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U.S. Department of Energy
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Upgrading FCC VRU can yield attractive economic payoff

Journal Article · · Oil and Gas Journal; (United States)
OSTI ID:5678382
Simple changes in operating conditions can improve fluid catalytic cracking vapor recovery unit (VRU) operation. Debottlenecking the VRU can release unused cracking capacity and defer a major VRU revamp. This paper reports that process and catalyst advances permit older fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCUs) to operate at capacities and severities much higher than original design parameters. Operations are therefore often constrained by the capacities of the downstream fractionation systems and other process pants that have not benefited from similar technological advances. Sometimes product recoveries and specifications are relaxed to mitigate the impact. Any improvement in VRU capacity and recovery is probably economically justifiable, especially when propylene is routed to alkylation or petrochemicals. However, when an improvement in VRU performance permits a proportionate increase in FCC capacity or severity, the economics can be very persuasive.
OSTI ID:
5678382
Journal Information:
Oil and Gas Journal; (United States), Journal Name: Oil and Gas Journal; (United States) Vol. 90:4; ISSN 0030-1388; ISSN OIGJA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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