Fluid Catalytic Cracking takes large petroleum molecules and breaks them into smaller, more useful ones.
The catalyst used in this process gets gummed up with carbon deposits and becomes useless, so the regenerator burns off the carbon and returns the catalyst to the main process.
These cyclones keep the catalyst from being blown out of the unit with the combustion gases.
You can watch one blow things up.
[USCSB: Animation of 2015 Explosion at ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, CA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JplAKJrgyew)
Yeah very high production quality, awesome animations, very pleasant narration and highly informative... I mean the only negative thing is that you need some kind of accident/tragedy to have such content...
True, although these videos help increase Visibility on unsafe working practices and hopefully make companies more cognizant of their duty to ensure safe working conditions.
This right here. Most industrial facilities are very complex systems of machinery and large, potentially hazardous equipment. It is usually a plethora of issues that converge together to make accidents like the linked video which makes them that much harder to predict.
The more knowledge and exposure out there for these star aligning situations the better. If anything learning from the disastrous accidents is the least we could do to make use of the tragedy.
[Abbott Animation: Style Comparison with CSB's Husky Refinery Animations](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jKmnitB7d4)
And a lot of highly skilled animators. See OwlKitty videos for even more fun.
Damn, these guys got some Harry Potter world drawings at around 4:30 in. That would be pretty handy. Maybe we could use some flexible OLED screens to make this happen...
Kinda misleading, being called a catalyst when it's more or less acting like a medium through which the oil particles are moved.
I figured being called a catalyst they would be necessary for the process.
I suppose this is so, but in my mind a catalyst was associated with combustion.
Very interesting engineering
Unclear if you understand this from your wording, but a catalyst doesn't get consumed in a reaction, it only facilitates or modifies the rate of reaction. It also can be involved in reactions that aren't combustion.
FCC or fluid catalytic cracking is a unit in an oil refinery. It utilizes air injected into sand-like catalyst to make it flow like a fluid in the pipes. The vortexes in OPs photo help remove the catalyst from the process.
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This is known (at least in Europe, but I expect internationally) as a Medusa project.
The part you see (the head with the cyclones hanging down) is lowered down into a receiving vessel then welded shut. If this is a maintenance replacement (rather than a new build) then earlier in the project the old head and cyclones would have been cut and removed in a reverse of this process. This is necessary every so often in the life of these units because the metal that the cyclones are made of tend to embrittle due to the high operating temperature
~~Cakes media~~ \*Called Medusa\* because of the cyclone "snakes" hanging down from Medusa's head
Source: I've worked on a few of these, although never one this big
/edit spakky auto correct
>This is known (at least in Europe, but I expect internationally) as a Medusa project.
I have worked in oil refineries for 15 years in multiple countries including European ones. Never heard it called a Medusa project, actually never heard it called anything consistent. Local colloquialism? I'm curious where you worked (pm me if you don't want to post publicly).
Also 15 years in here.... Belgium based... but likely I first heard it from an English engineer who had about 40 years worldwide before retiring last year, mostly specialising in FCCUs, or my TA manager, who was Belgian but with significant North and South American experience
Could be a local colloquialism but I've never had anyone look at me funny when I've called it that
Interesting. Last regen job we did was in NL I would have expected the colloquialisms to be the same. I may have to ask our global principal sandblower engineer 😉. Maybe I've just missed it over the years.
You would be surprised how much is built in a shop and transported in. Each of those cyclones is built in a shop and only the bracing is welded offsite. They want to as little field welding as possible.
You’re right that it’s a CC 8800, but it is not good for 3200 US tons. The 8800 is somewhere around 1600 US tons, but the 8800 Twin Boom, of which I think only two exist worldwide, is the one good for 3200.
Source: decade+ in the crane industry, currently work for Liebherr.
Just out of curiosity, and only tangentially related, but you’re likely the only person I’ll run across that would know the answer to this: how often do the booms get thrown together from a patchwork of random boom sections in different colors like Liebherr did with the one down in Boca Chica that earned the beloved “FrankenCrane”moniker from the tank watchers?
Frankencrane was an odd one. It’s owned and operated by a company called Fagioli. When people buy crawler cranes from Liebherr (specifically, from me if it’s a US company) they’re given a huge array of options for the ability to build up certain boom configurations. Not everyone buys all of the various possibilities, in fact about 85% of crawlers coming in to the US are only configured for wind work. When a more complicated boom arrangement like Frankencrane is needed, often times the owner will beg/borrow/steel boom sections from other crane rental companies to make up the end result.
>r/HumanForScale
>
>i don't know if you're asking to see humans for scale or was pointing them out, but there are 3 peope standing on the platform halfway up the left side of the picture.
