reactor catalyst unloading
The reactor catalyst unloading is in general underestimated. It’s an important part of the catalyst-changeout. During the process inside the reactor there are happening a lot of things such as, prefer process flow, hot spots, build up cokes, unexpected contamination from de feed that has impact on the lifetime of the catalyst. With the presence of an experienced catalyst consultant with adequate field experience none of this information will be lost. Already at the start of the project preparation this expertise will help to make a reactor catalyst unloading procedure to make sure that no information will be lost at the beginning of the catalyst changeout.
reactor catalyst unloading procedure
The experienced catalyst consultant will help you to make a reactor catalyst unloading procedure according to the needs and expectations of the customer. The consultant will work closely together with the technologists and production specialists from the customer, the catalyst consultant will take the lead in this team in order to make a procedure that will be used. The procedure will be shared and explained to all involved in the execution of the project, onboarding meetings with frontline leaders should be scheduled to assure this. During the catalyst unloading the consultant will be present when the hold points are reached to make sure that no information will be lost.
vacuum catalyst unloading
Petrochemical companies have different points of view how to prepare their preferred methods for unloading spent catalyst, vacuum catalyst unloading is one of most common methods, executing a pyrophoric catalyst unloading one of the most risky.
unloading spent catalyst
What methods are there and what are the differences:
- Unloading by gravity, less breakage of the catalyst and minimum confined space entry, when the catalyst is fused/ agglomerated the catalyst will not come out.
- Vacuum unloading, when there is no possibility for unloading by gravity, will damage the catalyst, 100% confined space entry
- Flooding the reactor and vacuuming the catalyst, self-heating of pyrophoric catalyst will be reduced to a minimum, catalyst cannot be reused, agglomeration/ fused catalyst will be difficult to unload.
- Drill and drop, no inert entry, no issues with agglomerated/ fused catalyst, self-heating of pyrophoric catalyst will be reduced to a minimum, efficient catalyst unloading, catalyst cannot be reused.
non entry unloading reactors
The reactor catalyst unloading is in general underestimated. It’s an important part of the catalyst-changeout. During the process inside the reactor there are happening a lot of things such as, prefer process flow, hot spots, build up cokes, unexpected contamination from de feed that has impact on the lifetime of the catalyst. With the presence of an experienced catalyst consultant with adequate field experience none of this information will be lost. Already at the start of the project preparation this expertise will help to make a reactor catalyst unloading procedure to make sure that no information will be lost at the beginning of the catalyst changeout.