Coke behavior with H_(2)O in a hydrogen-enriched blast furnace:A review

Hydrogen-enriched blast furnace ironmaking has become an essential route to reduce CO_(2)emissions in the ironmaking process.However,hydrogen-enriched reduction produces large amounts of H_(2)O,which places new demands on coke quality in a blast furnace.In a hydrogen-rich blast furnace,the presence of H_(2)O promotes the solution loss reaction.This result improves the reactivity of coke,which is 20%-30%higher in a pure H_(2)O atmosphere than in a pure CO_(2)atmosphere.The activation energy range is 110-300 kJ/mol between coke and CO_(2)and 80-170 kJ/mol between coke and H_(2)O.CO_(2)and H_(2)O are shown to have different effects on coke degradation mechanisms.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effect of H_(2)O on the structure and properties of coke.By exploring the interactions between H_(2)O and coke,several unresolved issues in the field requiring further research were identified.This review aims to provide valuable insights into coke behavior in hydrogen-rich environments and promote the further development of hydrogen-rich blast furnace ironmaking processes.

Thermal stable Pt clusters anchored by K/TiO_(2)—Al_(2)O_(3)for efficient cycloalkane dehydrogenation

Catalytic dehydrogenation of cycloalkanes is considered a valuable endothermic process for alleviating the thermal barrier issue of hypersonic vehicles.However,conventional Pt-based catalysts often face the severe problem of metal sintering under high-temperature conditions.Herein,we develop an efficient K_(2)CO_(3)-modified Pt/TiO_(2)—Al_(2)O_(3)(K—Pt/TA)for cycloalkane dehydrogenation.The optimized K—Pt/TA showed a high specific activity above 27.9 mol·mol^(-1)·s^(-1)(H_(2)/Pt),with toluene selectivity above 90.0%at 600℃with a high weight hourly space velocity of 266.4 h^(-1).The introduction of alkali metal ions could generate titanate layers after high-temperature hydrogen reduction treatment,which promotes the generation of oxygen vacancy defects to anchored Pt clusters.In addition,the titanate layers could weaken the surface acidity of catalysts and inhibit side reactions,including pyrolysis,polymerization,and isomerization reactions.Thus,this work provides a modification method to develop efficient and stable dehydrogenation catalysts under high-temperature conditions.

A molecular insight into coke formation process of vacuum residue in thermal cracking reaction

Understanding the coking behaviors has been considered to be really essential for developing better vacuum residue processing technologies.A battery of thermal cracking tests of typical vacuum residue at 410℃ with various reaction time were performed to evaluate the coke formation process.The total yields of ideal components including naphtha,atmospheric gas oil(AGO)and vacuum gas oil(VGO)of thermal cracking reactions increased from 10.89%to 40.81%,and the conversion ratios increased from8.05%to 43.33%with increasing the reaction time from 10 to 70 min.The asphaltene content increased from 12.14%to a maximum of 22.39%and then decreased,and this maximum of asphaltene content occurred at the end of the coking induction period.The asphaltenes during the coking induction period,at the end and after coking induction period of those tested thermal cracking reactions were characterized to disclose the structure changing rules for coke formation process,and the coke formation pathways were discussed to reveal the coke formation process at molecular level.

Metagenomic Insight Reveals the Microbial Structure and Function of the Full-Scale Coking Wastewater Treatment System:Gene-Based Nitrogen Removal