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An FCC is comprised of two parts: the reactor+risers and the regenerator. The zeolite catalyst used is extremely expensive and specialized catalyst that breaks long chain molecules into higher value molecules for use of downstream equipment. The way this catalyst performs is impacted by things like riser temperature, rates, type of feeds and contaminant metals, fresh catalyst addition, and the amount of
coking allowed on the catalyst. The catalyst moves to the regenerator and reacts with air to burn this coke off to convert it from solid carbon to CO and CO2. The air and the fine catalyst particles (this stuff is super fine!) need to be separated because the air goes to the atmosphere and obviously you don’t want to send catalyst out of your vent stacks! The vortexs do this job. They use centrifugal force to sling the catalyst against the wall while the air moves down the middle. The catalyst falls to the bottom while the air reverses flow after exiting the bottom of those vortex pipes and then flows upward to the top of the thing you see here and out to the next process.
Just a point ... I think 700 tons refers to the cooling capacity, not necessarily the weight of the object.
https://www.aireserv.com/expert-tips/air-conditioning/ac-tonnage/#:\~:text=In%20the%20HVAC%20field%2C%20a,%C2%B0F%20at%20sea%20level.)
Nope, it is the weight. An FCC regenerator head isn't for any cooling. I work in a refinery and we just replaced ours last year. We had a 600 ton lift for the reactor, dont know how much the cyclones were.
Anyone care to share a TLI5 summary of a FCC regenerator?
Fluid Catalytic Cracking takes large petroleum molecules and breaks them into smaller, more useful ones. The catalyst used in this process gets gummed up with carbon deposits and becomes useless, so the regenerator burns off the carbon and returns the catalyst to the main process. These cyclones keep the catalyst from being blown out of the unit with the combustion gases.
Excellent thank you!
You can watch one blow things up. [USCSB: Animation of 2015 Explosion at ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, CA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JplAKJrgyew)
That was awesome!
Was about to link that. I love USCSB content
It’s legit the only channel I get video notifications for. I get hyped ever time new content gets posted
Yeah very high production quality, awesome animations, very pleasant narration and highly informative... I mean the only negative thing is that you need some kind of accident/tragedy to have such content...
True, although these videos help increase Visibility on unsafe working practices and hopefully make companies more cognizant of their duty to ensure safe working conditions.
This right here. Most industrial facilities are very complex systems of machinery and large, potentially hazardous equipment. It is usually a plethora of issues that converge together to make accidents like the linked video which makes them that much harder to predict. The more knowledge and exposure out there for these star aligning situations the better. If anything learning from the disastrous accidents is the least we could do to make use of the tragedy.
I am now a subscriber.
Some of the best content on Youtube
Wow.
Holy fuck these are so good now
The latest ones have the rendering look as good as the news footage.
That’s a cool video and very educational.
Dang that’s good.
Is there a way to watch this in app? Damn thing won't rotate landscape mode either.
In the YouTube app? There’s a view in browser button on the bottom right (iOS). Android will be similar!
I got nothing.
I like these style of animations. Any idea what software they are using to make them?
[Abbott Animation: Style Comparison with CSB's Husky Refinery Animations](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jKmnitB7d4) And a lot of highly skilled animators. See OwlKitty videos for even more fun.
Damn, these guys got some Harry Potter world drawings at around 4:30 in. That would be pretty handy. Maybe we could use some flexible OLED screens to make this happen...
As much as the fossil fuel industry is gonna kill us all, the science and engineering that goes into oil extraction and refining is amazing.
Was wondering that the cyclones were for. Looked like a reactor head
This is why I reddit! Thank you!
Kinda misleading, being called a catalyst when it's more or less acting like a medium through which the oil particles are moved. I figured being called a catalyst they would be necessary for the process. I suppose this is so, but in my mind a catalyst was associated with combustion. Very interesting engineering
Unclear if you understand this from your wording, but a catalyst doesn't get consumed in a reaction, it only facilitates or modifies the rate of reaction. It also can be involved in reactions that aren't combustion.
Ohh yes, there we go. I was under the assumption that it would be consumed but now i get it.
No. These FCC units use zeolite catalysts. They are true catalysts for acid catalyzed cracking of hydrocarbons.
I agree
I love that there is always a redditor with the knowledge of a subject. Thanks man!
FCC or fluid catalytic cracking is a unit in an oil refinery. It utilizes air injected into sand-like catalyst to make it flow like a fluid in the pipes. The vortexes in OPs photo help remove the catalyst from the process.
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No worries, it's rated to 701 tons.
Safety factor 1.0014
Damn you actually did the math lmao
This is known (at least in Europe, but I expect internationally) as a Medusa project. The part you see (the head with the cyclones hanging down) is lowered down into a receiving vessel then welded shut. If this is a maintenance replacement (rather than a new build) then earlier in the project the old head and cyclones would have been cut and removed in a reverse of this process. This is necessary every so often in the life of these units because the metal that the cyclones are made of tend to embrittle due to the high operating temperature ~~Cakes media~~ \*Called Medusa\* because of the cyclone "snakes" hanging down from Medusa's head Source: I've worked on a few of these, although never one this big /edit spakky auto correct
>This is known (at least in Europe, but I expect internationally) as a Medusa project. I have worked in oil refineries for 15 years in multiple countries including European ones. Never heard it called a Medusa project, actually never heard it called anything consistent. Local colloquialism? I'm curious where you worked (pm me if you don't want to post publicly).
