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 facilit ies have been observed to undergo severe coke fouling during each operation al cycle. This work was conducted to determine if vapour phase deposition m echanisms could be responsible for the formations observed in the cyclones. The effects of vapour phase temperature (from 490 degrees C to 560 degrees C) and residence time (from 0.4 to 4.3 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 o f vapour phase coke.