SHELL Global Solutions (US) and Praxair are introducing an innovative technology designed to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units in refineries.
The technology helps refiners address increasingly stringent regulatory requirements while providing operational flexibility and lowering capital and operating costs.
The key to the technology, called CONOx, is a high-velocity, highly reactive oxygen jet with superior mixing capabilities that enables rapid reactions of carbon monoxide and NOx precursors at typical flue gas temperatures.
A reduction in NOx emissions of up to 60 per cent can be achieved in both full-burn and partial-burn regenerators.
With a low cost of implementation, the CONOx system can be combined with other control technologies to achieve even larger reductions in NOx emissions.
“The CONOx system creates a high-temperature, highly reactive, oxygen-rich stream that can be easily integrated into existing flue gas ductwork with minimal modifications,” says Pankaj H Desai, licensing manager, Shell Global Solutions (US).
“CONOx is the latest offering to help our refinery customers improve environmental performance and operational efficiency while lowering their costs,” says David Burns, refinery business development director, Praxair.
Shell Global Solutions will be involved in marketing CONOx to customers through its worldwide sales force and will also work with Praxair to leverage their expertise to continuously update and improve the technology.
Praxair will carry out process design engineering in concert with the customer, provide the CONOx lance and gas flow control equipment and participate in safety reviews, start-up and optimisation.
Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2009 sales of $9 billion.
The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair is a recognised leader in the commercialisation of new technologies that bring productivity and environmental benefits to a diverse group of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, electronics, energy, food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others.
For decades, Praxair has helped refining customers address clean-fuel and other environmental regulations, expand crude oil selection flexibility, and optimise operations.
In addition to being a major supplier of hydrogen, Praxair provides refining customers with a complete portfolio of large-volume industrial gases, cylinder gases and specialised services and technologies.
Shell Global Solutions is a network of independent technology companies in the Shell Group which provide technical consultancy and licensed technologies for both the Shell Group and third party customers within the energy industry.
In response to the significant challenges facing the industry today, Shell Global Solutions strives to deliver innovative technical solutions and effective technology to support its customers in their day-to-day operations and delivery of strategic plans.
This enables customers to improve the capacity and performance of existing units; integrate new process units into existing refineries and petrochemical complexes; incorporate advanced catalyst systems and reactor internals; through to the design of grassroots refineries.