Microbial communities play crucial roles in pollutant removal and system stability in biological systems for coking wastewater(CWW)treatment,but a comprehensive understanding of their structure and functions is still lacking.A five month survey of four sequential bioreactors,anoxic 1/oxic 1/anoxic 2/oxic 2(A1/O1/A2/O2),was carried out in a full-scale CWW treatment system in China to elucidate operational performance and microbial ecology.The results showed that A1/O1/A2/O2 had excellent and stable performance for nitrogen removal.Both total nitrogen(TN;(17.38±6.89)mgL1)and ammonium-nitrogen(NH4 t-N;(2.10±1.34)mg·L^(-1))in the final biological effluent satisfied the Chinese national standards for CWW.Integrated analysis of 16S ribosome RNA(rRNA)sequencing and metagenomic sequencing showed that the bacterial communities and metagenomic function profiles of A1 and O1 shared similar functional structures,while those of A2 significantly varied from those of other bioreactors(p<0.05).The results indicated that microbial activity was strongly connected with activated sludge function.Nitrosospira,Nitrosomonas,and SM1A02 were responsible for nitrification during the primary anoxic-oxic(AO)stage and Azoarcus and Thauera acted as important denitrifiers in A2.Nitrogen cycling-related enzymes and genes work in the A1/O1/A2/O2 system.Moreover,the hao genes catalyzing hydroxylamine dehydrogenase(EC 1.7.2.6)and the napA and napB genes catalyzing nitrate reductase(EC 1.9.6.1)played important roles in the nitrification and denitrification processes in the primary and secondary AO stages,respectively.The mixed liquor suspended solids(MLSS)/total solids(TS),TN removal rate(RR),total organic carbon(TOC)(RR),and NH_(4)^(+)t-N(RR)were the most important environmental factors for regulating the structure of core bacterial genera and nitrogen-cycling genes.Proteobacteria were the potential main participants in nitrogen metabolism in the A1/O1/A2/O2 system for CWW treatment.This study provides an original and comprehensive understanding of the microbial community and functions at the gene level,which is crucial for the efficient and stable operation of the full-scale biological process for CWW treatment.

Steam reforming of acetic acid over Ni/biochar of low metal-loading:Involvement of biochar in tailoring reaction intermediates renders superior catalytic performance

Biochar is a reactive carrier as it may be partially gasified with steam in steam reforming,which could influence the formation of reaction intermediates and modify catalytic behaviors.Herein,the Ni/biochar as well as two comparative catalysts,Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) and Ni/SiO_(2),with low nickel loading(2%(mass))was conducted to probe involvement of the varied carriers in the steam reforming.The results indicated that the Ni/biochar performed excellent catalytic activity than Ni/SiO_(2) and Ni/Al_(2)O_(3),as the biochar carrier facilitated quick conversion of the -OH from dissociation of steam to gasify the oxygen-rich carbonaceous intermediates like C=O and C-O-C,resulting in low coverage while high exposure of nickel species for maintaining the superior catalytic performance.In converse,strong adsorption of aliphatic intermediates over Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) and Ni/SiO_(2) induced serious coking with polymeric coke as the main type(21.5%and 32.1%,respectively),which was significantly higher than that over Ni/biochar(3.9%).The coke over Ni/biochar was mainly aromatic or catalytic type with nanotube morphology and high crystallinity.The high resistivity of Ni/biochar towards coking was due to the balance between formation of coke and gasification of coke and partially biochar with steam,which created developed mesopores in spent Ni/biochar while the coke blocked pores in Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) and Ni/SiO_(2) catalysts.

Study of the reaction mechanism for preparing powdered activated coke with SO_(2)adsorption capability via one-step rapid activation method under flue gas atmosphere

In this study,the impact of different reaction times on the preparation of powdered activated carbon(PAC)using a one-step rapid activation method under flue gas atmosphere is investigated,and the underlying reaction mechanism is summarized.Results indicate that the reaction process of this method can be divided into three stages:stage I is the rapid release of volatiles and the rapid consumption of O_(2),primarily occurring within a reaction time range of 0-0.5 s;stage II is mainly the continuous release and diffusion of volatiles,which is the carbonization and activation coupling reaction stage,and the carbonization process is the main in this stage.This stage mainly occurs at the reaction time range of 0.5 -2.0 s when SL-coal is used as material,and that is 0.5-3.0 s when JJ-coal is used as material;stage III is mainly the activation stage,during which activated components diffuse to both the surface and interior of particles.This stage mainly involves the reaction stage of CO_(2)and H2O(g)activation,and it mainly occurs at the reaction time range of 2.0-4.0 s when SL-coal is used as material,and that is 3.0-4.0 s when JJ-coal is used as material.Besides,the main function of the first two stages is to provide more diffusion channels and contact surfaces/activation sites for the diffusion and activation of the activated components in the third stage.Mastering the reaction mechanism would serve as a crucial reference and foundation for designing the structure,size of the reactor,and optimal positioning of the activator nozzle in PAC preparation.

