Some Facts About Urea Stripper by Prem B

www.researchgate.
net 28 th Sept, 2022

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.16894.66880 Research Gate is an academic social networking site
“Some
Some Fact about Urea Stripper”
”
By
Prem Baboo
T The Fellow of Institution of Engineers (India)
Abstract
If we talk about the costly and biggest heat designed
ned to put the feed uniformly around the
exchanger in urea plants,, then the name of the tube wall in film form. The holes of the ferrule
stripper comes first. Nowadays the competition act as orifices and their diameter and liquid head
of stripper is running for more and more control the flow rate. As the liquid film flows, it
capacity. In this regards some urea plant is heated and decomposition of carbamate and
licensers have gone ahead some are left behind surface evaporation n occur. The carbon dioxide
some are very much behind and some are content of the solution is reduced by the
dragging.Urea stripper is a vertical in tube stripping action of the ammonia as it boils out of
falling film decomposer in which the liquid, the solution. Generated vapors (essentially
distributed on the heating surface as a film, ammonia and carbon dioxide) are removed by
flows by gravity to the bottom. The Urea flowing to the top of the tube. The carbamate
stripper is the heart of urea plants. In practice, it decomposition
composition heat is supplied by means of
is a vertical shell-and-tubee exchanger with the condensing saturated steam at 219 °C. In this
heating medium on the shell side, and an upper paper described the procedure for calculation
head on tube side sheet specially designed to NH3 & CO2 Stripper material & Energy balance
permit the uniform distribution of urea and and differences of NH3& CO2 Stripper.
carbamate solution. In fact, each tube has an Keywords-Stripper, CO2, Ammonia, Energy.
insert-type distributor (ferrule or male type type) differences, material,
Fig-Ammonia & CO2 Stripping

1
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Fig- Ammonia stripping process

Description introduced into the carbamate condensers. Here,
Efforts to find some additional driving force two units in parallel are installed, where the
beyond the usual addition of heat and reduction gaseous mixture is condensed and absorbed by
in pressure to decompose carbamate have met the carbamate solution coming from the medium
with a great success of totally new route. In this pressure recovery stage. Heat liberated in the
process, NH3 or CO2 is used to strip urea high pressure carbamate condensers is used to
reactor effluent for decomposition of carbamate. generate low pressure steam in one of the
The stripper and the reactor are operating condensers and to heat the urea solution from the
essentially at the same pressure of about 140 to stripper after the pressure is reduced to about 18-
158 kg/cm2 g. The synthesis mixture from the 24 kg/cm2 g in the shell side of the second
reactor, consisting of urea, unconverted carbamate condenser. The gas and liquid from
ammonium carbamate, excess ammonia and the carbamate condensers are recycled to the
water is fed to the top of the stripper. The reactor by gravity flow.
stripper has two functions i.e. its upper part is Theory of stripping
equipped with trays where excess ammonia is The theory of stripping is based on Henry’s law
partly separated from the stripper feed by direct which states that the concentration of
counter current contact of the feed solution with components in a solution while in equilibrium
the gas coming from the lower part of the with vapour phase is directly proportional to the
stripper. This pre stripping in the top is said to partial pressure of the components in vapour
be required to achieve effective CO2 stripping in phase. If the partial pressure of the one
the lower part. In the lower part of the stripper (a component is altered, while keeping the total
falling film heater), ammonium carbamate is pressure constant, the concentration of that
decomposed and the resulting CO2 and NH3 as component in solution will vary accordingly.
well as the excess ammonia are evaporated by This is illustrated as below .
CO2 stripping and steam heating. The overhead Let us assume that A and B are two components.
gaseous mixture from the top of the stripper is
2
CA = Concentration of A in solution. CB = Optimum heat balance with the export of LP

