EP1989142A2 - Method of optimizing the operation of claus units - Google Patents
Method of optimizing the operation of claus unitsInfo
- Publication number
- EP1989142A2 EP1989142A2 EP07731009A EP07731009A EP1989142A2 EP 1989142 A2 EP1989142 A2 EP 1989142A2 EP 07731009 A EP07731009 A EP 07731009A EP 07731009 A EP07731009 A EP 07731009A EP 1989142 A2 EP1989142 A2 EP 1989142A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- temperature
- sulfur
- mixture
- catalytic
- dew
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
Links
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
- C01B17/00—Sulfur; Compounds thereof
- C01B17/02—Preparation of sulfur; Purification
- C01B17/04—Preparation of sulfur; Purification from gaseous sulfur compounds including gaseous sulfides
- C01B17/0404—Preparation of sulfur; Purification from gaseous sulfur compounds including gaseous sulfides by processes comprising a dry catalytic conversion of hydrogen sulfide-containing gases, e.g. the Claus process
- C01B17/0452—Process control; Start-up or cooling-down procedures of the Claus process
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S423/00—Chemistry of inorganic compounds
- Y10S423/06—Temperature control
Definitions
- the present invention relates to the oil and gas industries, and more particularly the liquid sulfur production units called CLAUS units.
- Petroleum desulfurization converts sulfur-containing organic compounds into H2S hydrogen sulfide, whose toxicity and ignition hazards are well known.
- H2S is also a constituent of natural gas, and it acts as a poison that deactivates the industrial catalysts used in natural gas recovery processes. It is therefore essential to convert hydrogen sulphide into non-toxic elemental sulfur and also a useful raw material. Indeed, the sulfur produced is generally of good purity, and can be sold as such or in the form of sulfuric acid H2SO4.
- the CLAUS process is generally a two-step process.
- a first combustion step is performed by burning a third of the H 2 S in a first chamber equipped with a boiler.
- one third of I 2 S 2 is partially oxidized to SO 2 by air and / or oxygen (I).
- This reaction (I) is complete and stops when all the oxygen is consumed.
- the sulfur dioxide SO2 thus formed reacts with remaining H2S to form sulfur gas and water according to the so-called CLAUS reaction (II).
- This reaction is balanced and the equilibrium constant depends essentially on the temperature.
- the overall chemical reactions involved are as follows: H 2 S + 3/2 O 2 -> SO 2 + H 2 O (I)
- reaction products are generally cooled in a condenser to recover, in liquid form, the elemental sulfur vapors that have formed in the combustion chamber and in the boiler.
- the unit generally comprises a series of catalytic reactors in series, each of them being associated with a gas heating system and a sulfur condenser.
- the CLAUS reaction being exothermic, the conversion to sulfur is favored by low temperatures. It is necessary, nevertheless, to maintain the temperature of the catalytic reactor at a sufficient level, not only to promote the kinetics of the CLAUS reaction, but especially to prevent the appearance of liquid sulfur dew on the surface of the catalysts, which would cause their deactivation .
- Tc in the present invention the set temperature imposed on the inlet of the catalytic reactor, noted Tc in the present invention, be adjusted so that the outlet temperature of the catalytic reactor, denoted Ts, is greater than the dew point temperature.
- sulfur at the outlet of said reactor, denoted Tr in the present invention This applies in fact to each of the catalytic reactors that the CLAUS unit can count.
- the adjustment of Tc is done in an empirical manner known to those skilled in the art, so that Ts takes the desired value.
- the dew point of sulfur is unknown because it depends, among other things, on the composition of the gas, which changes as it goes along. This is why one generally proceeds to a temperature adjustment Tc to a much higher level, to have a margin of safety as to the temperature of appearance of this dew point.
- the set temperature is thus generally adjusted so that the temperature Ts has several tens of degrees Celsius more than the expected temperature Tr at the exit of this same reactor.
- This technique has the major disadvantage of being disadvantageous from an economic and environmental point of view because, since the operation of the unit is not optimized, the conversion rate to sulfur is not satisfactory enough, which results in waste gases charged with acid gases (more particularly with H2S and SO2) requiring a greater complementary treatment.