Probing deactivation by coking in catalyst pellets for dry reforming of methane using a pore network model

Dry reforming of methane(DRM) is an attractive technology for utilizing the greenhouse gases(CO_(2) and CH_(4)) to produce syngas. However, the catalyst pellets for DRM are heavily plagued by deactivation by coking, which prevents this technology from commercialization. In this work, a pore network model is developed to probe the catalyst deactivation by coking in a Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) catalyst pellet for DRM. The reaction conditions can significantly change the coking rate and then affect the catalyst deactivation. The catalyst lifetime is higher under lower temperature, pressure, and CH_(4)/CO_(2) molar ratio, but the maximum coke content in a catalyst pellet is independent of these reaction conditions. The catalyst pellet with larger pore diameter, narrower pore size distribution and higher pore connectivity is more robust against catalyst deactivation by coking, as the pores in this pellet are more difficult to be plugged or inaccessible.The maximum coke content is also higher for narrower pore size distribution and higher pore connectivity, as the number of inaccessible pores is lower. Besides, the catalyst pellet radius only slightly affects the coke content, although the diffusion limitation increases with the pellet radius. These results should serve to guide the rational design of robust DRM catalyst pellets against deactivation by coking.

Improvement strategies for Ni-based alcohol steam reforming catalysts

Steam reforming(SR)of fossil methane is already a well-known,documented and established expertise in the industrial sector as it accounts for the vast majority of global hydrogen production.From a sustainable development perspective,hydrogen production by SR of biomass-derived feedstock represents a promising alternative that could help to lower the carbon footprint of the traditional process.In this regard,bio-alcohols such as methanol,ethanol or glycerol are among the attractive candidates that could serve as green hydrogen carriers as they decompose at relatively low temperatures in the presence of water compared to methane,allowing for improved H_(2)yields.However,significant challenges remain regarding the activity and stability of nickel-based catalysts,which are most widely used in alcohol SR processes due to their affordability and ability to break C–C,O–H and C–H bonds,yet are prone to rapid deactivation primarily caused by coke deposition and metal particle sintering.In this state-of-the-art review,a portfolio of strategies to improve the performance of Ni-based catalysts used in alcohol SR processes is unfolded with the intent of pinpointing the critical issues in catalyst development.Close examination of the literature reveals that the efforts tackling these recurring issues can be directed at the active metal,either by tuning Ni dispersion and Ni-support interactions or by targeting synergistic effects in bimetallic systems,while others focus on the support,either by modifying acid-base character,oxygen mobility,or by embedding Ni in specific crystallographic structures.This review provides a very useful tool to orient future work in catalyst development.

Classifying coke using CT scans and landmark multidimensional scaling

One factor that limits development of fundamental research on the infuence of coke microstructure on its strength is the difculty in quantifying the way that microstructure is both classifed and distributed in three dimensions.To support such fundamental studies,this study evaluated a novel volumetric approach for classifying small(approx.450μm^(3))blocks of coke microstructure from 3D computed tomography scans.An automated process for classifying microstructure blocks was described.It is based on Landmark Multi-Dimensional Scaling and uses the Bhattacharyya metric and k-means clustering.The approach was evaluated using 27 coke samples across a range of coke with diferent properties and reliably identifed 6 ordered class of coke microstructure based on the distribution of voxel intensities associated with structural density.The lower class(1–2)subblocks tend to be dominated by pores and thin walls.Typically,there is an increase in wall thickness and reduced pore sizes in the higher classes.Inert features are also likely to be seen in higher classes(5–6).In general,this approach provides an efcient automated means for identifying the 3D spatial distribution of microstructure in CT scans of coke.

Experiment and modeling of coke formation and catalyst deactivation in n-heptane catalytic cracking over HZSM-5 zeolites

Since paraffins catalytic cracking was of significant importance to light olefins and aromatics production,this work was intended to gain insights into the feature and model of coke formation and catalyst deactivation in n-heptane catalytic cracking over HZSM-5 zeolites. 18 tests of n-heptane catalytic cracking were designed and carried out over HZSM-5 zeolites in a wide range of operating conditions. A particular attention was paid to the measurement of the conversion, product distribution, coke content, and the porosity and acidity of the fresh and spent HZSM-5 zeolites. It was found that alkene and aromatic promoted coke formation, and it reduced the pore volume and acid site of HZSM-5 zeolites, tailoring its performance in n-heptane catalytic cracking. The specific relationship between HZSM-5 zeolites, n-heptane conversion, product distribution and coke formation was quantitively characterized by the exponential and linear function. Based on the reaction network, the coupled scheme of coke formation and catalyst deactivation were specified for n-heptane catalytic cracking. The dual-model was proposed for the process simulation of n-heptane catalytic cracking over HZSM-5 zeolites. It predicted not only the conversion and product distribution but also coke content with the acceptable errors.

