
has a poor quality liquid distributor
issue, pgs. 65-93

and it is replaced with a better quality
distributor, the unquenched liquid
temperature goes up because the slur-
ry product lightends content goes
down. This has been proven on a unit
where the slurry product flashpoint
increased from 57°C to 9 1 “C by chang-
ing only the liquid distributor. There
was no heat balance change on the
unit, and the required quench flow
rate increased.
If the height of packing in the desu-
perheating section or the efficiency of
the packing is increased, the
unquenched liquid temperature will go
up because the lightends content goes
down. The equilibrium bottoms tem-
perature is set by slurry composition
and column pressure. As in any equi-
librium situation, the composition,
pressure, and temperature are related.
You cannot change one variable with-
out a corresponding shift in the others.
Normally, these grid beds are sized
by calculating the volume of packing
based on a heat transfer equation. The
equation is:
Q= U V LMTD
where
Q= heat transferred
Ll = heat transfer coefficient based
on packing volume
V = volume of packing
LMTD = log mean temperature dif-
ference.
The packed bed volume is selected
based on the quantity of heat that
must be transferred.
Unlike most refinery tower heavy oil
pumparound packed sections that pro-
duced heat transfer coefficients in the
range of 8,000-16,000w/m3-“C, the
actual heat transfer coefficients mea-
sured for the FCC slurry pumparound
(as best one can in the field) are more
like 5000w/mJ-“C. In other words, if
setting the bed volume based on a
higher heat transfer coefficient than
can be achieved in actual operation,
there is a high potential that the bed
will not meet the heat transfer require-
ment.
In at least one case, the grid was
removed because the bed volume
Reprinted
REVAMPS AND SHUTDOWNS . “^
could not meet the duty requirement.
If the heat transfer requirement is
not met in the desuperheating section,
the upper section of the column will
have to desuperheat the vapour and
the column will probably flood. In
addition, the grid will probably coke.
Never size the packed bed volume
in the slurry zone of an FCCU with a
coefficient higher than 8,00Ow/mJ-“C,
or problems can result.
The equation used to calculate the
heat transfer coefficient for a grid bed
is based on the equations shown
below:
U = 1019 Fl.6 ( &) 0.96
F =X--L
A, PI-Pv
where
U = heat transfer coefficient in
w/m3-“C
L = liquid rate in litres/min
A, = column cross-sectional area, m2
V = vapour rate, mJ/sec
The liquid and vapour rates used in
the equation are based on the highest
loadings in the bed. In a desuperheat-
ing section, the highest vapour/liquid
loads are in the middle of the packed
bed. The so-called bubble effect,
which occurs in the middle of the
bed, is calculated from a computer
model.
The model must use at least two
theoretical stages to generate this bub-
ble (with one stage the models will not
generate the bubble). Keep in mind
that a theoretical stage of efficiency
zone is approximately 2.4m. A 3m bed
does not have two theoretical stages.
The computer models generate a high-
er bubble (higher loadings) as the
number of stages used to simulate the
desuperheating section is increased.
As the number of stages used to simu-
late the slurry pumparound section
increases, a dramatic rise in the calcu-
lated loadings will be realised. We’ve
seen some models using three to five
stages for this section of the column.
This is wrong. The use of two theoreti-
from PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLYa
“We’ve seen some
models using three to
five stages for this
section of the column.
This is wrong. The use
of two theoretical
stages in the model
will always yield
higher vapour/liquid
loading than reality.
The result of these
theoretical issues is
that the vapour/liquid
loadings used to size
the beds are usually
higher than reality.”
-
cal stages in the model will always
yield higher vapour/liquid loading
than reality.
The result of these theoretical issues
is that the vapour/liquid loadings used
to size the beds are usually higher
than reality. In addition, the grid
equations were derived in the late
1960’s and it is questionable whether
the data used were sufficiently accu-
rate.
In this case, where the bed coked,
the calculated heat transfer coefficient
was stated to be 17,750w/m3-“C, based
on applying the equation. The bed vol-
ume installed in the column was more
than twice that required, assuming the
calculated heat transfer coefficient was
correct. When the bed coked, the
problem was attributed to too much
heat transfer, causing high
unquenched liquid temperature leav-
ing the bed.
One analysis of the desuperheating
section based on pure heat transfer
predicted the bottoms temperature
would be 427°C. To reach 427°C slurry
product equilibrium temperature, the
LCO product would have to be yielded
Summer 1996 issue, pgs. 65-93.

