Method for revamping an ammonia plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11091373-B2
Application number	US-201515529034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2015
Priority date	Nov 27, 2014
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A method for revamping an ammonia plant including a steam system, said steam system comprising at least a high-pressure section operating at a first pressure and a medium-pressure section operating at a second pressure lower than said first pressure, the revamping including: the provision of at least one additional heat recovery by means of a steam flow at a third pressure which is intermediate between said first and second pressure, and the provision of a steam export line arranged to export outside the ammonia plant at least a portion of said steam flow at said third pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for revamping a pre-existing ammonia plant including a steam system, said steam system comprising at least a first section operating at a first pressure and a second section operating at a second pressure lower than said first pressure,
the revamping including:
installation of a new steam user in the first section of the steam system, said new steam user having a steam input taken from the first section and a steam output providing a steam flow at a third pressure which is intermediate between said first and second pressure, for a heat recovery, and
provision of a steam export line arranged to export outside the ammonia plant at least a portion of said steam flow at said third pressure.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
said ammonia plant is part of an installation including other ammonia plants, and
said steam is exported to another ammonia plant of the installation, having a medium-pressure steam section operating at said third pressure.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein operation of an existing medium-pressure steam user of the steam system is discontinued, and the discontinued steam user is replaced by said new high-pressure steam user.

4. The method according to claim 1 , said new high-pressure steam user being a steam turbine, comprising a steam extraction to provide said steam flow at said third pressure.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein operation of an existing steam turbine of the ammonia plant, fed with steam at said second pressure, is discontinued, and said existing steam turbine is replaced by said new steam turbine.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said new steam turbine is a multi-stage turbine, and said steam extraction being taken after one or more stage(s) of the turbine.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said third pressure is at least 5 bar above said second pressure.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said second pressure is less than 40 bar and said third pressure is 40 to 60 bar.

Assignees

• Casale Sa

Inventors

• Panza Sergio
• Bruni Costantino

Classifications

• C01B3/02

  Production of hydrogen; Production of gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen · CPC title

• C01C1/04 Primary

  Preparation of ammonia by synthesis (preparation or purification of gas mixtures for ammonia synthesis C01B3/025) · CPC title

• C01B2203/142

  At least two reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in series · CPC title

• C01B2203/068

  Ammonia synthesis · CPC title

• C01B3/025 Primary

  Preparation or purification of gas mixtures for ammonia synthesis · CPC title