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Apparatus and process for power recoveryRelated Patent Categories: Gas Separation: Processes, Deflecting, Centrifugal ForceApparatus and process for power recovery description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060096455, Apparatus and process for power recovery. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a novel arrangement for recovering power from a gas stream laden with solids. Specifically, the present invention relates to a third stage separator (TSS) vessel for removing catalyst fines from hot regenerator flue gas of a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit followed by a power recovery unit. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] FCC technology, now more than 50 years old, has undergone continuous improvement and remains the predominant source of gasoline production in many refineries. This gasoline, as well as lighter products, is formed as the result of cracking heavier (i.e. higher molecular weight), less valuable hydrocarbon feed stocks such as gas oil. Although FCC is a large and complex process involving many factors, a general outline of the technology is presented here in the context of its relation to the present invention. [0003] In its most general form, the FCC process comprises a reactor that is closely coupled with a regenerator, followed by downstream hydrocarbon product separation. Hydrocarbon feed contacts catalyst in the reactor to crack the hydrocarbons down to smaller molecular weight products. During this process, the catalyst tends to accumulate coke thereon, which is burned off in the regenerator. [0004] The heat of combustion in the regenerator typically produces flue gas at temperatures of 718.degree. to 760.degree. C. (1325.degree. to 1400.degree. F.) and at a pressure range of 138 to 276 kPa (20 to 40 psig). Although the pressure is relatively low, the extremely high temperature, high volume of flue gas from the regenerator contains sufficient kinetic energy to warrant economic recovery. To recover energy from a flue gas stream, flue gas may be fed and directed into the blades of a power recovery expander turbine. The kinetic energy of the flue gas is transferred through the blades of the expander to a rotor coupled either to a regenerator air blower, to produce combustion air for the regenerator, and/or to a generator to produce electrical power. Because of the pressure drop of 138 to 207 kPa (20 to 30 psi) across the expander turbine, the flue gas discharges with a temperature drop of approximately 125.degree. to 167.degree. C. (225 to 300.degree. F.). The flue gas may be run to a steam generator for further recovery. [0005] The power recovery train may include an expander turbine, a generator, an air blower, a gear reducer, and a let-down steam turbine. The expander turbine may be coupled to a main air blower shaft to power the air blower of a regenerator of the FCC unit. The expander turbine is a single stage machine. The gas to the expander turbine is accelerated over a parabolic nose cone. The pressure energy is converted to kinetic energy as the flue gas passes through the blades of the turbine. The blades of the expander turbine rotate at very high velocities necessitating measures to protect the blades from physical damage. [0006] A major distinguishing feature of an FCC process is the continuous fluidization and circulation of large amounts of catalyst having an average particle diameter of about 50 to 100 microns, equivalent in size and appearance to very fine sand. For every ton of cracked product made, approximately 5 tons of catalyst are needed, hence the considerable circulation requirements. Coupled with this need for a large inventory and recycle of catalyst with small particle diameters is the ongoing challenge to prevent this catalyst from exiting the reactor/regenerator system into effluent streams. [0007] Catalyst particles can cause erosion of expander turbine blades resulting in loss of power recovery efficiency. Moreover, even though catalyst fines; i.e., particles less than 10 .mu.m in dimension, do not erode expander turbine blades as significantly, they still accumulate on the blades and casing. Blade accumulation can cause blade tip erosion and casing accumulation can increase the likelihood of the tip of the blade rubbing against the casing of the expander turbine which can result in high expander shaft vibration. [0008] Overall, the use of cyclone separators internal to both the reactor and regenerator has provided over 99% separation efficiency of solid catalyst. Typically, the regenerator includes first and second (or primary and secondary) stage separators for the purpose of preventing catalyst contamination of the regenerator flue gas, which is essentially the resulting combustion product of catalyst coke in air. While normally sized catalyst particles are effectively removed in the internal regenerator cyclones, fines material (generally catalyst fragments smaller than about 50 microns resulting from attrition and erosion in the harsh, abrasive reactor/regenerator environment) is substantially more difficult to separate. As a result, the FCC flue gas will usually contain a particulate concentration in the range of about 200 to 1000 mg/Nm.sup.3. This solids level can present difficulties related to the applicable legal emissions standards and are still high enough to risk damage to the power recovery expander turbine. [0009] A further reduction in FCC flue gas fines loading is therefore often warranted, and may be obtained from a third stage separator (TSS). The term "third" in TSS typically presumes a first stage cyclone and a second stage cyclone are used for gas-solid separation upstream of the inlet to the TSS. These cyclones are typically located in the catalyst regeneration vessel. More or less separator devices may be used upstream of the TSS. Hence, the term TSS does not require that no more nor less than two separator devices are upstream of the TSS vessel, herein. The TSS induces centripetal acceleration to a particle-laden gas, stream to force the higher-density solids to the outer edges of a spinning vortex. To be efficient, a cyclone separator for an FCC flue gas effluent will normally contain many, perhaps 100, small individual cylindrical cyclone bodies installed within a single vessel acting as a manifold. At least one tube sheet affixing the upper and/or lower ends of the cyclones act to distribute contaminated gas to the cyclone inlets and also to divide the region within the vessel into sections for collecting the separated gas and solid phases. [0010] Proper design of the gas delivery equipment is essential to protecting the power recovery system, particularly the blades of the expander. Cold wall piping. comprises a refractory lining on the inside of a metal pipe to insulate the pipe from the hot gas carried therein to minimize thermal expansion. Cold wall piping is not typically specified between the TSS vessel and the expander turbine inlet due to concerns of spalling refractory lining entering the expander turbine and damaging the blades. Hot wall piping, which may be made of stainless steel, without refractory lining thermally expands over five times as much as cold wall piping. The large thermal expansion associated with hot wall piping systems results in significantly higher piping loads that must be accommodated in the design of the piping components and equipment. Invariably, this leads to added cost for support and installation. Additionally, the rotor of the turbo expander turbine may not be allowed to exceed a maximum velocity or the blades could detach from the rotor. [0011] TSS vessels typically only have one main clean gas outlet in communication with the multiple main clean gas outlets of respective cyclones in the TSS vessel as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,709 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,746. GB 2 077 631A shows two clean gas outlets in the top hemispherical head of the TSS vessel. This reference discloses that the clean gas outlets may be connected to a power recovery turbine. