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Prem Baboo
National Fertilizers Ltd. India
Introduction
Back in the late sixties, the development of the Stamicarbon CO2 stripping process
revolutionized urea process technology. The introduction of Stamicarbon's Urea
2000plusTM in 1996, was yet another milestone. By combining equipment, our engineers
have been able to reduce the number of high pressure vessels in the process, thereby also
simplifying the overall design, piping and construction.
Stamicarbon can offer this process in its pool condenser alternative in single train
capacities up to 3,250 mt/d. This capacity range again signifies an improvement over
today's plants, which have typically been designed for around 2000 mt/d.
Basically, the pool condenser is a horizontal vessel with a submerged U-tube bundle. It is
fabricated from carbon steel with internals and lining in stainless steel.
The operating principles are:
Strip-gases are condensed in a pool of liquid on the shell side, with low
pressure steam being generated on the tube side.
Adequate residence time allows the reaction of ammonium carbamate to
urea and water to proceed to up to 60 % of equilibrium.
The condensation temperature on the shell side is high as a result of the
formation of high boiling components (urea and water), resulting in a
higher delta T for the exchanger part. The formation of gas bubbles
ensures a high degree of turbulence and provides a large area for mass
and heat transfer. Both phenomena contribute to a higher heat transfer.
The Optimum Reactor Design
Advantages
The pool condenser configuration offers the following technological
advantages:
The urea reactor volume is reduced by some 40 %.
The pool condenser requires some 45 % less heat exchange area.
The height of the steel structure is reduced by some 10 meter.
No stress corrosion can take place, because of the absence of crevices
between tube and tube sheet.
The operational flexibility has improved immensely.
The start-up of the synthesis section is very easy.
Operational Experience
Another large pool condenser is presently under design for the revamp of the
conventional PIC Kuwait plant, tripling the original capacity and at the same
time reducing the steam requirement significantly.
Producers opting for Urea 2000plusTM technology will be ready for the
challenges of the future.
Introduction
Back in the late sixties, the development of the Stamicarbon CO2 stripping
process revolutionized urea process technology. The introduction of
Stamicarbon's Urea 2000plusTM in 1996, was yet another milestone. By
combining equipment, our engineers have been able to reduce the number of
high pressure vessels in the process, thereby also simplifying the overall
design, piping and construction. The result: a considerable lowering of
investments and operating costs.
Stamicarbon can offer this process in single train capacities up to 3,500 mt/d.
This capacity range again signifies an improvement over today's plants, which
have typically been designed for around 2000 mt/d.
The Pool Condenser concept was the first step in the development of this
technology.The second step was the introduction of the Urea 2000plus TM Pool
Reactor concept.
The stripper off-gases, the recycle carbamate solution and the ammonia
feedstock are introduced into the pool reactor. The liquid phase is thoroughly
agitated by the gases from the stripper. The heat of condensation is utilised for
aiding the dehydration reaction and for generating steam in the tube bundle.
The rate of condensation is controlled by the pressure of the generated steam.
The part of the pool reactor that is equipped with the tube bundle is the
condensing part of the reactor while the other section can be called the reaction
part.
The Optimum Reactor Design
Advantages
The pool reactor configuration offers the following technological advantages:
The amount of heat transferred through the condenser bundle in the
reactor is far better than in falling film condensers.
The baffles in the reactor prevent back-mixing, thus affording the nearest
approach to equilibrium in the urea reaction and, consequently the
highest conversion and most economical downstream equipment sizing.
The operational flexibility has improved immensely because the inverse
response of the synthesis loop has been eliminated and the synthesis is
far less sensitive to deviations in the N/C ratio.
The start-up of the synthesis section is very easy and progresses
smoothly.
Operational Experience
Producers opting for Urea 2000plusTM technology will be ready for the
challenges of the future.
The first step was the introduction of the Urea 2000plus TM Pool Condenser
technology.
A plant based on this technology has been running trouble-free since late 1994
in Bangladesh at a capacity of 1,750 metric tonnes per day.
The second step was the introduction of the Urea 2000plus TM Pool Reactor
concept.
A 1,150 metric tonnes per day urea plant incorporating a pool reactor was
commissioned at DSM's Geleen site, in the Netherlands, in March 1998.
We are proud to have
succeeded in making major
improvements to a
technology which many
considered to be in a mature
stage. This achievement
exemplifies our continuous
commitment to development.
Unique features
The Stamicarbon Urea 2000plusTM technology
boasts several distinctive features:
flexible
single train capacity up to 3,500 mt/d
both granulation and prilling as
finishing options
urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) solution
unit may be incorporated
excellent performance
safe Urea Pool Reactor Plant, The
meets the most stringent environmental Netherlands
requirements 1,150 tonnes per day
meets all quality standards in operation since March 1998.
proven life times far over 20 years.
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