APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR GAS-SOLIDS SEPARATION
20190099766 ยท 2019-04-04
Inventors
- Sujay R. Krishnamurthy (Hoffman Estates, IL, US)
- Roger L. Throndson (Schaumburg, IL, US)
- James W. Althoff (Chicago, IL, US)
- Richard A. Johnson, II (Algonquin, IL, US)
Cpc classification
B01D45/16
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B04C9/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B04C2009/007
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B04C2003/006
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B01D45/14
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B04C3/06
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B01D45/14
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A process and apparatus of a gas-solids separator are provided in which a cap is disposed across an upstream end of swirl blades in a cyclonic separator to protect the blades from erosion by fast traveling solids.
Claims
1. A cyclonic separator, comprising: a cyclone barrel; a swirl vane positioned in an upstream end of the cyclone barrel; a gas outlet centrally disposed in a downstream end of the cyclone barrel; a solids outlet peripherally disposed in the downstream end of the cyclone barrel; and a cap extending radially across an upstream end of the swirl vane.
2. The cyclonic separator of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of swirl blades wrapped around a hub positioned in the upstream end of the cyclone barrel and the cap extends radially across an upstream end of all of the swirl vanes.
3. The cyclonic separator of claim 1 wherein said swirl blades have upstream ends disposed circumferentially around the hub.
4. The cyclonic separator of claim 2 wherein said cap has a side wall that extends to a window which allows access to said swirl blades.
5. The cyclonic separator of claim 4 wherein a downstream end of said side wall is positioned upstream of said swirl vane to define said window.
6. The cyclonic separator of claim 2 wherein said swirl blades are disposed in an annular space between the hub and the cyclone barrel.
7. The cyclonic separator of claim 2 further comprising a lug secured to the hub and the cap to hold the cap in place above the hub.
8. The cyclonic separator of claim 2 wherein said hub has a closed end downstream of the cap.
9. The cyclonic separator of claim 7 wherein said hub has a flat top end.
10. The cyclonic separator of claim 7 wherein said hub extends above an upstream end of said swirl blades.
11. The cyclonic separator of claim 1 wherein said cap has a hemispherical roof.
12. A gas-solids separator, comprising: a vessel having a flue gas inlet, an entrained solids outlet, and a clean gas outlet; an upstream tube sheet and a downstream tube sheet within the vessel and defining therewith a gas inlet chamber fluidly coupled to the flue gas inlet, an entrained solids chamber fluidly coupled to the entrained solids outlet, and a clean gas chamber fluidly coupled to the clean gas outlet; and a cyclonic separator, comprising: a cyclone barrel extending into the entrained solids chamber and fluidly coupled to the flue gas inlet; a swirl vane positioned in an upstream end of the cyclone barrel; a gas outlet centrally disposed in a downstream end of the cyclone barrel and fluidly coupling the gas inlet chamber to the clean gas chamber; a solids outlet peripherally disposed in the downstream end of the cyclone barrel and fluidly connected to the entrained solids outlet; and a cap extending radially above an upstream end of the swirl vane.
13. The gas-solids separator of claim 12 wherein said cyclonic separator further comprising a plurality of swirl blades wrapped around a hub positioned in the upstream end of the cyclone barrel and the cap extends radially above upstream ends of all of the swirl blades disposed circumferentially around the hub.
14. The gas-solids separator of claim 13 wherein said cap of said cyclonic separator has a side wall that has a downstream end spaced from the swirl blades to provide a window which fluidly couples said flue gas inlet to said swirl blades.
15. The gas-solids separator of claim 13 wherein said swirl blades of said cyclonic separator are disposed in an annular space between the hub and the cyclone barrel.
16. The gas-solids separator of claim 13 wherein said cyclonic separator further comprises a lug secured to the hub and the cap to hold the cap in place upstream of the hub.
17. The gas-solids separator of claim 13 wherein said cap of said cyclonic separator has a hemispherical top.
18. A process for separating solids from gas comprising: directing a solid-laden gas to a cyclonic separator; shielding direct entry into said cyclonic separator that includes swirl vane with a cap; limiting said solid-laden gas access to said swirl blades but around a downstream end of said cap; contacting said solid-laden gas with swirl blades which induce the solid laden gas to swirl in a cyclone; and separating solids from said gas by centripetal acceleration.
19. The process of claim 18 further comprising directing said solid-laden gas from a flue gas inlet to a vessel to said cyclonic separator in said vessel, and wherein said solids exit said vessel through an entrained solids outlet, and said gas exits said vessel through a clean gas outlet.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and wherein:
[0008]
[0009]
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011]
[0012] With reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
[0013] A plurality of cyclonic separators 30 are mounted within vessel 12 and extend from upstream tube sheet 20 to the downstream tube sheet 22. As a specific and non-limiting example, gas-solids separator 10 may include 8 to 200 such separators 30, which are circumferentially distributed around the longitudinal axis of vessel 12 to produce a separation manifold. The longitudinal axes of cyclonic separators 30 may be substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of vessel 12; and, in embodiments in which vessel 12 is vertically oriented, separators 30 may likewise be vertically oriented. Cyclonic separators 30 thus extend in a generally vertical direction across entrained solids chamber 28 to allow fluid communication from flue gas chamber 24 to clean gas chamber 26. In addition, each cyclonic separator 30 includes one or more unidirectional flow orifice (referred to herein as check valve openings), which fluidly couple flue gas chamber 24 to the entrained solids chamber 28 to permit the removal of entrained solids from the gas stream, as described in detail below.