Concentration of B in solution. PA = Partial steam. Reduced power consumption as reaction
pressure of A in vapour phase PB = Partial pressure is comparatively low. Corrosion is the
pressure of B in vapour phase. function of Temperature as well as
CA = k PA, CB =k PB Corrosiveness of process fluid is not constant
In the stripper which operates at around 140 owing to effect of start-up/shut-down,
2
kg/cm a pressure, the carbamate solution is split fluctuation of temperature and dissolved oxygen
into it’s components ammonia and CO2 by content and geometrical flow distribution. For
adopting the above principle. stripper. Passivation air role is principal in this
The reactor effluent is counter currently issue The Passivation given in CO2 depends
contacted with fresh CO2 which increases the upon the process to process in M/Saipem it is
partial pressure of CO2, thereby upsetting the 0.25% and in M/S Stamicarbon it is 0.6%.This
solution concentration and splitting the passivation depends upon N/C ratio in Reactors.
carbamate into ammonia and CO2. The above is Stripper top and bottom temperature, Design for
achieved by providing external heat and without Saipem 205/190 but after losing of ferrules-
change in operating pressure. 205/192-196.Mega bond stripper is the latest
Technical realization of the stripping process stripper. Average corrosion rate of tubes. The
In this process, the formation of urea, the corrosion rate is depends upon Temperature and
stripping and the condensation of the carbamate passivation oxygen, No of shut down etc.
are accomplished at the same pressure level. Generally Corrosion rate as follows as const.
This gives rise to several advantages such as :- Temperature Conditions. In Zr-0.005 mm/year,
Elimination of pumping concentrated carbamate Ti-0.05 mm/Year,2 RE-69-0.25 mm/year,
solution from various pressure levels. corrosion rate in duplex material is about 0.05
Minimizing the quantity of water introduced to mm to 0.1 mm per year.* Stripper Tube
the reaction system by means of recycle streams. diameter-2.7 mm t0 3.5 mm.
Difference Between Stripper and Decomposer
Sr. Parameters Decomposer Stripper
No.
1 Definition “The process based on the 1st “To reduce the partial pressure of product
principal of decrease in by swamping the system by one of the
pressure and increase in reactant which reduces the partial pressure
temperature” and then have a of other reactant considerable without
series of decomposition stage changing the total pressure either CO2 or
where the Reactor discharge is NH3 or both can be used as a stripping
treated in successively at lower agent.”
pressure.
2 Delta P Delta P is more than Stripper No Delta between Reactor and Stripper,
between however in Saipem process there is small
Reactor and delta P.
stripper
3 Base of Differential pressure solution Stripping base hennery law of partial
Decomposition flashed due to high difference pressure, Mass transfer also involve. Base
of pressure. on partially pressure, In Stamicarbon CO2
3
introduced in stripper, is advantageous

because CO2 increase P1 CO2 to P2 CO2, so
P1 NH3 will reduced to P2 NH3 to maintain
total pressure constant as
PCO2+PNH3=Total Pressure. Now K-1 =
(X2NH3X XCO2)/X Carb. at particular temp
K1 is constant so when XNH3 is reduced to
keep K1 constant X Carbamate will be
reduced much faster by decomposition as
XNH3 appears in the equation with power
of 2
4 Theory Decomposition base only high In stripping process the 1st stage
temp & low pressure, decomposition and recovery is done at the
decomposition due to let down reactor pressure which permit heat to be
water recycle is more. recovered at high level and also results in
Decomposition is favoured by saving the power for returning the recycle
low pressure but as streams to the reactor .however in Saipem
decomposition products are to process there is difference in pressure in
be recycled back to reactor it Reactor and Stripper, so additional
will require energy for this advantages of deferential decomposition.
step. Also at low pressure more
water is evaporate during
decomposition and this water
would enter the urea reactor
along with recycle stream and
will adversely affect the
conversion. Thus if the
decomposition is carried out in
single stage near atmospheric
pressure the Carbamate formed
during recovery at the same
pressure carry a lot of water.
considering these factors,
decomposition is carried out
number of stages.
4
Stripper Vs decomposer water carryover

