Investigation of the hydrodynamics in the regenerator of fluid catalytic cracking unit integrated by chemical looping combustion

Oil refineries are responsible for 4–6% of global CO 2 emissions, and 20–35% these emissions released from the regenerator Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) units, which essential units conversion heavier petroleum residues (vacuum gas oil) into more valuable products. Chemical looping combustion (CLC) has been recently proposed to mitigate FCC with a lower energy penalty. However, detailed experimental modelling investigation is still necessary in order identify hydrodynamics chemical integrated fluidised catalytic cracking (CLC-FCC). A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) study was conducted understand hydrodynamic behaviours gas-solid two-phase flow CLC-FCC unit, based on three-dimensional multiphase model (Eulerian-Eulerian) kinetic theory granular flow. The results provide useful insight hydrodynamics, terms oxygen carrier modified catalysts coke distribution profiles, CLC-FCC. conventional drag models (Syamlal-O'Brien Gidaspow) predict bed density profiles dense phase (250–300 kg/m 3 ) at (0–0.25 h/H), dilution h/H = 0.25 0.50 regenerator. profile indistinguishable industrial data provided regenerators. fluidisation (CO passes through centre where splits catalyst particles walls, create dilute particle particle-phase near wall, one characteristic regimes circulating reactors. demonstrate an upward trend velocity above 3.0 m/s while wall tend go down relatively low <0.5 m/s, creates vortexes non-uniform fluidising provides better mixing solid entrance optimisation superficial velocities (1.0 m/s) distributed regime developed phases. Furthermore, laminar turbulent demonstrated no significant differences axial concept. These findings that successfully predicted CFD prediction aligned well • Predicted novel similar FCC. Demonstrated effects hydrodynamics.