Combination of hydrotreating and delayed coking technologies for conversion of residue

Residue conversion by combining catalytic hydrotreating and delayed coking has been evaluated comparatively with both processes alone.Optimal operating conditions are defined to achieve the greatest economic benefit for upgrading an atmospheric residue from a heavy crude oil.A literature model was adapted to simulate the hydrotreating reactor,and for delayed coking,correlations reported in the literature were used.The results with both approaches were employed to calculate the techno-economic feasibility of the combined process scheme.The combination of hydrotreating and delayed coking presented an increase in light fractions of 29% and a reduction in coke production of 47.8%.Based on the calculated net benefit values,it was demonstrated that the combination of hydrotreating and delayed coking is technically and economically better than using each process alone,with highest benefit of 57.7 USD·m^(-3).

Molecular composition of low-temperature oxidation products of the heavy oil

Low-temperature oxidation(LTO)is the main reaction that affects fuel formation in the in-situ combustion process,which has important significance for the subsequent combustion propulsion and the successful extraction of crude oil.In this study,heavy oil was subjected to LTO reactions at different temperatures.Three types of reaction products with varying oxidation depths were characterized in terms of the number of oxygen atoms and the polarity of the molecule to reveal the low-temperature oxidation process of the heavy oil.Ketone compounds and acid polyoxides in the oil phase and deep oxidation products with a higher number of oxygen atoms in the coke were identified with increasing oxidation depth.The experimental results showed that the oxidation reaction of the heavy oil changed from kinetic-controlled to diffusion-controlled in the open oxidation system of the heavy oil as the oxidation depth increased.The oxidation reaction of the oil phase reached a maximum and stable value in oxygen content.The molecular compositions of the ketone compound and acid polyoxide did not change significantly with further increase in reaction temperature.The molecular compositions of the deep oxidation products with a higher number of oxygen atoms in the coke phase changed significantly.The coke precursor molecules with a lower oxygen content and condensation degree participated in the coke formation,and the oxidation reaction pathway and the complexity of the oxidation product component also increased.

Effect of silicon carbide-based iron catalyst on reactor optimization for non-oxidative direct conversion of methane

The conversion of methane to olefins,aromatics,and hydrogen(MTOAH)can be used to stably obtain hydrocarbons when the effect of the catalytic surface is optimized from the reaction engineering perspective.In this study,Fe/Si C catalysts were packed into a quartz tube reactor.The catalytic surfaces of Si C and the impregnated Fe species decreased the apparent activation energies(E_a)of methane consumption in the blank reactor between 965 and 1020℃.Consequently,the hydrocarbon yield increased by 2.4times at 1020℃.Based on the model reactions of ethane,ethylene,and acetylene mixed with hydrogen in the range of 500-1020℃,an excess amount of Fe in the reactor favored the C-C coupling reaction over the selective hydrogenation of acetylene;consequently,coke formation was favored over the hydrogenation reaction.The gas-phase reactions and catalyst properties were optimized to increase hydrocarbon yields while reducing coke selectivity.The 0.2Fe catalyst-packed reactor(0.26 wt%Fe)resulted in a hydrocarbon yield of 7.1%and a coke selectivity of<2%when the ratio of the void space of the postcatalyst zone to the catalyst space was adjusted to be≥2.Based on these findings,the facile approach of decoupling the reaction zone between the catalyst surface and the gas-phase reaction can provide insights into catalytic reactor design,thereby facilitating the scale-up from the laboratory to the commercial scale.

Influences of regeneration atmospheres on structural transformation and renderability of fluidized catalytic cracking catalyst

The regeneration of fluidized catalytic cracking(FCC)catalysts is an essential process in petroleum processing.The current study focused the regeneration reaction characteristics of spent fluidized catalytic cracking catalyst(SFCC)at different atmospheres with influences on pore evolution and activity,for a potential way to reduce emission,produce moderate chemical product(CO),and maintain catalyst activity.The results show that regeneration in air indicates a satisfaction on removing coke on the catalyst surface while giving a poor effect on eliminating the coke inside micropores.This is attributed that the combustion in air led to a higher temperature and further transformed kaolinite phase to silicaaluminum spinel crystals,which tended to collapse and block small pores or expand large pores,with similar results observed in pure O_(2)atmosphere.Nevertheless,catalysts regenerated in O_(2)/CO_(2)diminished the combustion damage to the pore structure,of which the micro porosity after regeneration increased by 32.4% and the total acid volume rose to 27.1%.The regeneration in pure CO_(2)displayed low conversion rate due to the endothermic reaction and low reactivity.The coexistence of gasification and partial oxidation can promote regeneration and maintain the original structure and good reactivity.Finally,a mechanism of the regeneration reaction at different atmospheres was revealed.