to a 482°C endpoint and the initial
boiling point of the slurry product
would be close to 343°C. The
unquenched bottoms temperature is a
function of the bed height, but it is the
fractionation efficiency of the bed that
controls the product quality. The light-
ends content sets the un-quenched
bottoms temperature.
Revamp
Figure 4 is a schematic showing the
revamped column internals. The liq-
uid is distributed to the packed bed
with a gravity flow distributor consist-
ing of two parting boxes and several
troughs. The parting boxes take liquid
feed from the bottom wash zone tray
seal pan and feed piping that distrib-
utes the cold slurry pumparound.
The wash liquid was fed to one end
of the parting boxes through two weirs
cut in the seal pan. The cold slurry liq-
uid was fed to the remaining section of
the parting box. The slurry
pumparound piping fed liquid to only
about two-thirds of the parting boxes
length.
The liquid distributor was preferen-
tially feeding the liquid from the wash
section to one end of the paring boxes
and cold slurry to the other. The liquid
leaving the wash section and the cold
slurry were not mixed. The grid bed
pressure drop began to increase about
six months after the initial startup.
The pressure drop continued to
increase until the unit had to be shut
down after two years to have the grid
replaced.
Problem analysis
The column operating data and the
column internal design was reviewed.
The refiner’s central engineering
department evaluated the column’s
packed bed design and determined
that the problem was too much grid.
The calculated grid bed heat transfer
from the sizing equation used by the
vendor showed the minimum grid bed
depth was I.2m, using the calculated
heat transfer coefficient of
17,5OOw/m3-“C.
Reprinted
REVAMPS
*s*.‘>A. AND SHUTDOWNS
---.-B”swPm__XI
However, accurate field data from a
similar unit showed the actual heat
transfer coefficient was approximately
7,OOOw/m3-“C. By using the lower heat
transfer coefficient, the minimum grid
bed depth was calculated to be
approximately 3.0m. In comparison,
the vendor supplied the refiner with a
calculated heat transfer coefficient
based on an equation that gives a very
optimistic heat transfer rate.
The actual heat transfer coefficient
from the bed is difficult to calculate on
any unit. An accurate set of tempera-
ture data around the bed was not avail-
able. No additional field checks, like
radial temperature profiles above and
below the bed, were used to get better
temperature data. The assessment of
the problem was based solely on a
design heat transfer coefficient of
17,75Ow/m3-“C provided by the vendor.
The liquid distribution system was
not considered integral to the success
of the revamp. As with many revamps,
the distribution systems are consid-
ered secondary to such issues as
packing HETPs that are usually deter-
mined in small diameter test columns.
Cause of coking - no liquid mixing
Figure 4 shows the internal column
arrangements for feeding liquid to the
distributor. Analysing the problem,
assuming there is no mixing of some
portion of the wash liquid and the
slurry pumparound, highlights the
cause of the problem.
There is some mixing of these
streams where the liquid leaving the
wash section and the cold slurry
pumparound liquid meet in the part-
ing boxes. However, some portion of
this liquid leaving the desuperheating
section distributor troughs is only liq-
uid from the wash section.
This should be expected. Liquid res-
idence times in distribution parting
boxes operating at moderate liquid
rates (typical for pumparound heat
transfer zones) are of the order of one
to five seconds. Obviously, the prob-
lem is aggravated as tower diameters
are increased.
from PETROLEUM TECHNO!-OGY QUARTERLY@ Summer
Figure 3 shows the liquid rates
entering the parting box based on the
column heat and material balance. If
one makes an assumption that half of
the distributed wash liquid to the grid
bed has no cold slurry pumparound in
it, and only wash liquid contacts the
reactor effluent, then what would be
the results? Based on a simulation of
maldistribution for this unit, almost all
the wash liquid is revapourised. What
happens in the column is much more
complex. Nevertheless, it is apparent
that the grid bed will have some dry
sections or at the very least sections
without much liquid.
The conclusion was that the column
was coking because the liquid leaving
the wash section, and the cold slurry
pumparound, were not being mixed.
The lack of mixing resulted in “light”
hot liquid, leaving the wash section,
being preferentially distributed to a sec-
tion of the grid bed. Most of the liquid
in this zone of the bed revapourised,
causing the grid to coke. The liquid
distributor caused the coking and it
needed to be modified. (Figure 5)
Column internal modifications
The column internals were modified to
properly mix the liquid leaving the wash
section and the cold circulating slurry.
(Figure 6) The bed depth was reduced
from 3.0m to 2.4m to allow space for
removal of the grid bed without having
to remove the liquid distributor.
The nearest column man-way was
above the wash section. The space
between the distributor and the pack-
ing allowed the packing to be removed
with the distributor in place. The liq-
uid distributor was modified to proper-
ly mix the liquid in the parting box
prior to distribution into the troughs.
The grid bed now received a liquid of
uniform composition and temperature
across the entire column cross-sec-
tional area.
Inspection of the coked packing
before modifying the liquid distributor
system showed the column was coked
in the area under the distributor where
there was only wash liquid being fed.
1996 issue, pgs. 85-93.
 REVAMPS AND SHUTDOWNS .%.-