[0014] During operation of gas-solids separator 10, a flue gas stream 32 is supplied to flue gas inlet 14 by, for example, an FCC regenerator upstream of separator 10. As indicated above, flue gas stream 32 carries particulate matter; and, in the case of an FCC system specifically, gas stream 32 is laden with relatively small catalyst particles having an average diameter less than 50 microns commonly referred to as catalyst fines. As shown in
[0015] As gas flow is forced through each cyclonic separator 30, centrifugal forces urge catalyst fines radially outwardly and away from the separator centerline, as described above. In so doing, the catalyst fines are removed from the innermost core gas flow conducted through the radial center of cyclonic separators 30. This core gas flow, which is substantially particle free and thus referred to herein as the clean gas flow, is discharged from the downstream ends of cyclonic separators 30, into clean gas chamber 26, and ultimately exits vessel 12 through clean gas outlet 16 represented in
[0016]
[0017] A swirl vane 68 is positioned in and/or across an upper or upstream end of cyclone barrel 52. A plurality of swirl blades 72 extend radially outward from a hub 70 and wrap or twist tangentially around the longitudinal axis of the cyclonic separator 30. The swirl blades 72 have upstream ends disposed circumferentially around the hub 70. The swirl blades 72 are disposed in an annular space 66 defined between an outer surface of the hub 70 and an inner surface of the cyclone barrel 52. As gas flow is forced through cyclone barrel 52, swirl vane 68 imparts the gas flow with a swirling or vortex-type flow pattern, as generically represented in
[0018] The cyclonic separator 30 includes one or more solids outlets 76 comprising a check valve opening peripherally disposed in and through the downstream end of cyclone barrel 52 radially adjacent the penetrating section of gas outlet tube 56. The term check valve opening, as appearing herein, is defined as an opening or orifice that permits solids-laden gas flow in substantially one direction under normal operating conditions of the gas-solids separator and, thus, prevents undesired backflow from entering cyclone barrel 52 in a manner similar to a check valve. Backflow through the check valve opening or openings is prevented or at least substantially impeded by selecting the total cross-sectional flow area of the check valve opening(s) along with other parameters, such as the difference in inner diameters between cyclone barrel 52 and outlet tube 56, to ensure a relatively high pressure drop when transitioning from the interior of cyclone barrel 52 to entrained solids chamber 28. The solids outlet 76 is fluidly connected to the entrained solids outlet 18 (
[0019] It has been discovered that, over prolonged periods of continuous operation, severe erosion of the connection between swirl blades 72 and the hub 70 can occur. To prevent direct impact of catalyst fines onto the swirl blades 72, a cap 80 is installed upstream of the swirl vane 68. The cap 80 extends radially at least as far as the extent of the entire swirl vane 68 and radially across an upstream end of all of the swirl blades 72. The cap 80 extends radially beyond the hub but across the annular space 66 between the hub and the cyclone barrel 52. Consequently, solids laden gas from upstream of the cyclonic separator 30 may not enter the cyclone barrel directly but indirectly by going around the cap 80 as shown by arrow 36 in
[0020] Lugs 71 hold the cap 80 in place above the swirl vane 68. Lugs 71 may be secured such as by welding at their inner downstream end to an extension 86 of the hub 70 that extends upstream of the swirl vane 68. The extension 86 attaches to the hub 70. The lugs 71 are also secured such as by welding at a downstream outer end to the cyclone 52 barrel and at a upstream outer end to the side wall 84 of the cap 80. The downstream end of the side wall 84 extends to a window 60 defined downstream of the side wall 84 upstream of the cyclone barrel 52 and between the lugs 71. The window 60 allows access to the swirl blades 72 and fluidly couples the flue gas inlet 14 to the swirl vane 68 in the annular space 66. The hub 70 has a closed, flat upstream end downstream of the cap 80 provided on the extension 86. The window 60 is sized such that the spacing between the downstream end of the side wall 84 and the upstream end of the cyclone barrel 52 defines a cylindrical area that is at least twice the cross sectional area between the hub 70 and the cyclone barrel 52 that defines the annular space 66.
