Numerical simulation of hydrodynamics and cracking reactions in the feed mixing zone of a multiregime gas-solid riser reactor

A CFD simulation was performed to evaluate the performance of a novel multiregime gas-solid fluidized riser reactor that was designed to maximize the propylene yield from the catalytic cracking process. Simulation results of the industrial-scale riser reactor show the coexistence of different regimes in the reactor. Also, both the outlet product compositions and the reaction rate vectors indicate that the cracking reactions mainly take place in the feed injection section. The product quality and distribution demonstrate the superiority of this novel process technology. The results of the CFD simulations are in good agreement with the test run results of a real industrial FCC reactor.