The section of the column receiving the
cold circulating slurry was coke-free.
The cause of coking in this column was
not too high a grid bed depth. The cause
of the problem was poor liquid mixing.
The issue of liquid mixing must be
considered in refinery packed column
revamps or problems can result.
Liquid mixing prior to distribution to a
packed bed is very important. In this
case, composition gradients due to no
mixing resulted in coking. The bed
pressure drop has not increased since
start-up. During a unit outage after the
distributor modifications were made,
the bed was inspected and it was
found to be free of coke.
Conclusion technology that work at lower severity
Refinery main fractionator operating cause coking in FCC columns operat-
severities are increasing due to the ing in a more severe mode.
economics associated with these Unit reliability can be improved
process operating changes. The inci- while operating with higher unit sever-
dence of unscheduled unit shutdowns ities if proper allowance is made for
to replace coked column internals is integrating process design, equipment
increasing. Coking results from design, installation, and operations.
process and equipment design errors.
Correcting process design errors and
understanding the operating variables Scott W Golden is a chemicalengineer
that must be monitored and controlled with Process Consulting Services, Inc.
will prevent coking. Ignoring the reali- Houston, Texas. The company provides
ties will not change the inherent revamp and field trouble-shooting for
nature of these refinery processes. the refinery industry worldwide.
Field operating performance has
shown that design procedures and

WASH LIQUID COLD SLURRY

PUMPAROUND LlQUlD

SLURRY LIQUID

PARTING BOX
COKED (GOOD MIXING
SECTION

- TROUGHS

_._. __ _-^--_. - __.-..----- __-- -..___.--_-___

Figure 5 Localized Coke Area Figure 6 Parting Box Modifications

SERVICES,INC.

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3400Bissonnet
Suite 130
Houston,Texas77005
U.S.A.
@ [l]-(713)-665-7046
El [l]-(713)-665-7246
IxI info@revamps.com
IxI www.revamps.com

Reprinted from PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY@ Summer 1996 issue, pgs. 65-93