Application of sensitivity analysis to oil refinery emissions

Catalyst emissions from fluidising catalytic cracking units have the potential to impact significantly on the environmental compliance of oil refineries. Traditionally it has been assumed that gas velocity and fine particles significantly impact on emission levels. Through the use of a simple fluidised bed model, sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the key operating parameters that influence emission rates. It was found that in addition to velocity, density and mid sized particles are the most influential factors for emission rates. Further work is needed to identify how these parameters can be altered during normal operations to reduce catalyst emissions.