Systems for injecting catalysts and/or additives into a fluidized catalytic cracking unit and methods of making and using the same

1. A system for injecting catalyst and/or additives into a fluidized catalytic cracking unit, comprising:

(a) a dust collector in fluid communication with at least one storage bin holding one of the catalyst and/or additives;

(b) a vacuum producer in fluid communication with the dust collector so that the vacuum producer generates a vacuum within the dust collector that draws the one of the catalyst and/or additives into the dust collector;

(c) a filter positioned within said dust collector and operatively adapted to filter fluid exiting said dust collector in response to a vacuum produced by said vacuum producer;

(d) a transfer pot in fluid communication with the dust collector for receiving the one of the catalyst and/or additives from the dust collector, the transfer pot being in fluid communication with the fluidized catalytic cracking unit and a source of pressurized air; and the one of the catalyst and/or additives is transferred to the fluidized catalytic cracking unit in response to one or more system parameters; and

(e) at least one differential pressure gauge having a differential pressure gauge component positioned so as to measure a pressure of said dust collector.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one differential pressure gauge component comprises an internal pressure nipple positioned along an inner surface of said dust collector or an outer surface of said filter within said dust collector.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one differential pressure gauge further comprises an external pressure nipple positioned so as to measure a pressure of fluid exiting said dust collector and said filter, and said at least one differential pressure gauge is operatively adapted to measure a first pressure differential across said filter.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system further comprises:

a controller operatively adapted to (i) monitor a first pressure differential across said filter, and (ii) provide a signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system further comprises:

(a) a valve positioned between said dust collector and said transfer pot, said valve operatively adapted to move from an open position to a closed position in response to a transfer pot pressurizing initiation step; and

(b) a discharge valve controller positioned between said transfer pot and the fluidized catalytic cracking unit, said discharge valve operatively adapted to move from a closed position to an open position in response to one or more system parameters.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said valve positioned between said dust collector and said transfer pot comprises a pop-up valve that moves from the open position to the closed position via air impingement along an outer surface of said pop-up valve, said pop-up valve being in contact with an O-ring when in the closed position.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein said valve positioned between said dust collector and said transfer pot comprises a mechanically actuated valve or an electronically activated valve.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein said system further comprises: controller operatively adapted to:

(i) monitor a first pressure differential across said filter when said system is in a vacuum mode, and

(ii) provide a first signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount during the vacuum mode;

(iii) monitor a first pressure differential across said filter when said system is in a transfer pot pressurized mode, and

(iv) provide a second signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount during the transfer pot pressurized mode;

and

(i) monitor a first pressure differential across said filter when said system is in a stand-by mode, and

provide a third signal if the first pressure differential equals or exceeds a first pressure differential threshold amount during the stand-by mode.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first pressure differential threshold amount during the vacuum mode is from about 0.0 psi to about 10.0 psi, the first pressure differential threshold amount during the transfer pot pressurized mode is from about

0.3 psi to about 0.6 psi, and the first pressure differential threshold amount during the stand-by mode is from about 0.3 psi to about 0.6 psi.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein each of said first signal, said second signal and said third signal independently comprises at least one of: (i) a message to a user, (ii) a flashing light, and (iii) a system shutdown.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one differential pressure gauge comprises a single differential pressure gauge.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of load cells for measuring a weight of the transfer pot, and the one of the catalyst and/or additives positioned within the transfer pot.

13. The system or method of claim 1 , the one or more system parameters comprise one or more of: a pressure of the system, a pressure of the transfer pot, a designated length of time programmed into a system controller, a designated length of time programmed into a system controller, a designated length of time starting at an initiation of a catalyst/additive loading step, and a designated length of time starting at an initiation of the transfer pot pressurizing step.