Assessing quinoline removal performances of an aerobic continuous moving bed biofilm reactor(MBBR) bioaugmented with Pseudomonas citronellolis LV1

This study evaluated the bioaugmentation potential of a quinoline-degrading strain Pseudomonas citronellolis LV1 inoculation into activated sludge for treating quinoline wastewater, and results indicated the inoculation of LV1 in aerobic continuous MBBR could substantially improve the quinoline removal performance with an improved removal efficiency of 34% averagely when quinoline was used as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. Additionally, efficient removal of quinoline in enhanced MBBR occurred at the influent p H of 7.0–8.0, hydraulic retention time(HRT) of 24–28 h and influent quinoline concentration of 100–700 mg·L^(-1). High-throughput sequencing analysis indicated that bioaugmentation could increase microbial diversity and shape the microbial community structure. Although the inoculant LV1 did not remain its dominance in stage Ⅲ, bioaugmentation indeed induced the formation of effective microbial community, and the indigenous microbes including Flavobacterium, Pseudoxanthomonas,Pseudomonas, Vermamoeba, Dyadobacter and Sphingomonas might play the key role in quinoline removal.According to the PICRUSt, the enhanced genes encoding aromatic ring-cleavage enzyme, especially for Nheterocyclic ring-cleavage enzymes, could lead to the improved removal performance of quinoline in bioaugmentation stage. Moreover, the enhanced MBBR treated well actual coking wastewater, as indicated by high removal performance of quinoline, phenol and COD.

Orientational Separation of Sulfur in Petroleum Coke by Alkali Calcining and Reflux Washing

The application of high-sulfur petroleum coke after desulfurization in aluminum electrolysis anodes is an important development trend. However, removing sulfur from high-sulfur petroleum coke is still a significant challenge.This study proposes alkali calcining and reflux washing to examine the impacts of temperature, particle size, the mass ratio of Na_(2)CO_(3) to NaOH, and total sodium addition on the desulfurization efficiency and mechanism. The results show that the desulfurization rate increases with increasing temperature, increasing total sodium content, and decreasing particle size. The addition of alkali can significantly reduce the opening-ring reaction temperature of thiophene and convert organic sulfur into inorganic sulfur(Na_(2)S). Three washing methods were compared, and reflux washing was selected to separate inorganic sulfur(Na_(2)S) from calcined petroleum coke. The sulfur content in petroleum coke decreased from 7.29% to 1.90%, with a desulfurization rate of 80.13% under optimal conditions. The petroleum coke was analyzed before and after desulfurization using X-Ray diffraction(XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM), Infrared Spectroscopy(IR), Thermogravimetric Analysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry(TG-DSC), Gaschromatography-mass Spectrometry(GC-MS). The results show that thiophene and benzothiophene in petroleum coke are decomposed and converted into octane and ethyl cyclohexane. These new observations are expected to provide further understanding and guidance for the utilization of highsulfur petroleum coke.

Benchmark Dose Assessment for Coke Oven Emissions-Induced Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Damage Effects

Objective The study aimed to estimate the benchmark dose(BMD)of coke oven emissions(COEs)exposure based on mitochondrial damage with the mitochondrial DNA copy number(mtDNAcn)as a biomarker.Methods A total of 782 subjects were recruited,including 238 controls and 544 exposed workers.The mtDNAcn of peripheral leukocytes was detected through the real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Three BMD approaches were used to calculate the BMD of COEs exposure based on the mitochondrial damage and its 95%confidence lower limit(BMDL).Results The mtDNAcn of the exposure group was lower than that of the control group(0.60±0.29 vs.1.03±0.31;P<0.001).A dose-response relationship was shown between the mtDNAcn damage and COEs.Using the Benchmark Dose Software,the occupational exposure limits(OELs)for COEs exposure in males was 0.00190 mg/m^(3).The OELs for COEs exposure using the BBMD were 0.00170 mg/m^(3)for the total population,0.00158 mg/m^(3)for males,and 0.00174 mg/m^(3)for females.In possible risk obtained from animal studies(PROAST),the OELs of the total population,males,and females were 0.00184,0.00178,and 0.00192 mg/m^(3),respectively.Conclusion Based on our conservative estimate,the BMDL of mitochondrial damage caused by COEs is0.002 mg/m^(3).This value will provide a benchmark for determining possible OELs.

