An advanced regulatory controller for a converter of a catalytic olefins unit is disclosed. A Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) type converter (i.e., reactor-regenerator) is combined with an ethylene style cold-end for product recovery. The regulatory controller operates using an Advanced Regulatory Control (ARC) application using variables, such as a controlled variable, four disturbance variables, associated variable, and a manipulated variable. The ARC application manipulates fuel oil or tail gas flow to a regenerator in response to an expected future steady state value of a regenerator bed temperature resulting from changes in the values of a selected set of the variables.

Provided is a system including a planning section that generates a production plan for a production site, using a planning model; a simulating section that simulates operation of at least a portion of the production site, based on a simulation model of the at least a portion of the production site; a monitoring section that monitors actual operation of the at least a portion of the production site; a calibrating section that calibrates the simulation model, based on a difference between the simulated operation and the actual operation; and a control section that controls the at least a portion of the production site, based on a simulation result obtained by simulating the operation of the at least a portion of the production site in accordance with the production plan, using the simulation model that has been calibrated.

When operating a production site, it is preferable to maintain accurate models continuously. Provided is a system including a simulating section that simulates operation of at least a portion of a production site, based on a simulation model of the at least a portion of the production site; a monitoring section that monitors actual operation of the at least a portion of the production site; a calibrating section that calibrates the simulation model, based on a difference between the simulated operation and the actual operation; and an updating section that updates a planning model used to generate a production plan for the production site, according to the calibration of the simulation model.

Methods for operating a system having two downflow high-severity FCC units for producing products from a hydrocarbon feed includes introducing the hydrocarbon feed to a feed separator and separating it into a lesser boiling point fraction and a greater boiling point fraction. The greater boiling point fraction is passed to the first FCC unit and cracked in the presence of a first catalyst at 500° C. to 700° C. to produce a first cracking reaction product and a spent first catalyst. The lesser boiling point fraction is passed to the second FCC unit and cracked in the presence of a second catalyst at 500° C. to 700° C. to produce a second cracking reaction product and a spent second catalyst. At least a portion of the spent first catalyst or the spent second catalyst is passed back to the first FCC unit, the second FCC unit or both.

Systems and methods for enhancing the processing of hydrocarbons in a FCC unit by introduction of the coked FCC catalyst from the FCC reactor and a renewable feedstock to the FCC regenerator to facilitate regeneration of the coked FCC catalyst. The renewable feedstock can contain biomass-derived pyrolysis oil. The biomass-derived pyrolysis oil and coke from the coked FCC catalyst are oxidized by oxygen to provide a regenerated catalyst that is recycled to the FCC reactor.

Systems and processes are disclosed for producing petrochemical products, such as ethylene, propene and other olefins from crude oil in high severity fluid catalytic cracking (HSFCC) units. Processes include separating a crude oil into a light fraction and a heavy fraction, cracking the light fraction and heavy fraction in separation separate cracking reaction zones, and regenerating the cracking catalysts in a two-zone having a first regeneration zone for the first catalyst (heavy fraction) and a second regeneration zone for the second catalyst (light fraction) separate from the first regeneration zone. Flue gas from the first catalyst regeneration zone is passed to the second regeneration zone to provide additional heat to raise the temperature of the second catalyst of the light fraction side. The disclosed systems and processes enable different catalysts and operating conditions to be utilized for the light fraction and the heavy fraction of a crude oil feed.

A control system for automatic operation of a hydrocracking unit is shown. The control system includes a control device operable to affect at least one of a yield or a product quality of one or more output oil products provided as outputs of the hydrocracking unit. The control system further includes a controller configured to obtain an objective function that quantifies a value of operating the hydrocracking unit as a function of at least one of the yield or the product quality of the one or more output oil products, use a neural network model to generate a target control device setpoint predicted to optimize the objective function when the hydrocracking unit operates at the target control device setpoint, and operate the control device using the target control device setpoint to modulate at least one of the yield or the product quality of the one or more output oil products.

A fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process for cracking multiple feedstocks in a FCC apparatus comprising a first set of feed distributors having first distributor tips and a second set of feed distributors having second distributor tips is provided. A first feed is injected into the riser from first distributor tips. A second feed is injected into the riser from second distributor tips. The first distributor tips and the second distributor tips are positioned at different radii in the riser. The first feed and the second feed are cracked in the riser in the presence of an FCC catalyst to provide a cracked effluent stream. The first distributor tips and the second distributor tips are located into a region of lower catalyst density and a region of higher catalyst density respectively in the riser.

Methods and systems for enhancing hydrocarbon processing in a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit by introducing a renewable feedstock into the FCC unit at alternative locations of the FCC unit to increase residence time and promote a higher degree of FCC feedstock cracking. The renewable feedstock may include one or more of plastic-derived pyrolysis oil or plastic-derived hydrocarbons, biomass-derived pyrolysis oil, municipal waste-derived pyrolysis oil, vegetable based feedstock, animal fat feedstock, algae oil, sugar-derived hydrocarbons, or carbohydrate-derived hydrocarbons. The alternative locations of the FCC unit may include one or more of FCC reactor catalyst bed, an FCC catalyst stripper, at a nozzle located downstream of a gas oil injection point, or at a nozzle located upstream of the gas oil injection point.

A composition of fuel gas that when mixed with spent catalyst and oxygen has an induction time that allows bubbles to break up while combusting in the regenerator. Bubble breakage in a dense bed avoids generation of a flame that can generate hot spots in the regenerator which can damage equipment and catalyst. The fuel gas can be obtained from paraffin dehydrogenation products, so it can sustain operation of the unit even in remote locations. Heavier streams can be mixed with lighter streams to obtain a fuel gas composition with a desirable induction time to avoid such hot spots. Mixing of a depropanizer bottom stream and/or deethanizer overhead stream with lighter gas streams such as cold box light gas or PSA tail gas can provide the desired fuel gas composition.