STRATCO® alkylation technology is offered with varying Contactor™ Reactor sizes to suit the smallest to the largest alkylation unit.
The latest addition to the Contactor™ reactor offering is the size 74 Contactor™ reactor. This reactor processes nearly doubles the volume of the more familiar size 63 Contactor™ reactor and offers a larger area for cooling per barrel of feed. The performance and resulting product quality and acid consumption of the size 74 Contactor™ reactor are the same as the size 63 but allows for better economy of scale.
Elessent Clean Technologies also offers a size 42 Contactor™ reactor for very small alkylation units. By using a smaller reactor, refiners can take advantage of acid staging through using more than one Contactor™ reactor. The performance and resulting product quality and acid consumption of the size 42 Contactor™ reactor are the same as the size 63 Contactor™ reactor.
The STRATCO® XP2 technology is a Contactor™ reactor enhancement developed to improve the acid/hydrocarbon emulsion flow path near the tube bundle end of the Contactor™.
Effective surface area is increased due to better flow distribution towards the tubesheet and to the center of the bundle:
This technology upgrade:
Elessent Clean Technologies developed the ¾” tube bundle to boost Contactor™ capacity by enlarging the heat transfer surface area available for a given Contactor™ reactor volume. With up to 40% more surface area, the ¾” tube bundle design allows the Contactor™ to process as much as 12% more olefin feed at a fixed Contactor™ temperature. The ¾” tube bundle also offers the additional advantages of reduced acid consumption and increased octane at the same time as reducing Contactor™ temperature up to 6°F (approx. 3° C) at a fixed olefin feed rate. To find out more, download the bundle technology brochure .
Elessent mechanical seal technology upgrades can increase Contactor™ reactor reliability. Elessent uses the latest in mechanical seal technology specifically designed for the Contactor™ reactor with over two decades of proven continuous improvement data.
The dual shaft double mechanical seal design uses the traditional two shaft drive train which allows for seal removal in the field and a double cartridge mechanical seal with an API plan 53 support system. The hydraulic head impeller is supported by a radial rolling bearing contained within the mechanical seal. Barrier fluid is circulated through the mechanical seal using the API plan 53 support system and a pumping ring within the mechanical seal. The barrier fluid is maintained at a pressure higher than the highest process pressure acting on the seal and is circulated at a rate to provide cooling to the mechanical seal faces and radial bearing.
The single shaft double mechanical seal design uses a single shaft drive train design similar to an overhung pump and a double cartridge mechanical seal with an API plan 53 support system. The hydraulic head impeller is supported by a radial roller bearing contained within the thrust bearing housing and completely separated from the process. Barrier fluid is circulated through the API plan 53 support system by a pumping ring located within the mechanical seal. The barrier fluid is maintained at a pressure higher than the highest process pressure acting on the seal and is circulated at a rate to provide cooling to the mechanical seal faces. This design provides increased reliability due to the single shaft drive train design and the location of the radial support bearing separated from the process.
The bellows seal design is the latest upgrade available. The standard dual and single shaft mechanical seal designs use pusher seals with multiple springs and a dynamic o-ring. The bellows seals designs replace the pusher seals with bellows seals using bellows with only static o-rings.