Coking of Pt/γ-Al_(2)O_(3) catalyst in landfill gas deoxygen and its effects on catalytic performance

Catalytic oxidation of CH_(4) has been proved to be an attractive option for landfill gas(LFG) upgrading.However, coking of catalysts in catalytic LFG deoxygen has been clearly observed in industrial applications. In this regard, it is necessary to investigate whether coke deposition originates from CH_(4) or volatile organic compounds present in LFG, and the influence of coke deposition on catalytic performance. Herein,we evaluate the LFG deoxygen on Pt/γ-Al_(2)O_(3) catalyst in simulated LFG(CH_(4), CO_(2), O_(2), N_(2)) and its co-feed with representative volatile organic compounds, ethylbenzene, toluene, benzene and cyclohexane. The results show that the coking of the catalyst is originated from volatile organic compounds rather than CH_(4). The Pt/γ-Al_(2)O_(3) catalyst does not deactivate during LFG deoxygen process, even significant amount of coke deposited, up to 18.15%(mass). Characterization analyses reveal that although coke deposition overall covers the catalyst surface, resulting in mesopores blockage and a reduced number of accessible Pt sites, however, the coke formed, H-rich carbonaceous components, behaves as counterpart for O_(2) elimination. Besides, the coke deposited is mainly filamentous. Thus, coke formation has little negative effect on the overall catalytic performance of Pt/γ-Al_(2)O_(3) catalyst ultimately. The results obtained in this work are helpful for the rational design of robust Pt based catalysts for LFG deoxygen without undue attention to their coking properties, and also favor the innovation of more attractive purification scheme configurations.

Corrosion of Basic Refractories for Glass Tanks Using Petrol Coke and Countermeasures

Replacing heavy oil with petrol coke can greatly reduce the cost of glass production,but obviously shorten the service life of refractories used in the regenerator checker body of glass tanks.To prolong the service life of the regenerator checker body,the slag chemical composition and alkali-sulfur ratio of glass tanks after using petrol coke and the damage mechanism of the residual magnesia bricks in the regenerator checker body were studied,as well as the corrosion resistance of three magnesia based bricks(direct bonded magnesia chrome bricks,fused rebonded magnesia chrome bricks,and fused rebonded high-purity magnesium aluminate spinel bricks).On this basis,a series of targeted countermeasures were adopted to optimize the configuration of refractories,significantly improving the service life of checker bricks and meeting the requirements of glass industry development.

Analysis of the Process Parameter in Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit for a Refining and Petrochemical Company in Nigeria

The aim of this study is to generate operational data that can be used to improve the production capacity in the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) in a Refinery and Petrochemical Company. This will aid in tackling the daunting challenge of unavailability of operational data that can be used to better understand and improve production capacity and ensure maximizing catalyst utilization. In addition, it addresses the challenges of analysis and control of the FCCU process due to its very complicated and little-known hydrodynamics, complex kinetics of both reactions of cracking and coke burning, strong interaction between the reactor and regenerator, and numerous operating constraints. Aspen HYSYS version 8.0 was used in modeling the cracking process using parameters extracted from the operating manual of the FCCU in the refinery. The operational data was used to compare the simulated effect of stepwise input in feed and reactor plenum temperatures as well as stepwise increase in reactor length on yield, catalyst-to-oil-ratio and catalyst regeneration. An optimum flow in naphtha was obtained by the interaction of the inlet crude flow rate, riser height, and temperature this optimum was supported by the study of the interaction of these parameters when, catalyst to oil ratio was set as the dependent parameter. The inferences drawn from the results are that the reactor plenum temperature of 560&#8451;and a riser length of 27 m are recommended for optimum performance that ensures lasting effect of an efficient catalyst activity.