Problem No. 24: Why is the minimum urea plant load 60%?
It is commonly known that any urea plant has a certain minimum plant load, typically 60% of its design capacity. But why is this so critical for urea plants?
Section: CRUNS Plant Manager+
Problem No. 23: CO₂ compressor capacity limitation
The CO2 compressor in a urea plant is often a limiting factor in the urea plant. This discussion shares experiences on how best to debottleneck this unique and interesting high-pressure rotating piece of equipment.
Problem No. 22: How to strengthen prilled urea product
Approximately 75% of all urea plants worldwide still produce prills. This discussion reports on the experiences of different plants and the solutions available to increase the strength of urea prills to reduce dust problems during handling.
Problem No. 21: Vibrations in the discharge line of the HP reciprocating carbamate pump
In all urea plants, high pressure pumps are used to pump the feedstock ammonia and carbon dioxide to the high pressure synthesis section and in most urea plants carbamate liquid is recycled from the recirculation section to the synthesis. Reciprocating pumps are used for these services and sometimes vibration problems occur in the discharge pipeline. This discussion considers the possible causes and solutions to problem.
Problem No. 20: Unblocking pipelines after a urea plant shutdown (continued)
A discussion on what measures can be taken to unblock pipelines and heat exchangers after a urea plant shutdown.
Problem No. 19: High pressure pumps – which is better reciprocating or centrifugal?
In every urea plant, high-pressure pumps are used to pump the feedstock ammonia and carbon dioxide to the high-pressure synthesis section and in most urea plants carbamate liquid is recycled from the recirculation section to the synthesis section. This discussion compares the advantages and disadvantages of reciprocating and centrifugal pumps based on operating experiences in the industry.
Problem No. 18: HP stripper passivation air
Austenitic stainless steel can be protected against carbamate corrosion in urea plants by adding oxygen in the urea process. This discussion explores the experiences with different amounts of oxygen in the HP stripper in various urea processes.
Problem No. 17: Loose liner or overlay welding?
A discussion about the differences between loose liners and overlay welding for protection of high pressure equipment in urea plants.
Problem No. 16: High pressure scrubber problem
Sometimes a serious problem occurs in a urea plant, which forces the plant to reduce capacity or even forces a shutdown. It is then vital to find the root cause of the problem as soon as possible, especially if the problem repeats. Such a situation happened at Khorasan Petrochemical Company in Iran which experienced a problem with the high pressure scrubber.
Problem No. 15: Pressure safety valve experiences
Pressure safety valves are critical equipment items in any chemical process plant. This article discusses experiences and challenges of pressure safety valves in urea plants.