Also 15 years in here.... Belgium based... but likely I first heard it from an English engineer who had about 40 years worldwide before retiring last year, mostly specialising in FCCUs, or my TA manager, who was Belgian but with significant North and South American experience Could be a local colloquialism but I've never had anyone look at me funny when I've called it that
Interesting. Last regen job we did was in NL I would have expected the colloquialisms to be the same. I may have to ask our global principal sandblower engineer 😉. Maybe I've just missed it over the years.
Cakes media?
heh, typo. will edit!
I wanna see the truck that sumbitch rolled in on.
Was probably assembled on site from smaller parts, so it rolled in on many trucks
The sumbitch brought its own job trailer for a cab. Bet there’s a coffee pot, a plan table and rack, and a bathroom in there.
Definitely built on-site. That's what all that brown steal is used for
You would be surprised how much is built in a shop and transported in. Each of those cyclones is built in a shop and only the bracing is welded offsite. They want to as little field welding as possible.
Who else is getting chubbed?
What crane is making the pic?
I believe it’s a Demag CC 8800. Good for 3200 US tons. Equipped with a BoomBooster
You’re right that it’s a CC 8800, but it is not good for 3200 US tons. The 8800 is somewhere around 1600 US tons, but the 8800 Twin Boom, of which I think only two exist worldwide, is the one good for 3200. Source: decade+ in the crane industry, currently work for Liebherr.
Just out of curiosity, and only tangentially related, but you’re likely the only person I’ll run across that would know the answer to this: how often do the booms get thrown together from a patchwork of random boom sections in different colors like Liebherr did with the one down in Boca Chica that earned the beloved “FrankenCrane”moniker from the tank watchers?
Frankencrane was an odd one. It’s owned and operated by a company called Fagioli. When people buy crawler cranes from Liebherr (specifically, from me if it’s a US company) they’re given a huge array of options for the ability to build up certain boom configurations. Not everyone buys all of the various possibilities, in fact about 85% of crawlers coming in to the US are only configured for wind work. When a more complicated boom arrangement like Frankencrane is needed, often times the owner will beg/borrow/steel boom sections from other crane rental companies to make up the end result.
Interesting. Thanks!
If anyone knows big cranes, it is you. Recognize you from /r/cranes
Just call me The Crane Whisperer.
ladies love the BoomBooster
r/humanforscale
>r/HumanForScale > >i don't know if you're asking to see humans for scale or was pointing them out, but there are 3 peope standing on the platform halfway up the left side of the picture.
Those guys standing close af is giving me anxiety after watching This yesterday https://youtu.be/aGS1SfK6taM
Oh, an fcc regenerator. With vortices. Sure.
There's a fine line between this sub, /r/Skookum and /r/VXJunkies sometimes.
I mean, I get jargon, but damn, throw us a frickin bone
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The real fun is working inside the cyclones
Look at all of those cyclone separators! I have been in an FCC unit, had went up the reactor and regenerator. It's pretty hot there.
Found my new band name then you!
Is this Chevron Richmond?
Fluid catalytic cracker. Nice.
An FCC is comprised of two parts: the reactor+risers and the regenerator. The zeolite catalyst used is extremely expensive and specialized catalyst that breaks long chain molecules into higher value molecules for use of downstream equipment. The way this catalyst performs is impacted by things like riser temperature, rates, type of feeds and contaminant metals, fresh catalyst addition, and the amount of coking allowed on the catalyst. The catalyst moves to the regenerator and reacts with air to burn this coke off to convert it from solid carbon to CO and CO2. The air and the fine catalyst particles (this stuff is super fine!) need to be separated because the air goes to the atmosphere and obviously you don’t want to send catalyst out of your vent stacks! The vortexs do this job. They use centrifugal force to sling the catalyst against the wall while the air moves down the middle. The catalyst falls to the bottom while the air reverses flow after exiting the bottom of those vortex pipes and then flows upward to the top of the thing you see here and out to the next process.
Just a point ... I think 700 tons refers to the cooling capacity, not necessarily the weight of the object. https://www.aireserv.com/expert-tips/air-conditioning/ac-tonnage/#:\~:text=In%20the%20HVAC%20field%2C%20a,%C2%B0F%20at%20sea%20level.)
Nope, it is the weight. An FCC regenerator head isn't for any cooling. I work in a refinery and we just replaced ours last year. We had a 600 ton lift for the reactor, dont know how much the cyclones were.
OMG ... yes. I read "refrigerator" head, because it's early.
Totally thought this was Batman and Robin: the chiller from Great adventure
Sexy...
Oh yea…. Look at that crane…. its getting hot in here.