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0012] The power recovery unit, which is usually an expander turbine, for recovering energy from a hot, pressurized gas stream provides extra power to other equipment when needed such as an air blower shaft or an electrical generator, or both. If the power recovery unit produces more energy than is required by the other equipment, the machine may act as a generator and feed power into the refinery power grid. Feeding power into the refinery power grid acts as a braking mechanism and provides some over-speed protection. Given an electrical breaker disconnect from the power grid, a fast acting over-speed valve and bypass conduit or line around the power recovery unit may be required to rapidly divert flue gas around the expander turbine to limit the rotational velocity of the expander turbine. Additionally, diverting a portion of the flue gas around the expander turbine through the bypass conduit may be necessary to control the pressure in the upstream catalyst regenerator. However, as the bypass valve opens, the flow of hot flue gas would cause the hot wall piping to rapidly heat up and thermally expand. The resultant pipe expansion would impose a great deal of force loading and rotational moment on the expander turbine inlet line. The loading and moment on the expander turbine inlet must be relatively small to ensure that the housing of the expander turbine does not deform which could promote the blades to brush with the inner surface of the casing. Additional equipment, engineering design and construction installation labor, would be required to ensure that expansion of the bypass conduit does not translate to a load on the expander turbine inlet line that is in excess of the nozzle loading limits. [0013] The present invention is a system for separating particulate solids from a contaminated gas stream and recovering energy from the contaminated gas stream, typically a hot flue gas stream from a catalyst regeneration vessel. A TSS vessel has a main inlet for receiving gas laden with solids. A plurality of cyclones in the TSS vessel separates the solids from the gas. A solids outlet from the TSS vessel dispenses solids from the TSS vessel and two main clean gas outlets remove clean gas from the TSS vessel. A TSS vessel may have a tube sheet that separates the inlet to the TSS vessel from the outlet from the TSS vessel. In an embodiment, the two main clean gas outlets extend from the TSS vessel below the tube sheet. A first main clean gas outlet from the TSS vessel delivers clean gas to a power recovery unit. A second main clean gas outlet from the TSS vessel is transported through a bypass conduit that bypasses the power recovery unit and mixes with the effluent clean gas from the power recovery unit. [0014] If the actual flowing volume of the clean gas in the main clean gas conduit exceeds a level at which the power recovery unit is rated, a valve in the bypass clean gas conduit is opened to a proportional degree, so a portion of the clean gas being directed to the power recovery unit can be re-directed to bypass the power recovery unit, and maintain proper pressure control of the FCC regenerator and avoid mechanical damage to the power recovery expander. The bypass clean gas conduit is anchored on the TSS vessel instead of on the main clean gas conduit to the power recovery unit, so sudden exposure of the bypass clean gas conduit to hot gases and its concomitant rapid thermal expansion will not suddenly impose a load or moment on the power recovery unit beyond allowance. Hence, equipment, engineering, and installation labor necessary for neutralizing such effects are not necessary. Moreover, because the bypass clean gas conduit does not join with a conduit to the power recovery unit, the bypass clean gas conduit may be lined with insulating refractory to minimize thermal expansion thereof without fear that spalling refractory will damage the power recovery unit. [0015] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a TSS vessel with a first main clean gas outlet that feeds a power recovery unit and a second main clean gas outlet that feeds a bypass conduit that bypasses the power recovery unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the system of the present invention. [0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a TSS vessel of the present invention. [0018] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an alternative embodiment of a TSS vessel of FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0019] The present invention applies to the purification of a broad range of solid-contaminated gas streams, and especially those containing dust particles in the 1 to 20 .mu.m range. A number of commercial gas purification operations meet this description, including the treatment of effluent streams of solid catalyst fluidized bed processes, coal fired heaters, and power plants. Several well-known refinery operations rely on fluidized bed technology, such as a preferred embodiment of the process for converting methanol to light olefins, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,022, using a solid catalyst composition. Another area of particular interest lies in the purification of FCC effluent streams that contain entrained catalyst particles resulting from attrition, erosion, and/or abrasion under process conditions within the reactor. Continue reading about Apparatus and process for power recovery... Full patent description for Apparatus and process for power recovery Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Apparatus and process for power recovery patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Apparatus and process for power recovery or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Adsorption of contaminants from gaseous stream and in situ regeneration of sorbent Next Patent Application: Method and arrangement for purification of gases for supply to operate a fuel cell by the application of physical and chemical filters Industry Class: Gas separation: processes ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Apparatus and process for power recovery patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.23751 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Electronics: Semiconductor , Audio , Illumination , Connectors , Crypto , 174 |
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