CRACKING

Submitted to:
Ms. Jyoti Rana
Assistant Professor
Department of
Mechanical Engineering

Submitted By:
15BPE1003 Tarique Anwar
15BPE1004 Davnindar Singh Bhatia
6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering
 Why Cracking is Required?

gasoline obtained from Octane Number

the CDU does not have
good octane number
(40 – 60) and needs to
be upgraded to obtain
the desired octane
number (85 – 95).
• Heptane- High tendency to auto
ignite, octane number 0
• Octane- low tendency to auto ignite,
octane number 100

6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering

 Cracking
cracking involves decomposition of petroleum fractions having huge
quantities of higher molecular weight compounds to lighter fraction
Types
• By Heating : High temp, high pressure required(old technique)
• With Catalyst
• Acid treated silica-alumina was used as
catalyst.
• 20 – 80 mesh size catalysts used for FCCR and
3 – 4 mm pellets used for MBRs
• During operation, poisoning occurs with Fe,
Ni, Vd and Cu
6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering
 Cracking Chemistry

Long chain paraffins olefins and olefins

Straight chain paraffins branched paraffins
Alkylated aromatics aromatics and paraffins
Ring compounds alkylated aromatics
Naphthenes aromatics and hydrogen
Undesired reaction: Coke formation due to excess cracking

6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering

 Operating conditions
 This is dependent on the feed stock properties, type of feed.
 Cracking is a gas phase reaction. Therefore, entire feedstock
needs to be vaporized.
 Reaction time: 1-3 sec, good quality product and less coke
formation
 vacuum gas oil, thermal cracking requires operating at 600 C and
20 atm gauge pressure
 vacuum gas oil, catalytic cracking is usually carried out at 480 C
and 0.7 – 1 atm gauge pressure.
 Cracking is an endothermic reaction
6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering
 Process technology
 Two main flow sheets
 cracking coupled with main distillation column and
stabilization of naphtha.
 Feed enters the cracking reactor.
 cracked product from the reactor enters a main distillation
column that produces unstablized naphtha, light gas oil,
heavy gas oil, slurry and gas.
 Fluidized catalytic cracking reactor (FCCR) is used
 Moving Bed Reactor
6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering
 Main
Distillation col

Feed light
gas oil
product
Unstabilized Naphtha

Cracking Heavy
Reactor gas oil

Sludge, gas
Heavy
product Decant oil

Phase separator Unit

6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering

6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering
 Fluidized catalytic cracking reactor (FCCR)
 The basic principle of the  riser and the cyclone unit
assembled in a reactor
FCCR is to enable the vessel.
fluidization of catalyst
 Riser: In the riser (a long
particles in the feed stream tube), the feed is allowed
at desired pressure and to get in contact with the
temperature. hot catalyst. The hot
 regenerate the catalyst by catalyst is enabled to rise
burning off the coke in air. through lift media in the
riser. The lift media is
 FCCR and a catalyst usually steam or light
regenerator (CR). hydrocarbon gas.

6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering

The riser contact time is about
250 milliseconds.
CR
 During this entire
operation, the catalyst
temperature is increased to
620 – 750 oC
 The flue gas is obtained at
600 -760 oC and is sent for
heat recovery unit to
generate steam
6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering
 Moving Bed Reactor

Reactor
Regenerator
Lift engaging hopper
Catalyst Disengaging
hopper

6/2/2019 Department of Petroleum Engineering

Thank You