- the invention provides a catalytic process for treating a mixture of HbS and SO2 to produce liquid sulfur, said process comprising the following steps: a) at least one step of heating at a temperature Tc of the mixture containing SO2 and I2S, b) at least one step of catalytic reaction of the heated mixture obtained in a) in the presence of at least one catalyst and at least one step of recovering the output mixture containing sulfur gas, c) at least one step of transforming the sulfur gas contained in the exit mixture obtained in step b) into liquid sulfur, said process being characterized in that, between step b) and step c), the temperatures Ts of said mixture of output and sulfur dew tr gaseous content in said output mixture is measured, and in that the heating temperature Tc of step a) is adjusted so that the temperature Ts is greater than that of dew Tr from 5
- the invention has several advantages, including optimizing the operation of the CLAUS unit and reducing the amount of untreated residual sulfur species, in particular H2S and SO2.
- the size of the additional waste gas treatment units is also optimized, resulting in additional energy and cost savings.
- the invention is not only applicable to new units, but also to pre-existing units, which can significantly reduce the operating costs of maintenance of the latter.
- the heating temperature Tc of step a) is adjusted so that said temperature Ts is greater than that of dew Tr from 5 0 C to 20 0 C, and more advantageously from 5 ° C to 10 0 C .
- this process is such that it is carried out in at least one CLAUS catalytic unit reactor, and preferably in at least two CLAUS catalytic reactor units.
- the device for implementing the method according to the invention comprises a calorimetric or magnetic probe.
- a CLAUS unit comprising a thermal stage (Eo) and three catalytic stages (E 1 , E 2 , E 3 ). serial.
- the first stage of combustion of I ⁇ 2S takes place in a first chamber equipped with a boiler 1.
- a third of I ⁇ 2S is partially oxidized to SO2 by air and / or oxygen.
- Sulfur dioxide SO2 thus formed reacts with remaining H2S to form gaseous sulfur and water according to the so-called CLAUS (II) reaction.
- the combustion products are cooled in a condenser 2 to recover, in liquid form, sulfur vapors element which formed in the combustion chamber and in the boiler by line 9.
- a catalytic first stage section (Ei) comprises heating the gas
- the sulfur is recovered in the liquid state by condensation after each reaction step by the lines 8, 8 'and 8 "corresponding to the reactors 4, 4' and 4".
- the invention is implemented in at least one of the reactors 4, 4 'or 4 ".
- the method according to the invention is such that it is implemented in one, two or three
- the recovered sulfur can be stored either in liquid form in tanks maintained at 140 ° C. or in solid form in a tank 6.
- all the residual sulfur components leaving via a line 7 after passing through the condenser 5 " these are either directed to a waste gas treatment unit, or converted to SO2 before their discharge to the atmosphere.
- the essential characteristic of the process according to the invention is that it measures the temperature Ts of the output mixture of a catalytic reactor implementing step b) and the dew point temperature Tr of the sulfur gas contained in said output mixture, and the heating temperature Tc is adjusted so that the temperature Ts is greater than that of dew Tr, from 5 ° C. to 30 ° C., and advantageously from 5 ° C. to 20 ° C., and more advantageously by 5 ° C. at 10 ° C.
- this process is such that it is implemented in at least one catalytic reactor of the CLAUS unit.
- the process according to the invention is such that it is implemented in at least two catalytic reactors of the CLAUS unit.
- the first catalytic reactor generally operates at a sufficiently high temperature to promote the hydrolysis of compounds such as COS and CS2.
- the present invention does not exclude an embodiment according to which the process is such that it is used in all the catalytic reactors of the CLAUS unit.
- the invention also relates to a device for carrying out the catalytic process according to any one of the preceding claims, intended to treat a mixture of H2S and SO2 to produce liquid sulfur, said device comprising the following means: at least heating means at a temperature Tc of the mixture containing SO2 and I ⁇ 2S; at least one means for catalytically reacting the heated mixture obtained at the outlet of the heating means in the presence of at least one catalyst and at least one means for recovering an exit mixture containing sulfur gas; at least one means for transforming the sulfur gas contained in the liquid sulfur output mixture, said device being characterized in that it makes it possible to measure the dew point temperature of the sulfur.
- said device comprises a calorimetric probe.
- said device comprises a magnetic probe.
- a typical method of dew point measurement is to cool an appropriate surface until dew occurs, to detect the time of dew, then to measure the temperature corresponding to the moment of the first dew. appearance of the dew deposit.
- Different devices manual or automatic, measure the dew point temperature. They can use a calorimetric, magnetic, optical or capacitive detection to follow the dew on this surface.
- Patent EP 542 582 describes certain embodiments of such a probe for measuring the dew point.
- the dew-point measuring device according to the method of the invention is a calorimetric or magnetic probe for measuring the dew point.
- the setpoint temperature for the 1st catalytic stage is set so that the outlet temperature of the first reactor 4 be equal to 31O 0 C.
