 As refiners come under increasing pressure to improve efficiencies, increase output and reduce downtime, the need for evolution in the working methods of 'reactor charge-outs' has never been so important.
On the evening of Sunday 2nd April, Exxon Mobil and CleanCat, with leading services company Mourik International took a major step when they successfully completed the first commercial project of the CleanCat System for loading catalyst at Exxon Mobil's Fawley refinery in the UK. Several key Exxon Mobil personnel witnessed the demonstration from the UK, Europe and the US, along with representatives from the catalyst manufacturers. The loading activity took place on a dark, wet and windy evening with wind speeds in the region of 40mph,- ideal conditions to highlight one of the many benefits of the CleanCat System's non weather dependency, as established methods, (where big-bags are lifted to the top of reactors by a crane) could not have occured in such conditions, thus demonstrating the economic savings the CleanCat system brings to the industry.
Bill Thomson, CEO of InBulk stated: "The catalyst was loaded in a shorter time than traditional methods, It was much safer and less labor intensive and also achieved attrition levels which were well inside Exxon Mobil's acceptable criteria. This is a great start for CleanCat and a big thanks to everyone associated with the development of the technology and putting the theory into practice".
CleanCat Technologies, a division of InBulk Technologies, have been working steadily for the past 4 years on the development of revolutionary dense phase technology for reactor catalyst charge-outs. The system involves a dense phase conveying unit at ground level to convey the catalyst to the top of the reactor. At the top, a specialist dual-purpose 'catalyst controller' controls the velocity of the catalyst in the pipeline and also allows the catalyst to fall by gravity through a discharge sock in the conventional way. For unloading, the process is reversed and the control unit forms part of a dense phase vacuum system where the conveying speed of the catalyst is controlled; substantially reducing the attrition levels and allowing the catalyst to be loaded by gravity either into bins, or a 17m3 ISO-Veyor - a patented ISO container developed by CleanCat.
This revolutionary new container is a key element in improving the catalyst supply chain and is being offered to catalyst manufacturers, regenerators and logistics companies as a more economical and efficient method of transportation, storage and conveying of catalyst than the conventional big bags, barrels and or bins.
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