Effect of Primary Reformer Steam to Carbon ratio on Ammonia plant

Efficiency
Steam rate in any ammonia plant should be enough to meet certain requirements which are as
follow

1) Steam is one of the reactant in the reforming reaction and water shift reaction therefore it
should be more than stoichiometric requirement.

Theoretical requirement of S/C

S/C 1.5 To prevent carbon formation zone in Primary Reformer tube

S/C 2 To maintain High temperature shift catalyst in proper reduction state

2) Condensing steam should be enough to provide heat of regeneration in CO2 removal

system.

Change occurring for a steady plant operation by changing S/C ratio by 0.1.

  S/C 3.71 3.61

       
1) Fuel Requirement Increase Decrease
2) Synthesis loop purge rate Decrease Increase
3) Steam generation in HP boiler Increase Decrease
4) Pressure drop through Front End Increase Decrease
5) Supply of heat of regeneration in No 2 HPC reboiler Decrease Increase

Calculation for change in specific energy consumption

Following are the assumptions taken while doing the calculation for change in specific energy
consumption
1) PFD data is considered as base case.
2) Primary Reformer efficiency is constant while changing the S/C
3) Cost of energy is considered to be 2400 INR/Mkcal.
4) Approach to Equilibruim for all catalyst reactor is same.

Inlet steam to Primary Reformer MT/hr 66.68 64.80

Inlet steam temperature Kg/cm2G 36 36
Inlet steam temperature O
C 245 245
Enthalpy of steam at inlet kcal/kg 671 671
Outlet pressure Kg/cm2G 30.4 30.4
Outlet temperature O
C 761 761
Enthaply of steam at outlet kcal/kg 970 970
Heat duty Gcal/hr 20 19
heat of regeneration kcal/Nm3 1075 1075
Steam input to No 2 HPC reboiler MT/hr 9.90 10.08
 Enthalpy of steam to No 2 HPC reboiler kcal/kg 667 667
Steam Saving MT/hr 1.70
Heat Saving Gcal/hr 0.51
Secondary Reformer CH4 slip % 1.05 1.11
Primary Reformer efficiency % 82 82
Reformer fuel Flow   3635 3569
Fuel Saving   66.1
Speicific Energy Consumption (Gcal/MTNH3) Gcal/MT 0.02
Speicific Energy Consumption (Gcal/MT Urea) Gcal/MT 0.010
Cost of Energy Rs/Gcal 2400
RS/MT of
  Urea 25.13
Yearly Saving Crore 0.95

If S/C ratio is changed by 0.1 then energy saving of 0.02 Gcal/MT of NH 3 can be achieved which is
equivalent to INR 0.95 Crore annually with the current energy cost.

Please note that there is a source of error.

1) Change in SC ratio will alter the conversion rate and rate kinetics of Methane reforming in Primary
Reformer which is not considered in the calculation.
2) Change in SC ratio will alter the conversion rate for water shift reaction which is not considered in
the calculation.