- the dew point temperature is measured at the outlet of the 4 'and / or 4 "catalytic reactor (s), and the temperature (s) are adjusted. (s) Setpoint heaters 3 'and / or 3 ".
- the condenser 2 is set at 170 ° C while the condensers 5, 5 'and 5 "are set at 135 ° C.
- Example 1 In a first step, only the set temperature of the second reactor 4 'is adjusted so as to vary the margin between the outlet temperature of the second reactor and the dew temperature measured at its outlet.
- an adjustment of the second heater 3 'at 244 ° C. corresponds to a dew point margin of 60 ° C. at the outlet of the second reactor.
- a different setting with a margin of 5 ° C, for example, relative to the dew point would lead to setting the temperature of the second heater to 190 ° C and reduce SO2 emissions by 31, 1% by an overall efficiency of 98. , 4%.
- the residual charge to be processed in the tail gas unit is reduced from 1.94 T / d to 1.34 T / d.
- both the set temperature of the second and the third reactor are adjusted so as to vary the margin between the outlet temperature of these reactors and the measured dew point temperature.
- Table 3 groups the results obtained.
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
- Treating Waste Gases (AREA)
- Exhaust Gas Treatment By Means Of Catalyst (AREA)
- Devices And Processes Conducted In The Presence Of Fluids And Solid Particles (AREA)
- Catalysts (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
FR0601691A FR2897860B1 (en) | 2006-02-27 | 2006-02-27 | METHOD OF OPTIMIZING THE MARKET OF CLAUS UNITS. |
PCT/FR2007/000298 WO2007096512A2 (en) | 2006-02-27 | 2007-02-19 | Method of optimizing the operation of claus units |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1989142A2 true EP1989142A2 (en) | 2008-11-12 |
Family
ID=37054648
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP07731009A Ceased EP1989142A2 (en) | 2006-02-27 | 2007-02-19 | Method of optimizing the operation of claus units |
Country Status (9)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US7780942B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1989142A2 (en) |
JP (1) | JP5259427B2 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101389568B (en) |
CA (1) | CA2641424C (en) |
EA (1) | EA016923B1 (en) |
FR (1) | FR2897860B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2007096512A2 (en) |
ZA (1) | ZA200806561B (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2944353B1 (en) | 2009-04-14 | 2012-12-21 | Total Raffinage Marketing | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ROSED POINT OF A GAS ELEMENT |
FR2985313B1 (en) | 2011-12-28 | 2014-03-14 | Total Raffinage Marketing | SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE DETECTION TEMPERATURE OF A GAS FLOW. |
CN103663386B (en) | 2012-09-19 | 2015-05-20 | 中国石油化工股份有限公司 | Method for reducing SO2 emission concentration of sulfur device |
Family Cites Families (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3477810A (en) * | 1967-10-09 | 1969-11-11 | Pan American Petroleum Corp | Sulfur dew point measurement and apparatus therefor |
GB8318099D0 (en) * | 1983-07-04 | 1983-08-03 | Shell Int Research | Production of elemental sulphur |
DE3403651A1 (en) * | 1984-02-02 | 1985-08-08 | Linde Ag, 6200 Wiesbaden | Process and reactor for the catalytic reaction of hydrogen sulphide to give elemental sulphur |
NL8600960A (en) * | 1986-04-16 | 1987-11-16 | Veg Gasinstituut Nv | METHOD FOR EXTRACTING SULFUR FROM SULFUR-CONTAINING GASES |
SU1433891A1 (en) * | 1987-03-16 | 1988-10-30 | Предприятие П/Я А-7113 | Method of controlling catalytic reactor in elementary sulfur production process |
US5165793A (en) * | 1991-10-11 | 1992-11-24 | Lustron Corporation | Dew point measuring method and apparatus |
FR2734809B1 (en) * | 1995-05-30 | 1997-07-18 | Elf Aquitaine | CATALYTIC DESULFURATION PROCESS OF A GAS CONTAINING THE H2S AND SO2 COMPOUNDS AND POSSIBLY COS AND / OR CS2, WITH RECOVERY OF THE SAID COMPOUNDS IN THE FORM OF SULFUR AND A CATALYST FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SAID PROCESS |
FR2783818B1 (en) * | 1998-09-24 | 2000-11-10 | Elf Exploration Prod | PROCESS FOR OXIDIZING DIRECTLY IN SULFUR, BY CATALYTIC AND VAPOR PHASE, THE LOW-CONTENTED H2S IN GAS |
US6645459B2 (en) * | 2001-10-30 | 2003-11-11 | The Regents Of The University Of California | Method of recovering sulfurous components in a sulfur-recovery process |
GB0316433D0 (en) * | 2003-07-14 | 2003-08-20 | Boc Group Plc | Process for recovering sulphur from a gas stream containing hydrogen sulphide |
-
2006
- 2006-02-27 FR FR0601691A patent/FR2897860B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2007
