The role of the vapour phase in fluid coker cyclone fouling: Part 1. Coke yields

The cyclone sections of fluid coking reactors at oil sand upgrading facilities have been observed to undergo severe coke fouling during each operational cycle. This work was conducted to determine if vapour phase deposition mechanisms could be responsible for the formations observed in the cyclones. The effects of vapour phase temperature (from 490°C to 560°C) and residence time (from 0.4 to 4.4 s) were studied. Raising the vapour phase temperature above the temperature at which the vapours were derived was found to significantly increase both the yield and rate of production of vapour phase coke.