Ammonia

Basic Flowsheet Elements

Chemistry of the Ammonia Process
Simplified Block Diagram of a Typical
1000 t/d Ammonia Plant
 Simplified Block Diagram of a 2000
MTPD Methanol Flowsheet
Steam Raising

Water

VSG-Z101
VHT-S103 VSG-A101
40 m
20 m
Feedstock 200 m
Methanol
VSG-Z101
(CH )
4 40 m

VSG-EZ200

Purification Compression Distillation

Reforming Synthesis
Simplified Block Diagram of a
Hydrogen Flowsheet
Natural Gas Feed Steam
Hydrogen

VHT-S101
PSA
VSG- VSG- VSG-
Cl101 Z101 F101
etc
VSG-
EZ200

High Temperature
Desulfurization
CO Shift
Primary Reforming
 Simplified Flowsheet for a Typical
Ammonia Plant
Hydrodesulphuriser Primary Secondary High Low
Reformer Reformer Temperature Temperature
Air Shift Shift
Steam

Cooling
Steam 550o C
400o C 350o C
200o C

H2
Steam
Natural superheater
Gas
30 o
220 C
bar 1000o C 420 C o
o Steam Steam Heat
o 790 C Recovery
390 C raising raising
Preheater o Process
150 C
290o C Condensate

CO2 Ammonia Quench

Catchpot
Quench 400o C
Refrigeration
Cooling
330o C Steam
220 bar
Heat o
Reboiler Recovery 470 C
Cooling Boiler

Cooling Liquid Ammonia

Cooling Condensate Purge Gas
CO 2 Removal Carbon Dioxide
Methanator Ammonia Synthesis
 Modern Conventional Flowsheets

Main process steps are the same for all plants

Main differences in equipment design

Uhde
Top fired reformer
Proprietary exit header design
Secondary reformer has a riser
HP loop with radial flow converter
 Modern Conventional Flowsheets

HKBR
Primary reformer with manifold/riser

Haldor Topse
Side fired reformer
Radial flow converter
S-200
S-250
 Other Flowsheet Options
Braun Purifier
ICI AMV
ICI LCA
Dual Pressure Uhde Process
HKBR KAAP (with/without purifier)
Linde LAC
H2 Recovery is used on most
modern plants
 Braun Purifier Process

Primary reformer exit temperature is 700C

Excess air is added to the secondary reformer
Methane slip typically around 2-2.5 mol %
Excess nitrogen (and methane) cryogenically
removed downstream of methanator
Also removes water - ammonia synthesis catalyst
poison
Improved synthesis lives
Can reduce SC ratio to 2.7-3.0
Small primary
 Braun Purifier Process
Purified Syn Gas
Waste Gas
Cold Box
Raw Syn Gas

Feed Effluent Exchangers

 ICI AMV Process

As with Braun - utilizes excess air to secondary

Excess nitrogen is passed to the loop
Loop runs at low pressure (80-110 bara)
Use ICI LP Catalyst (74- Series)
Uses a saturator to saturate feed gas
This raises around 50% of the required steam
Can use SC ratio of 2.8
H2 Recovery in loop at loop pressure
 ICI LCA Process

Aim at small plant capacities (500 mtpd)

Uses the GHR-Secondary concept
Excess air is utilized to close heat balance
Utilizes an ITS rather than HTS and LTS
A saturator for steam raising
A PSA system to remove the CO2 and excess N2
A low pressure loop (80 bara)
A tube cooled converter or Casale converter
No longer actively marketing
 Dual Pressure Uhde Process
Off-Gas

Second
ammonia PGR Unit
converter

HP- HP-
steam steam
First
ammonia
converter
NH3 NH3
C.W.

LP
casing HP
casing
Note: Molecular
Sieves not shown

Once
through
ammonia Ammonia
C.W. NH3 C.W. converter from
NH3 HP loop
HP-
steam

H 2O

Make up gas
from frontend C.W.
Ammonia from once through conversion
 Dual Pressure Uhde Process

Benefits of such a scheme realised at 3,000

mtpd +
Although this is large capacity - all equipment is
proven
Note the low pressure converter between stages
of synthesis gas machine
Makes machine smaller
Makes loop pipework 24
Uses Comp. J catalyst
 HKBR Purifier and KAAP
To Fuel

Feed
Shift &
Primary Secondary Methn
CO2 Purifier
Reformer Reformer Dryers
Removal

Recycle Purge

KAAP Compression
 Linde LAC

Key features are

No secondary reformer
Nitrogen is generated cryogenically and
added after a PSA unit
No HTS/LTS - only Isothermal (ITS) shift
No methanation
Linde LAC
Desulfurization Nitrogen Unit

Primary Reformer

Isothermal Shift

PSA

Ammonia Synthesis
 Other Flowsheet Options

Use Gas Turbine to drive process air

compressor
Can use effluent as combustion air
Has 16-17% O2 and is at 500C
Braun plants
Install pre reformer
HT Retrofit
Many other reasons
Remove heat from duct
Uprate plant
 Other Flowsheet Options

Synthesis Gas driers

Reduces H2O in syn gas
H2O is a poison
Activity increases
Ammonia Wash
As per Syn Gas driers
Booster converters
Drop load on loop and allow overall output
increase
Quenches in Shifts
 Ammonia Flowsheet Data Analysis
Tool - VULCAN CERES
Looks at all catalytic unit operations
Highlights potential issues/in-correct data
items
Functionality to address flowsheet options
Kellogg risers
Differential flowsheet conditions (Braun)
Use as a basis for
Predictions of future performance
Predictions of new catalyst options
Uprates