- 2007-02-19 EP EP07731009A patent/EP1989142A2/en not_active Ceased
- 2007-02-19 WO PCT/FR2007/000298 patent/WO2007096512A2/en active Application Filing
- 2007-02-19 JP JP2008556810A patent/JP5259427B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2007-02-19 US US12/279,297 patent/US7780942B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2007-02-19 EA EA200870298A patent/EA016923B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2007-02-19 CN CN200780006631.2A patent/CN101389568B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2007-02-19 CA CA2641424A patent/CA2641424C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2008
- 2008-07-28 ZA ZA200806561A patent/ZA200806561B/en unknown
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO2007096512A3 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US7780942B2 (en) | 2010-08-24 |
FR2897860B1 (en) | 2008-05-30 |
JP5259427B2 (en) | 2013-08-07 |
FR2897860A1 (en) | 2007-08-31 |
WO2007096512A3 (en) | 2007-11-01 |
CA2641424A1 (en) | 2007-08-30 |
ZA200806561B (en) | 2009-05-27 |
JP2009528245A (en) | 2009-08-06 |
CN101389568B (en) | 2013-08-21 |
CN101389568A (en) | 2009-03-18 |
CA2641424C (en) | 2013-11-26 |
US20090226363A1 (en) | 2009-09-10 |
WO2007096512A2 (en) | 2007-08-30 |
EA200870298A1 (en) | 2009-02-27 |
EA016923B1 (en) | 2012-08-30 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
EP0801632B1 (en) | Method for removing virtually all the sulphur compounds h2s, so2, cos and/or cs2 from sulphur plant waste gases, and recovering such compounds as sulphur | |
DK2753416T3 (en) | Method of combustion of NH3 and NH3 incinerators | |
CA2641424C (en) | Method of optimizing the operation of claus units | |
CA2044161C (en) | Process for improved sulfure production from sulfure production unit using acid gas containing hydrogen sulfide | |
CA1339291C (en) | Process for enhancing the yield of sulfur produced from a h s-containingacid gas in a production system comprising a sulfur production facility followed by a cleaning unit | |
FR2494255A1 (en) | IMPROVEMENT TO THE PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SULFUR WITH IMPROVED ENERGY RECOVERY FROM A GAS CONTAINING H2S, SO2, AND H2 AND / OR CO | |
CA2699240C (en) | Desulfurization process of a gaseous effluent with an on-line analysis and monitoring device | |
CA2086232C (en) | Process for preparing sulfur from a fuel off-gas and at least one acid gas containing hydrogen sulfide; thermal reactor | |
EP1335789B1 (en) | Method for partially oxidising a gas stream comprising hydrogen sulphide and ammonia | |
EP1474374B1 (en) | Method for the purification of acrolein | |
WO2021155986A1 (en) | Treatment of residual gases originating from biogas purification | |
CA1281887C (en) | Catalytic process for the production of sulphur from an acidic gas containing h s | |
CA2846246A1 (en) | Staged combustion of combustible sulphur-containing effluents with recovery of the sulphur in the claus process | |
FR2949772A1 (en) | Producing a synthesis gas containing hydrogen from a hydrocarbon charge including e.g. methane or naphtha, comprises transforming hydrocarbon charge into synthesis gas in vapor-reforming furnace, and treating the synthesis gas | |
WO2023222485A1 (en) | Plant and method for producing biomethane | |
FR2918295A1 (en) | Process to improve oxidation of gas comprising ammonia using oxygen rich gas in furnace comprises continuously adjusting the oxygen content of oxygen rich gas, and adjusting flow of oxygen-rich gas | |
FR2507169A1 (en) | PROCESS FOR CATALYTICALLY CRACKING NATURAL GAS |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20080813 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A2 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
RAP1 | Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred) |
Owner name: TOTAL RAFFINAGE MARKETING |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20090401 |
|
DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
APBK | Appeal reference recorded |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNREFNE |
|
APBN | Date of receipt of notice of appeal recorded |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNNOA2E |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R003 |
|
APAF | Appeal reference modified |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSCREFNE |
|
APBT | Appeal procedure closed |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNNOA9E |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN REFUSED |
|
RAP1 | Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred) |
Owner name: TOTAL MARKETING SERVICES |
|
18R | Application refused |
Effective date: 20130912 |