Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Unit

FCC fractionators, or FCC main columns, cool and separate hydrocarbon mixtures from the FCC reactor into manageable fractions for downstream processing. 

Common products from an FCC fractionator include dry gas, propane, butanes, naphtha, light cycle oil, heavy cycle oil, and slurry, while specific product variations depend on downstream configurations and market demands. The challenging process conditions, especially in the lower section, require careful design, and Koch-Glitsch provides specialized solutions to enhance throughput and reliability.

FCC Reactor/Regenerator
KFBE packing maximizes stripper efficiency and optimizes residence time and catalyst circulation in FCC Spent Catalyst Strippers. Regenerator temperature and after-burn are reduced. Overall unit performance and operating flexibility are improved.

FCC Main Fractionator
Structured packing in the FCC Main Fractionator Unit offers increased capacity, lower pressure drop, and improved efficiency compared to trays. The lower pressure drop can offer a number of valuable benefits: increased gasoline yields; reduced load on wet gas compressor, regenerator, and/or air blower; reduced coke formation on catalyst; and improved octane number of gasoline.

Severe conditions in the lower sections – particularly the slurry pumparound zone – require special equipment designs. The high temperature in the slurry pumparound promotes coke formation. In addition, catalyst fines from the reactor are introduced into the Main Fractionator with the vapor feed. The catalyst fines are often found as high up as the HCO pumparound and can cause erosion problems and plugging of liquid distributor orifices. 

Koch-Glitsch pioneered the use of grid packing in the slurry pumparound zone in FCC units. The superior fouling resistance and high capacity of the PROFLUX® severe service grid make it the preferred packing selection. Koch-Glitsch offers special liquid and vapor distributor designs (Models 985 and 798), which have been developed and enhanced specifically for this application.

In addition, refiners that run unhydrotreated feeds, purchased feeds from a barge or tanker, or resid may also experience corrosion and fouling problems in the uppermost tower internals similar to problems seen in the top section of other refinery fractionators.

FCC Main Fractionator Overhead Separator
These separator drums can become a bottleneck when the fractionation towers are fitted with higher capacity internals. Higher throughput rates in the revamped column can increase separation demands on the overhead separator. The use of liquid-liquid settling media enhances separation of water in the reflux stream to help prevent corrosion of the column internals and reduce vapor traffic in the fractionation column.

Koch-Glitsch’s FCC expertise enables refiners to achieve peak performance, ensuring reliable operations and maximizing yield. With our commitment to reliability and performance, we provide solutions that empower refineries to meet the growing demand for refined products.