Fig-Stripper
Comparison of Ammonia & CO2 Stripper

Sr. Parameters Ammonia stripping Process CO2 Stripping Process
No.
1 Surface Area Less More in same plant Load because the double
load of heating(CO2 as well as Reactor
effluents)
2 Nos of Tubes Less About 150 % tubes more
3 Cost Less(Except
(Except Mega bond) Very Costly at same plant load
4 In Case of In case of Leakage the pH of In case of minor leakage , take shut down
Tube or tube Steam condensate is more immediately
mmediately because the pH of steam
sheet Leakage than 9.0
9.0-10.0 because the condensate come down below 7.0 due to
ammonia content is higher
higher, CO2 contents is higher and hence corrosion
Hence no problem of start in CS shell, otherwise equipment will
corrosion, you can run the damage and cause major incident.
plant at minor leakage by
separate draining of
condensate,
5 Steam 0.72 T/ton of Urea 0.84 T / ton of urea
Requirement
5
6 Stripper inlet 188 185

Temp, 0C
7 Stripper outlet 204(211
(211 Mega bond) 176
Temp, 0C
8 Stripper vapour 190 189
Temp, 0C
9 CO2 to stripper NA 120
Temp 0C
10 O2 in CO2 % 0.25 0.6
The Omega bond stripper is so costly, not

everyone can dare. Replacing the old stripper in
old unit is one choice. In the Titanium stripper
bottom temperature easily maintain 2100C
without any problem ig ignore some problem
like tube end corrosion. This 2100C is the
temperature at which challenging
enging all the process
we can run the plant at any load. The ideal
temperature for urea stripping is between 210˚C
210
– 212˚C
˚C However, due to the upper temperature
limits of stainless steel, plants cannot operate at
their optimum capabilities, sacrificing
significant
nificant plant capacity. Passivation air is the
main factor in the urea process on which the
plant safety explosion etc and losses also
depends. Passivation air must also be removed
after stripping. This adds process costs and
hazards resulting from the combination
co of
oxygen and hydrogen—an an explosive gas mixture
the mega bond is the solution of all problems
this is the mother/father of urea plants.
Passivation air is not necessary with titanium
Fig-mega bond tube and zirconium. Eliminating the need to remove
passivation air downstream
ownstream improves yield,
6
reduces environmental concerns and improves generation solution; it is the only technology that
plant safety. In addition, next-generation urea combines the benefits of Zirconium and
tubing eliminates temperature limitations Titanium, ideally optimizing urea processing.
inherent with steel alternatives, allowing the ATI is a world leader in specialty metal
strippers to run at 212°C, thus improving manufacturing, with over 50 years of experience
capacity by up to 15 percent. In addition, from raw material to final product ensuring a
corrosion is eliminated in the stripper, ensuring reliable and high-quality solution. Omega Bond
impurities such as iron, nickel and chrome—the Tubing combines titanium grade 3 and
core components of stainless steel—do not exist Zirconium 702 using a unique metallurgical
in the final product. Erosion inside the tubes is process that creates high-quality corrosion- and
also eliminated, ensuring an extensive stripper erosion-resistant tubing designed to leverage the
life without the need to flip the stripper. Next- strengths of each metal. The result:
generation urea tubing works with standard maintenance-free operations, less downtime and
titanium stripper designs, replacing pure higher quality output.
titanium tubes. Omega Bond tubing is the next
7
Fig- Comparison of stripping process

Compression of NH3 & CO2 Stripper at same Load
CO2 Stripper Detail Ammonia Stripper
Operating Feutures
shell
unit shell side Tube side Tube side
Particular side
Urea-
carbamate Urea-carbamate
carbamate solution
Steam Steam
solution and and CO2
Fluid circulated CO2
Total fluid entering 294066 211885
Fluid vaporised or condensed Kg/Hr 58562 100915 42000 49589
0
Temperature in C 215.9 185 222 188
0
C 215.9 176 222 204,211(Megabond)
Temperature out
Operating pressure kg/cm2a 22.8 153 24 150
2
Design pressure kg/cm a 26 170 27 175
0
Design temperature C 300 230 300 235
Table –Comparison of stripper
8
Mechanical features
Parameters Ammonia stripping CO2 Stripping
No. of tubes 2600 1677
X2 25-22-2 (Cr-Ni-Mo-N) Bimetallic, 2RE69+Zr, Mega bond
Tube material
Stainless steel (Ti+ Zr)
Tube I.D,mm 25 20
Tube O.D.,mm 31 25.4
Tube length,mm 6000 6000
Tube pitch,mm 41 41
Surface area, m 2 1519 632
Shell material carbon steel carbon steel
Stripper Material and Heat balance

