WSA process

description
Medco Power, Indonesia, June 2016
Adam Poulsen, WSA & SNOX Technical Service
Agenda

1. Introduction to the WSA process

2. The individual process steps/equipment
3. Questions
WSA Technology
Steam
64,000 lb/h
415 psig/842ºF
Clean Off-gas

WSA

2,271 lbmol/h
1.85% H2S
89% CO2 214 ppm SO2
4,193 lb/h H2SO4
Trace CS2 (>97% reduction)
(95.5% purity)
 Process Description

 Main process steps

 Chemical processes and main operating parameters

 The process description refers to flowsheets “HP Design Normal

Ambient”

Document numbers:

 P41101

 P41102
 Process Description

Process layout
Acid gas + Raw LP fuel gas

Combustion to SO2 containing process gas

Process gas cooling Cooling by boiler & super-heater

Steam export to steam turbine

Conversion of SO2 and process gas cooling Cooling by boiler

SO3 hydration and acid condensation

Acid concentration

Acid cooling and acid product

 Process Description

Process steps
 Combustion of acid gas + raw LP (Liquefied Petroleum) fuel gas in combustor,
H-4011

 Process gas cooling in waste heat boiler (WHB), E-4012, and steam superheater,
E-4013

 Conversion of SO2 to SO3 in SO2 converter, R-4014

 Hydration of SO3 and acid condensation in WSA condenser, E-4015

 Acid concentration

 Acid circulation

 Steam system and steam export to steam turbine

 Reaction:

WSA process reactions H2SO4 (g) → H2SO4 (liq)

Super-heated Stack gas

steam Blower
Combustion air
SO2
“S” feedstock Converter Blower
Air
Combustor

Reactions: WSA
Condenser
H2S + 1.5 O2 → SO2 + H2O
CS2 + 3 O2 → 2 SO2 + CO2
Process
gas
cooler
Steam
Drum Dry air unit
Reaction:
SO2 + 0.5 O2 → SO3 MCU

Reaction:
Acid cooler
SO3 + H2O → H2SO4 (g)
BFW Product acid
from deaerator
 Process Description

Combustion (combustor, H-4011)

 Sulphur containing feeds incinerated into a SO2 containing process gas
 Acid gas

 Raw LP fuel gas (or fuel gas)

 Raw LP fuel gas is used for temperature control and
ensuring complete burn-out

 Fuel gas (sulfur-free) is used for plant heat-up and during

reduced load operation to ensure a minimum flow

 Combustion air from combustion air blower, C-4022

 Ensure sufficient oxygen surplus in process gas

 Hot combustion air from outlet WSA condenser is used to minimize fuel consumption
 Process Description

Process gas cooling

 Waste heat boiler, E-4012
 One-pass fire tube heat exchanger (504 tubes) with internal bypass pass (19 tubes)
and dampers on main and bypass side

 Heat exchange with boiler water from steam drum, V-4024, to produce steam

 Cooling from 1787°F (975°C) to 1030°F (554°C)

 Process Description

Process gas cooling

 Steam superheater, E-4013
 Cross flow heat exchanger with finned tubes (192 tubes)

 Heat exchange with saturated steam from steam drum, V-4024, to produce
superheated steam at 842°F (450°C)

 Process gas cooling from 1030°F (554°C) to 752°F (400°C)

 Process Description

Conversion of SO2 to SO3 in SO2 converter, R-4014

 SO2 (g) + ½ O2 (g) ↔ SO3 (g) + 42.591 Btu/lbmol
– Exothermic reaction. Approximately 86°F (30°C) increase per mol% of SO2

 SO2 converter, R-4014:

1 catalytic bed
 Loaded with Topsoe VK-catalyst for wet acid gas

 Catalyst bed: 752°F (400°C) → 777F°C (414°C)

 Total conversion ≈ 97.4 %

 Process Description

Conversion of SO2 to SO3 in SO2 converter, R-4014

 Temperature and concentration dependent equilibrium reaction ( see
appendix 3 and 4 in Operating Guidelines)
 SO2 converter – how does it work?
0.69 vol% SO2
752 °F
100 3.10 vol% O2
SO 2 conversion [%]

80
Catalyst inactive

60

40

20

0 777 °F
662 707 752 797 842 887 932 977 1022
Temperature [°F]
 Process Description

SO2 converter, R-4014

 Catalyst bed:
Hint…
– VK-WSA, 25 mm daisy: 268 ft3

– VK-WSA, 12 mm daisy: 3,637 ft3

– Inert ¾” ceramic saddles: 89 ft3

 Dust protection – principle
SO2 converter, R-4014, VK-WSA 25 mm daisy dust guard
principle:
 Process Description

SO2 converter, R-4014

 Supported liquid phase catalyst (SLP) so when active it is a melt

 VK-WSA is an alkali-promoted vanadium pentoxide catalyst

 The VK-WSA 25 mm dust guard layer is a sacrificial layer and should be
completely replaced after 2 screenings

VK- VK-
VK- VK- WSA WH
WSX WL

9 mm Daisy VK-WSA 25 mm 12 mm
Daisy Daisy
 Process Description

Hydration of SO3 and sulfuric acid condensation

 After conversion of SO2 to SO3, SO3 is hydrated due to the presence of
water vapour:

 SO3 (g) + H2O (g) ↔ H2SO4 (g) + 43.451 Btu/lbmol

– Exothermic reaction

– Takes place in process gas cooler, E-4034, and in WSA condenser, E-4015

– Due to presence of gaseous sulfuric acid, temperature in process gas duct between
E-4034 and E-4015 to be observed to stay above dew point of sulfuric acid

 H2SO4 (g) → H2SO4 (l)

H2SO4 (l) + H2O (g) → H2SO4 (l, 94.5 wt% conc.)

