The operational feasibility of using riser and bubbling bed reactors to upgrade pyrolysis vapors with the objective of controlling the catalyst residence time distribution is investigated using 2D and 3D CFD simulations. Specifically, we examine the effects of mass flow rates, boundary conditions (BCs), feed stock variation, and chemical mechanisms on the solid catalyst residence times and hydrocarbon yields.  Preliminary factors that have the largest impact on the solids residence time included the feed stock molecular weight, the feed inlet diameter (riser case), and the superficial gas velocity. The intention of this study is to aid in defining the largely unexplored experimental space which encompasses the operation and configuration of pilot- and industrial-scale biofuel vapor riser reactors, used particularly as an ex situ catalytic upgrading step.  This work includes in progress, validated, non-reactive and reduced mechanism reactive results which model coking, catalyst deactivation, and coking for a VGO, model compounds, and pyrolysis vapor (preliminary).<br/><br/><br/>

Reactor simulations for catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis vapors

249th National Meeting (2015)

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