Stripper Inlet stream
Stripper Inlet
Components Kg/hr K mole/hr mole fraction, x sp heat KJ/K Σ x.cp
0
Ammonia 70350 4138.24 0.51 mol C,Cp
98.90 50.10
CO2 29200 663.64 0.08 58.96 4.79
Urea 73560 1226.00 0.15 121.32 18.21
Water 38500 2138.89 0.26 74.00 19.38
Biuret 240 2.33 0.0003 183.80 0.05
Air 803 27.69 0.0034 31.61 0.11
Total 212653 8169.09 1.00 568.59 92.63
Heat Input 143776631 KJ/HR
Stripper outlet stream (Liquid)
Stripper Outlet Liquid
Kg/hr Wt % mole % Mol Fraction, x Sp. Heat, Cp Kg Mol/Hr Σ x.cp

Components
Ammonia 38234 23.46 1.38001081 0.382123939 83.6 2249.06 31.95
CO2 12840 7.88 0.17905812 0.049581057 56.8 291.82 2.82

Urea 73532 45.12 0.75198089 0.208222933 186 1225.53 38.73
Water 38100 23.38 1.29877567 0.359629991 79.9 2116.67 28.73
Biuret 268 0.16 0.00159654 0.00044208 202 2.60 0.09
Total 162974 100 3.61142203 1.00 5885.68 102.31
7
Heat carried out by stream=5885.68*102.31*205=12.34*10 kJ/Hr
9
Stripper outlet stream (Vapour)

Stripper Outlet Vapour
Components Kg/hr Wt % mole Mol Sp. Heat, Kg Σ x. cp M *λ
% Fraction, x Cp Mol/Hr
Ammonia 34116 68.13% 0.04 0.85 106.76 2006.82 90.96 52879800
CO2 14360 28.68% 0.01 0.14 59.96 326.36 8.31 9334000
Water 400 0.80% 0.0004 0.01 79.80 22.22 0.75 744000
Inerts 1200 2.40% 0.0009 0.02 34.00 42.86 0.62
Total 50076 100.00% 0.05 1.00 246.52 2355.41 100.02 62957800
Sensible Heat of vapour 45940162.51 KJ/Hr
Latent Heat of Vaporization 62957800 KJ/Hr
Total 108897962.5 KJ/Hr

Heat (steam) supplied to stripper in shell side
Steam Flow- 50 .0 T/Hr, at 24 ata, 2220C, Latent heat 1771.4 KJ/Kg
Total Heat= 50000 *1771=8.857 *107 KJ/Hr
Now Heat input=Heat output
14.37 *107 + 8.857*107=12.34*107 +10.88*107
23.22*107KJ/Hr=23.22*107 KJ/Hr.
Calculations for estimation of additional energy to be removed to bring down CO 2 temperature

from 50ºC to 40ºC
CO2 flow at the exit of the Separator B-3306
Components Flow (Nm³/h
CO2 49349
N2 50
H2 323
H2O 4446
Total flow (dry) 49722
Total flow (wet) 54168
Water (liquid) at the bottom of the separator=15764 kg/hr
=15764/18*22.414 Nm³/h=19630 Nm3/hr
Hence total water vapour at the inlet of 1st regeneration overhead condenser=4446+19630-24076 Nm3/hr.
CO2 Flow at inlet of regenerator overhead condenser.
Sr. Components Flow, Mole Fraction Mole Molecular Molecular
3
No. Nm /hr fraction weight with weight,
value mole fraction kg
1 CO2 49349 49349/73798= 0.6687 44*0.6687= 29.42
2 N2 50 50/73798= 0.0007 28*0.0007= 0.0196
3 H2 323 323/73798= 0.0044 2*0.0044= 0.00288
4 H2O 24076 24076/73798= 0.3262 18*0.3262= 5.816
10
5 Total (dry) 49722

