Understanding Riser and Downer Based Fluid Catalytic Cracking Processes by a Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Reactor Model

A two-dimensional reactor model incorporating hydrodynamics, mass balance, energy balance, and a 4-lump/14-lump kinetic model was established to simulate the riser and downer based fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) processes. The kinetic parameters of the 4-lump kinetic model were re-evaluated from the originally published experimental data for a more reliable description of the FCC process. The 14-lump kinetic model based on a molecular description of cracking and hydrogen transfer reactions was to include more details about the feedstock composition, reaction mechanisms, and the products distribution for a better understanding on the reactor performance for FCC process. This comprehensive model captured the key characteristics of the gas−solid reacting flows in the riser and downer, i.e., the uniformity of flow structures, the distinct backmixing behavior in the riser and downer, and the momentum and energy balances during the complex FCC reactions. The model predictions were first validated against indust...