Simulation of FCC riser flow with multiphase heat transfer and cracking reactions

Abstract

A validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code ICRKFLO was developed for simulations of three-dimensional three-phase reacting flows in Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) riser reactors. It calculates the product yields based on local flow properties by solving the fundamental conservation principles of mass, momentum, and energy for the flow properties associated with the gas, liquid, and solid phases. Unique phenomenological models and numerical techniques were developed specifically for the FCC flow simulation. The models include a spray vaporization model, a particle-solid interaction model, and an interfacial heat transfer model. The numerical techniques include a time-integral approach to overcome numerical stiffness problems in chemical kinetics rate calculations and a hybrid hydrodynamic-kinetic treatment to facilitate detailed kinetics calculations of cracking reactions. ICRKFLO has been validated with extensive test data from two pilot and one commercial FCC units. It is proven to be useful for advanced development of FCC riser reactors.