Flow Study of Regenerator
An alternative approach to identifying maldistribution inside a Regenerator
involves a TRACERCO Diagnostics™ Distribution and Flow Study where
an inert gas tracer is injected into the air distribution header. A number
of detectors are placed at a known distance apart on the air supply line
to the Regenerator and another set on the flue gas line leaving the Regenerator
to track the flow distribution of the tracer. The flow rates are measured
by converting the velocities to volumetric flow with respect to line diameter,
process pressure and temperature. In addition to identifying the flow
characteristics of the gas phase (combustion air) inside a vessel, tracers
are also used to determine mean residence time and residence time distribution.
The same injection used to establish the air and flue gas rates may be
used for measuring the air distribution and superficial velocity through
the Regenerator with the addition of more detector placements. Separate
injections in the air line and spent cat line will produce the desired
distribution characteristics for the two phases.
By adding even more detectors to the Regenerator the initial flow rate
injection can produce the desired catalyst distribution at the cyclone
inlets and outlets. Only the Primary Cyclone inlet and the Secondary Cyclone
outlets can be monitored, usually because the cyclone pairs are internally
coupled. Short-circuiting can be identified by observing the timing on
an overlay plot of the relative detector responses between the input and
output of the cyclones. By comparing the integration of the areas beneath
each of the distribution detector responses, maldistribution can be determined. 
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