Magazine: 395 Jul-Aug 2021

Sulphur ’s annual listing of new or recently completed sulphur forming projects worldwide covers both new sour gas and refinery sulphur forming projects as well as upgrades at existing units.

Significant capacity additions in the Middle East are still awaited. The more positive outlook for fuel demand is providing support to seeing these projects ramp up in the coming months. New supply is expected from Saudi Arabia following the commissioning of a gas project in 2020, sulphur availability is likely to improve from the country through the second half of 2021 and into 2022 as a result.

Are the three “T”s (temperature, turbulence, time) of Claus unit ammonia destruction still meaningful with improved understanding of the thermal reactor? CFD models appear to be adequate at higher temperatures, e.g. 1,200°C, but not at lower temperatures, e.g. 800°C and 1,000°C. A. Keller, on behalf of the Amine Best Practices Group, reviews how meaningful the rules of thumb for Claus unit ammonia destruction really are.

New state-of-the-art equipment has been installed in the thermal stage of one of Europe’s largest Claus SRU units. Substoichiometric firing and a furnace designed with CFD calculations and a modern compact boiler system design based on detailed heat engineering and FEM calculations were key to the success of the retrofit. P. Foith of CS Combustion Solutions reports on the retrofit and how the novel combination of a CS low pressure swirl burner, additional mixing using a VectorWall™ and a new waste heat boiler design achieved the desired results.

Sulphur processing and handling equipment manufacturer IPCO has completed the commissioning of a groundbreaking new drum granulator in Italy that will serve as a global showcase for this patented system. C. Metheral of IPCO, describes the innovative approach and key features of the SG20 sulphur granulation system.