Kate Hovey - Johnson Matthey
Conventional procedures for unloading FCC catalyst in a batch wise manor present many operational safety issues as well as having negative impacts on the FCC regenerator operation. A continuously controlled catalyst withdrawal system overcomes all safety implications associated with the transfer of high temperature, abrasive catalyst, by avoiding thermal cycling of the piping and mitigating pipe erosion. In addition, a commercial application in the US has shown significant process improvements by maintaining steady catalyst inventory levels, resulting in a payback of less than a year.
Kate has a 1st Class Honours MEng Degree in Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry from Aston University, U.K. Currently, Kate is working for Johnson Matthey as a Senior Technical Service Engineer covering Asia Pacific, the Middle East and India and is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Kate started out her career working for Murco Milford Haven refinery as a Process Engineer looking after the FCCU and Treating Units. She then went on to work for UOP as a FCC Technical Service Specialist covering EMEA.
