A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed includes passing the hydrocarbon feed and an aromatic bottoms stream to an FCC unit including an FCC reactor and a catalyst regenerator. The hydrocarbon feed is hydrogen-rich having at least 12 wt. % hydrogen, and the aromatic bottoms stream is a bottoms stream produced from an aromatics recovery complex for processing reformate from naphtha reforming. The hydrocarbon feed and aromatic bottoms stream are cracked over the FCC catalysts to produce an effluent and spent FCC catalysts having coke deposits. The spent FCC catalyst is regenerated through combustion of the coke deposits. The hydrogen-rich hydrocarbon feed does not produce enough coke to satisfy the heat demand of the FCC reactor. Cracking the aromatic bottoms stream increases the amount of coke so that combustion of the additional coke during regeneration produces additional heat to satisfy the heat demand of the FCC reactor.

The invention provides an improved system for separation technology intended to reduce unwanted catalyst/thermal reactions by minimizing contact of the hydrocarbons and the catalyst within the reactor.

An improved process is provided for catalytic pyrolysis of biomass, comprising pneumatically injecting a biomass feed via a pneumatic injection line into a fluidized heat medium, for example, hot catalyst, with a carrier gas at a velocity of from 5 to 40 m/s in at least one mixing zone in communication with a pyrolysis reactor in which catalytic pyrolysis occurs, and maintaining a catalyst/biomass mixture flowrate ratio (C/B) of from 4 to 40 downstream from the point of catalyst injection via a catalyst injection line in the at least one mixing zone.

An air lance for removing pellets from tubes includes a conduit body having an inlet end and a bottommost discharge opening, and a poker fixed relative to the conduit body and projecting beyond the bottommost discharge opening to serve as a spacer and poker; wherein a rigid member extends along said conduit body, such that that a hammering force applied to said rigid member where it extends outside of the tube will be transmitted through said rigid member to said poker for dislodging and breaking pellets.

A process and reactor for contacting a feed stream with a catalyst stream comprises a reaction chamber comprising two spent catalyst inlets for delivering two spent catalyst streams to the reaction chamber and at least one regenerated catalyst inlet for delivering a regenerated catalyst stream to the reaction chamber. The reaction chamber may also include a second regenerated catalyst inlet for delivering a second regenerated catalyst stream to the reaction chamber. The second spent catalyst inlet enables thorough mixing of catalyst streams.

The present disclosure relates to fluid bed processes that utilize silica particles as a fluidization aid. The process comprises reacting one or more reactants in a reactor comprising a fluid bed to form a product. The fluid bed comprises a catalyst composition comprising a catalyst and an inert additive composition comprising silica particles from 0.5 wt % to 30 wt %, based on the total weight of the catalyst composition. The silica particles are discrete, inert particles that are mixed with the catalyst in the fluid bed.

A fluidized catalytic reactor utilizes an ascending temperature profile. The apparatus and process deliver cooler spent catalyst to a first catalyst distributor and a hotter regenerated catalyst to a second catalyst distributor that are spaced apart from each other. The reactant stream first encounters the first stream of catalyst and then encounters the second stream of catalyst. The process and apparatus stage the addition of hot catalyst to the reactant stream. The process and apparatus may be particularly advantageous in an endothermic reaction because the hotter catalyst will encounter reactants that have cooled due to the progression of endothermic reactions.

A catalytic cracking system in which liquid hydrocarbon and bio-oil are directed into a reactor riser of a fluid catalytic cracking unit by separate feed spray nozzle assemblies. To protect liquid bio-oil directed through the liquid bio-oil feed nozzle assembly from high temperature degradation, an insulating layer is provided between a central bio-oil feed tube in a concentrically surrounding atomizing gas passageway. Cooling channels also may be provided in the spray tip of the bio-oil feed nozzle assembly.

A system includes a standpipe for receiving a flow of solids therethrough, the standpipe having at least one inlet configured to receive a gas for decreasing a solids-to-gas ratio of the flow, a sealpot having an inlet fluidly coupled to the standpipe and an outlet fluidly coupled to a riser, the sealpot being configured to fluidize the solids received from the standpipe and to transport the solids to the riser, and a drain device fluidly coupled to an outlet in the standpipe, the outlet being located upstream from the inlet of the sealpot. The drain device is configured to remove the excess gas from the flow of solids within the standpipe to increase the solids-to-gas ratio of the flow prior to the solids entering the sealpot.

A reactor for coating particles includes a stationary vacuum chamber to hold a bed of particles to be coated, a chemical delivery system, and a paddle assembly. The paddle assembly includes a rotatable drive shaft and a first plurality of paddles and a second plurality of paddles that extend radially from the drive shaft. The spacing, cross-sections, and oblique angles of the paddles are such that orbiting of the paddles causes the first plurality of paddles and the second plurality of paddles to displace substantially equal volumes in opposite directions in the lower portion of the stationary vacuum chamber.