[0021]
[0022] The cross sectional area of the annular space 66 between the hub 70 and the cyclone barrel 52 is visible in
[0023] In operation, the solid-laden flue gas stream represented by arrow 36 enters the flue gas inlet 14 to the vessel 12 and travels through the flue gas chamber 24 to a particular cyclonic separator 30. The caps 80 shield the cyclonic separator 30 from direct entry of flue gas into the swirl vane 68 but limits access of the solid-laden gas to the swirl vane 68 but by around a downstream end of the cap 80. The solid-laden gas contacts the swirl blades 72 which induce the solid laden gas to swirl in a cyclone and separate solids from the gas by centrifugal acceleration. The solids 42 exit the vessel 12 through the entrained solids outlet 18, and the clean gas 46 exits the vessel through the clean gas outlet 16.
SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0024] While the following is described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the preceding description and the appended claims.
[0025] A first embodiment of the invention is a cyclonic separator, comprising a cyclone barrel; a swirl vane positioned in an upstream end of the cyclone barrel; a gas outlet centrally disposed in a downstream end of the cyclone barrel; a solids outlet peripherally disposed in the downstream end of the cyclone barrel; and a cap extending radially across an upstream end of the swirl vane. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the first embodiment in this paragraph further comprising a plurality of swirl blades wrapped around a hub positioned in the upstream end of the cyclone barrel and the cap extends radially across an upstream end of all of the swirl vanes. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the first embodiment in this paragraph wherein the swirl blades have upstream ends disposed circumferentially around the hub. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the first embodiment in this paragraph wherein the cap has a side wall that extends to a window which allows access to the swirl blades. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the first embodiment in this paragraph wherein a downstream end of the side wall is positioned upstream of the swirl vane to define the window. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the first embodiment in this paragraph wherein the swirl blades are disposed in an annular space between the hub and the cyclone barrel. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the first embodiment in this paragraph further comprising a lug secured to the hub and the cap to hold the cap in place above the hub. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the first embodiment in this paragraph wherein the hub has a closed end downstream of the cap. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the first embodiment in this paragraph wherein the hub has a flat top end. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the first embodiment in this paragraph wherein the hub extends above an upstream end of the swirl blades. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the first embodiment in this paragraph wherein the cap has a hemispherical roof.
[0026] A second embodiment of the invention is a gas-solids separator, comprising a vessel having a flue gas inlet, an entrained solids outlet, and a clean gas outlet; an upstream tube sheet and a downstream tube sheet within the vessel and defining therewith a gas inlet chamber fluidly coupled to the flue gas inlet, an entrained solids chamber fluidly coupled to the entrained solids outlet, and a clean gas chamber fluidly coupled to the clean gas outlet; and a cyclonic separator, comprising a cyclone barrel extending into the entrained solids chamber and fluidly coupled to the flue gas inlet; a swirl vane positioned in an upstream end of the cyclone barrel; a gas outlet centrally disposed in a downstream end of the cyclone barrel and fluidly coupling the gas inlet chamber to the clean gas chamber; a solids outlet peripherally disposed in the downstream end of the cyclone barrel and fluidly connected to the entrained solids outlet; and a cap extending radially above an upstream end of the swirl vane. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the second embodiment in this paragraph wherein the cyclonic separator further comprising a plurality of swirl blades wrapped around a hub positioned in the upstream end of the cyclone barrel and the cap extends radially above upstream ends of all of the swirl blades disposed circumferentially around the hub. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the second embodiment in this paragraph wherein the cap of the cyclonic separator has a side wall that has a downstream end spaced from the swirl blades to provide a window which fluidly couples the flue gas inlet to the swirl blades. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the second embodiment in this paragraph wherein the swirl blades of the cyclonic separator are disposed in an annular space between the hub and the cyclone barrel. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the second embodiment in this paragraph wherein the cyclonic separator further comprises a lug secured to the hub and the cap to hold the cap in place upstream of the hub. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the second embodiment in this paragraph wherein the cap of the cyclonic separator has a hemispherical top.
[0027] A third embodiment of the invention is a process for separating solids from gas comprising directing a solid-laden gas to a cyclonic separator; shielding direct entry into the cyclonic separator that includes swirl vane with a cap; limiting the solid-laden gas access to the swirl blades but around a downstream end of the cap; contacting the solid-laden gas with swirl blades which induce the solid laden gas to swirl in a cyclone; and separating solids from the gas by centripetal acceleration. An embodiment of the invention is one, any or all of prior embodiments in this paragraph up through the third embodiment in this paragraph further comprising directing the solid-laden gas from a flue gas inlet to a vessel to the cyclonic separator in the vessel, and wherein the solids exit the vessel through an entrained solids outlet, and the gas exits the vessel through a clean gas outlet.
[0028] Without further elaboration, it is believed that using the preceding description that one skilled in the art can utilize the present invention to its fullest extent and easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, to make various changes and modifications of the invention and to adapt it to various usages and conditions. The preceding preferred specific embodiments are, therefore, to be construed as merely illustrative, and not limiting the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever, and that it is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims.
[0029] In the foregoing, all temperatures are set forth in degrees Celsius and, all parts and percentages are by weight, unless otherwise indicated.