– Takes place in WSA condenser, E-4015

 Process Description

WSA condenser, E-4015

 During cooling SO3 is hydrated to H2SO4

 Falling-film shell and tube type condenser with vertical glass tubes

 Process gas with H2SO4 flows upward inside glass tubes

 Condensed H2SO4 flows downward along the inside of the glass tubes

 Glass spirals inside tubes improves heat transfer

 H2SO4 is collected at dew point temperature

 Cooling is carried out by ambient air on the shell side in 6 passes (cross
flow) – cooling to 212°F (100°C)

 Process gas leaving the top contains maximum 10 ppm acid mist
 Process Description

WSA condenser, E-4015

Clean gas
outlet
Cooling air inlet
(from C-4031)

Hot air outlet

Acid
strength (%) 94.5% 70% Acid
gas
inlet

Sulfuric acid
(to Acid cooling system)
WSA condenser details
Clean gas outlet
Demister pad

Cooling air inlet

Tube demister

Baffle plates

Glass tubes Hot air outlet

Sulphuric acid
Acid gas inlet
 Process Description

WSA condenser, E-4015

 Process Description

WSA condenser, E-4015

 Cooling air to the WSA condenser, E-4015, is supplied by cooling air
blower, C-4031
 Cooling air is filtered to avoid dust on shell side of heat exchangers
 Dust in the process gas can influence the acid mist control, foul the catalyst and
pollute the produced acid
 Hence cooling air is filtered (elevated 3 m above ground)

 A maximum ∆T of 85°C (~153°F) between clean gas outlet and cooling air
inlet due to acid mist formation
 Process Description

Hot air from WSA condenser, E-4015

 The hot air from the WSA condenser, E-4015, is split into two streams:

1. Used as combustion air in combustor, H-4011, to reduce fuel

consumption

2. Heat is utilized for preheating of BFW

 Excess air vented to atmosphere (after utilizing heat for BFW preheating)
 Process Description

Acid mist control

 If no special precautions are taken, condensation of sulfuric acid may
result in acid mist due to too small acid droplets

 Mist control unit (MCU), Z-4030 A/B, is used to control acid mist
– Produces gas stream with small silicone particles by burning silicone oil vapour

– Added upstream WSA condenser, E-4015

– Silicone particles acts as nuclei which gives bigger droplet size

– Separation in glass tube demisters in WSA condenser, E-4015

 Process Description

Concentration of sulfuric acid in acid concentrator

 Brick lined packed bed column with ceramic saddles. Located below
WSA condenser, E-4015

 Concentrates the produced acid from 94.5 wt% to 95.5 wt%

 Stripping process: Removal of water from the produced acid

 Process Description

Dry Air Unit, PK-4037

 The Dry Air Unit, PK-4037, delivers hot dry air for the stripping process

 Air is filtered, dehumidified, pressurized and heated to 428°F (220°C)

 The efficiency of the water stripping from the acid is controlled by the flow
of hot dry air
 Process Description

Acid circulation system

 Hot acid leaves the Acid Concentrator below the WSA condenser, E-4015, at approx.
366°F (186°C)
 The system conducts a two step cooling:

– Mixing the hot acid with already cooled acid to about 144°F (62°C) in the
acid vessel, V-4016

– Further cooling in acid cooler, E-4018, to about 104°F (40°C)

 The acid circulation rate is fixed and maintained by the acid pump, P-4017 A/B, in order to
limit the temperature in the acid circulation system to below 144°F (62°C)
 Product acid finally routed to battery limit:

– Approximately 4,000 lb/h at 104°F (40°C) and 58 psig (4 bar g)

– Flow controlled by level in acid vessel, V-4016

 Process Description

Acid circulation system

 Equipment:
– All acid resistant material
– Fluoropolymers PTFE (polytetrafluorethylene), ECTFE (ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene) and
Hastelloy C (Ni-alloy)
 Process Description

Steam system
 Equipment (please see “Steam Generation PFD”, P41102)
–Deaerator V-4027, BFW Pump P-4028 A/B, BFW Preheater E-4035,
steam drum V-4024, waste heat boiler E-4012, steam superheater E-4013,
process gas cooler, E-4034, steam turbine, ST-4023, steam cooler, E-4025,
and condensate pump, P-4029 A/B

 Purpose
–BFW preparation (oxygen removal, pH adjustment, etc.) & preheating of BFW

–Ensure sufficient low temperatures in SO2 converter, R-4014, to obtain the best
conditions for the catalyst

– Partially removal of reaction heat from hydration of SO3 to H2SO4

– Superheat and export steam to steam turbine at 842°F (450°C) and 515 psig (29 bar g)
 PFD / MSD Excercise

After the break……..let’s discuss the following:

 What is the pressure in the Steam Drum ?

 How much is the blow down rate ?

 Which information can be found on the MSD ?

 What is the max. design temperature of the WSA Condenser top cover ?

 What is the minimum required flow through the WSA plant ?

 What is the pressure difference over the lower tube plate in the WSAC ?

 Why does the export steam needs to be superheated ?

15 min break