The present invention relates to a spray nozzle for discharging an atomized hydrocarbon feed used in fluidized catalytic cracking reactor. More particularly, the invention relates to the physical geometry of the slots in a double slot feed nozzle to improve nozzle efficiency and life.
Efficiency in a fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) apparatus is dependent on a number of factors. One important factor is the energy used to atomize the liquid hydrocarbon feed introduced into the FCC reactor.
In general, the liquid hydrocarbon feed is atomized by a gas such as steam for discharge through a nozzle into the FCC reactor. The amount of steam used to atomize the liquid hydrocarbon feed impacts directly on the efficiency of the reaction. The shape and number of slots in the nozzle have also been found to impact directly on the atomization of the liquid hydrocarbon feed.
Additionally, it is well known that the FCC reaction yields improved results when the fluidized feed introduced into the reactor has a large surface area. In this regard, the smaller the size of the droplets, or the finer the spray from the nozzle, the larger the surface area of the fluidized feed. Creating a fine spray of the hydrocarbon feed from the nozzle using less steam results in greater efficiency of the fluidized catalytic cracking system.
Earlier nozzles used to atomize the fluid hydrocarbon feed had a generally hemispherical discharge end formed with a single elongated slot-like orifice adapted to produce a flat fan-like spray. An example of such a nozzle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,418 to Dou et al.
Later nozzles utilized two elongated orifices to atomize the fluid hydrocarbon feed. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,859 to Haruch, the use of a plurality of slot-like outlets atomize the liquid feed into finer particles as the liquid is discharged from the nozzle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,859 further described that the use of slots angled relative to one another produce a converging spray, further improving post-discharge atomization of the liquid particles.
However, an FCC hydrocarbon liquid feed nozzle having a plurality of slots is prone to failure over time. The reactor in which the nozzle operates has constantly moving fluidized catalyst particles circulating throughout the reactor. The nozzles are therefore acted upon not only by the hydrocarbon feed passing through the nozzles, but also by the fluidized catalyst. Due to the flow patterns around the nozzle when the liquid hydrocarbon feed is being sprayed into the reactor, the area between the slots is subject to severe erosion of the inter-slot wall.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved hydrocarbon feed nozzle, resulting in more efficient atomization of the hydrocarbon feed over a longer useful life.
These and other objects are achieved by the present invention, directed to a spray nozzle for use in discharging atomized liquid hydrocarbon feed into a fluidized catalytic cracking reactor. The spray nozzle comprises a plurality elongated slots having at least one lateral slot wall formed at an angle of from about 30 to about 60 degrees from the axis of the discharge.
In its preferred embodiment, the slots have a lateral slot wall angle of from about 40 to about 50 degrees from the axis of discharge and most preferably an angle of about 45 degrees.
The objects of the invention will be further described in the following detailed description of the invention, including the attached drawings. The description is intended to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which will be better understood when considered in view of the attached drawings. The detailed description and drawings, however, are not intended to limit the invention in any manner whatsoever.
The patent of application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawings will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
With reference to the appended drawings, a first prior art nozzle 102 is shown in
As shown in
It has been found that the geometry of lateral slot walls 108 and 208, comprising straight cut and horizontal cut configurations, results in the accelerated erosion of the area 106 and 206 between the slots 104 and 204, respectively.
The preferred embodiment of the nozzle 2 of the present invention, shown in
The slots 4 of the nozzles 102 of the present invention can be formed parallel to each other, as shown in
Additionally, the edges of the slots 4 of the present invention can be smoothed, if desired, to aid the flow of catalyst particles about the nozzles. The smoothed edges are particularly envisioned as a variation of the outer edges of the lateral slot walls 8.
The benefits of the angled lateral slot walls 8 of the present invention are more clearly demonstrated in comparing
In contrast, the CFD calculation results of the flow pattern around the nozzle 2 of the present invention in
In keeping with the above, the present invention includes a method of spraying atomized liquid hydrocarbon feed/steam into an FCC reactor. The method includes the step of passing the feed/steam through a dual slot nozzle 2 having at least one lateral slot wall formed at an angle of from about 30 to about 60 degrees from the axis of the discharge. As described above, the lateral slot walls are preferably from about 40 to about 50 degrees from the axis of discharge and most preferably about 45 degrees from the axis of discharge.
Other variations, modifications and alterations to the preferred embodiment of the present invention described above will make themselves apparent to those skilled in the art. All such deviations to the preferred embodiment described are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, limited solely by the appended claims.
All patents referred to herein are hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5244154 | Buchholz et al. | Sep 1993 | A |
5306418 | Dou et al. | Apr 1994 | A |
5673859 | Haruch | Oct 1997 | A |
5794857 | Chen et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
5979799 | Chen et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
6070811 | Takeda et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
6142392 | Takeda et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6161781 | Kojima et al. | Dec 2000 | A |
6631851 | Adkins et al. | Oct 2003 | B1 |
6726127 | Hofherr et al. | Apr 2004 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
0 933 135 | Apr 1999 | EP |
2 644 795 | Sep 1990 | FR |
WO 2005047427 | May 2005 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20070246574 A1 | Oct 2007 | US |