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The Feed Heater
The feed heater heats the gas-oil (the “feedstock”), so that reactions that break the long molecules into smaller ones can take place in the reactor.

The oil flows through pipe coils inside the feed heater. Fuel gas is burned directly outside the soils and raises the temperature of the feedstock. More heat is salvaged from the hit flue gas in the boxed area below the stack by using it to make steam. The steam is used to heat other products in the rest of the refinery. The oil is heated so that is temperature ends up 650 degrees Fahrenheit. At the same time, the flue gas leaving the system has cooled to less than 350 degrees. Similar heat recycling systems are used all over the refinery to conserve energy.

The Reactor and Regeneration Unit
The reactor turns gas oil into more useful types of oil with the help of a catalyst. The regeneration burns off a coating of carbon (or “coke”) that sticks to the catalyst particles during the reaction. Once the coke is removed the catalyst can be reused.		 Scale Model Oil Refinery
The Feed Heater The feed heater heats the gas-oil (the “feedstock”), so that reactions that break the long molecules into smaller ones can take place in the reactor. The oil flows through pipe coils inside the feed heater. Fuel gas is burned directly outside the soils and raises the temperature of the feedstock. More heat is salvaged from the hit flue gas in the boxed area below the stack by using it to make steam. The steam is used to heat other products in the rest of the refinery. The oil is heated so that is temperature ends up 650 degrees Fahrenheit. At the same time, the flue gas leaving the system has cooled to less than 350 degrees. Similar heat recycling systems are used all over the refinery to conserve energy. The Reactor and Regeneration Unit The reactor turns gas oil into more useful types of oil with the help of a catalyst. The regeneration burns off a coating of carbon (or “coke”) that sticks to the catalyst particles during the reaction. Once the coke is removed the catalyst can be reused.
Click Image to Enlarge
Early Oil Field "Gusher"
The cyclone separates the converted oil form the spent catalyst. The oil goes out the top of the cyclone and into the fractionation tower, while the catalyst particles drop out of the bottom of the cyclone and go to the regenerator. The regenerator burns the coke off the catalyst particles, using lots of air. Large amounts of heat are produced, which is used to heat up the next quantity of oil coming in the reactor, so it can mix with the regenerated catalyst and start the process over. The Flue Gas Scrubber The flue gas scrubber is a pollution control system. It prevents fine catalyst dust and sulfur oxide produced by the regenerator from entering the air. Burning the coke in the regenerator produced pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur oxides, and extremely fine catalyst dust. The regenerator is operated at high temperatures with just enough oxygen to keep the amounts of carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide formed down to very low, safe levels. The hot exhaust gas passes through two boilers to produce steam, used elsewhere in the plant. Inside the four tubes of the flue gas scrubber fine sprays of caustic solution absorb the very fine catalyst dust and sulfur oxides. The liquid containing the pollutants is purified in a settling pond and the oxidation pond. When the water in the ponds meets all state and federal requirements for purity, it is discharged into the ship channel. Some of the water from the solution stays in the flue gas and forms the white steam plumes that we see when driving by an operating refinery.
Click Image to Enlarge		 The cyclone separates the converted oil form the spent catalyst. The oil goes out the top of the cyclone and into the fractionation tower, while the catalyst particles drop out of the bottom of the cyclone and go to the regenerator.

The regenerator burns the coke off the catalyst particles, using lots of air. Large amounts of heat are produced, which is used to heat up the next quantity of oil coming in the reactor, so it can mix with the regenerated catalyst and start the process over.

The Flue Gas Scrubber
The flue gas scrubber is a pollution control system. It prevents fine catalyst dust and sulfur oxide produced by the regenerator from entering the air.

Burning the coke in the regenerator produced pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur oxides, and extremely fine catalyst dust. The regenerator is operated at high temperatures with just enough oxygen to keep the amounts of carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide formed down to very low, safe levels.

The hot exhaust gas passes through two boilers to produce steam, used elsewhere in the plant. Inside the four tubes of the flue gas scrubber fine sprays of caustic solution absorb the very fine catalyst dust and sulfur oxides. The liquid containing the pollutants is purified in a settling pond and the oxidation pond. When the water in the ponds meets all state and federal requirements for purity, it is discharged into the ship channel. Some of the water from the solution stays in the flue gas and forms the white steam plumes that we see when driving by an operating refinery.

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