6 Total (wet) 73798
7 Molecular weight of the Gas 35.32
Quantity of water condensation at 400C

Vapour of water at 400C=0.073 kg/cm2a
Total Pressure=0.5 kg/cm2g
Hence Absolute pressure=0.5 +0.9928 kg/cm2a=1.4928 kg/cm2a
𝟒𝟗𝟕𝟐𝟐∗𝟎.𝟎𝟕𝟑
Hence water vapour at the exit of the separator at 400C=
𝟏.𝟒𝟗𝟐𝟖 𝟎.𝟎𝟕𝟑
=2556 Nm3/hr
Hence Total water vapour condensed =24056-2556=21520 Nm3/hr
𝟐𝟏𝟓𝟐𝟎∗𝟏𝟖
𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐝 = Kg/Hr=17282 kg/hr.
𝟐𝟐.𝟒
Cp of the gas=0.24 kcal
Gas inlet temperature to separator=93.90C
Gas outlet temperature to separator=400C
Latent Heat of water at 400C=577 k.cal/kg
Hence the Total Heat load= =73798*0.24*53.9*35/22.414+17282*577
=11462424 k.cal/hr
11.46 G.Cal/hr
Heat load of the existing condenser in revamp case=10.24 G.Cal/Hr
Hence, requirement of additional heat load=11.46-10.24=1.22 G.Cal/hr
Pool Reactor calculation
Sr. No Components % Moles
1 Ammonia 29.60 1.741
2 CO2 18.90 0.430
3 Urea(include biuret) 33.00 0.550
4 Water 18.50 1.028
5 Total 100.00 3.748
Sr. No. CO2 required for 0.55 moles of urea 0.550 moles
1 Reactor outlet CO2 is 0.430 moles
Therefore Reactor inlet CO2 would be 0.550+0.430=0.980 moles
2 NH3 required for 0.550 moles of Urea 0.550*2=1.10 moles
Reactor outlet NH3 is 1.741 moles
Therefore Reactor inlet NH3 would be 1.10+1.741=2.841 moles
3 H2O at Reactor inlet 1.028-0.550=0.478 moles
Inlet CO2 − Outlet CO2
𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 =
Inlet CO2
. .
𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = ==56.1%
.
N/C Ratio=2.841/0.980=2.9.H/C ratio=0.478/0.980=0.49
11
Fig- CO2 stripping (small plant 188 TPD)

Conclusion
The era of small plants has gone, now is the era of big mega urea plants, the stripper has a huge role in
that. The plant’s capacity depends upon stripper. Now the era is one ammonia and one urea single stream
plants. Earlier there were one ammonia and two urea plants. Now the era is of 4000-5000 TPD urea
plants.Big plants mean everything is bigger too much. explosive hazards and more stress on equipments
lines. There are many problems in start up and shut down in mega plants. The more passivation air also
creates safety issues. Fixing corroded stripper tubes is exceptionally costly. Even a few days of downtime
can cost businesses millions in lost revenue. Replacing strippers every 10 years is also a time-consuming
and costly procedure.
************************************************************************************
12

Some Facts About Urea Stripper by Prem B

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www.researchgate.

net 28 th Sept, 2022

Fig-Ammonia & CO2 Stripping

Fig- Ammonia stripping process

CA = Concentration of A in solution. CB = Optimum heat balance with the export of LP

introduced in stripper, is advantageous

Stripper Vs decomposer water carryover

Comparison of Ammonia & CO2 Stripper

2 Nos of Tubes Less About 150 % tubes more

6 Stripper inlet 188 185

The Omega bond stripper is so costly, not

Fig- Comparison of stripping process

CO2 Stripper Detail Ammonia Stripper

Stripper Material and Heat balance

Stripper Outlet Liquid

Kg/hr Wt % mole % Mol Fraction, x Sp. Heat, Cp Kg Mol/Hr Σ x.cp

CO2 12840 7.88 0.17905812 0.049581057 56.8 291.82 2.82

Stripper outlet stream (Vapour)

Sensible Heat of vapour 45940162.51 KJ/Hr

Latent Heat of Vaporization 62957800 KJ/Hr

Total 108897962.5 KJ/Hr

Calculations for estimation of additional energy to be removed to bring down CO 2 temperature

5 Total (dry) 49722

Quantity of water condensation at 400C

Fig- CO2 stripping (small plant 188 TPD)

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