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First-Of-Their-Kind Fluid
Bed Pilot Plants
Xytel continued to provide support for the process development
of a first-of-its-kind FCC pilot plant with a down-flow reactor.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and Japan's
Petroleum Energy Center (PEC) are conducting a joint development
program using a down-flow pilot plant, which requires ongoing
modifications to the reactor module.  Modifications
completed in September 1999 increased the maximum height to 34
feet. Maximum catalyst circulation rate was increased and the
use of a longer down-flow reactor was made possible. The most
recent modifications, completed in early 2000, improve stripping
efficiency. PEC/KFUPM detailed their research in a recent article;
Oil and Gas Journal - August 14, 2000
'Down-flowing FCC reactor increases propylene,
gasoline make'.
In third quarter of 2000, Xytel
was selected to build a first-of-its kind FCC pilot plant which
can operate with either up-flow or down-flow reactor modules.
Our experience with the PEC down-flow reactor design was one
of the important factors that led to Xytel's selection for this
project. The unit will be shipped to Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo
(IMP) in Mexico City for commissioning in late 2001. Xytel was
also awarded a contract to build an Akzo FCC catalyst cyclic
deactivation unit to prepare fresh catalyst for testing in the
IMP FCC pilot plant. This unit will be shipped and commissioned
in late 2000.
Experience with first-of-its-kind
circulating fluidized catalyst pilot plants was also an important
factor in Xytel's selection to build the Phillips SZorb gasoline
sulfur removal pilot plant, which was shipped in third quarter
2000. This pilot unit uses a proprietary fluid sorbent to remove
sulfur from FCC gasoline without saturating olefins that contribute
to the gasoline octane. The fluid sorbent circulates from the
pilot plant reactor bed, where sulfur is adsorbed, to a regeneration
bed, where air oxidizes the sulfur to volatile oxides. The sulfur
oxides in the regenerator off gas can be processed in a refinery
sulfur recovery unit.
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