Purification of gases containing sulfur compounds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11607643-B2
Application number	US-202217688164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2022
Priority date	May 16, 2018
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

A system includes a purification unit configured to process a vapor stream including sulfur dioxide. The purification unit includes an inlet configured to allow the vapor stream to enter the purification unit. The purification unit includes a steam coil configured to circulate steam and provide a source of heat. The purification unit includes a packed bed. The purification unit includes a tray configured to accumulate sulfur. The purification unit includes an absorber section configured to remove at least a portion of the sulfur dioxide from the vapor stream. The purification unit includes an outlet configured to allow an effluent with a lower sulfur dioxide content than the vapor stream to exit the purification unit. The system includes a sulfur tank including a vent line in fluid communication with the inlet. The vent line is configured to allow vapor to flow from the sulfur tank to the purification unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A purification unit configured to process a vapor stream comprising sulfur dioxide, the purification unit comprising:
a steam coil configured to circulate steam and provide a source of heat to a vapor stream comprising sulfur dioxide, the vapor stream received through an inlet of the purification unit;
a packed bed;
a tray above the packed bed, the tray configured to accumulate sulfur;
an absorber section above the tray, the absorber section configured to remove at least a portion of the sulfur dioxide from the vapor stream; and
an outlet at or near a top of the purification unit, the outlet configured to allow an effluent with a lower sulfur dioxide content than the vapor stream to exit the purification unit.

2. The purification unit of claim 1 , wherein the packed bed comprises structured packing, random packing, or combinations thereof.

3. The purification unit of claim 1 , wherein the packed bed comprises a wire mesh and rings, each ring comprising a length and a diameter, the length being approximately equal to the diameter.

4. The purification unit of claim 1 , wherein the absorber section comprises a bed of catalyst having a honeycomb structure.

5. The purification unit of claim 1 , wherein the steam coil is configured to maintain a temperature within the purification unit at approximately 180 degrees Celsius (° C.).

6. The purification unit of claim 1 , wherein the purification unit further comprises a sulfur drain configured to allow accumulated sulfur flow from the tray to exit the purification unit.

7. The purification unit of claim 6 , further comprising electric tracing, steam tracing, or combinations thereof to maintain in the vent line and the sulfur drain, a sufficiently high temperature to prevent solidification of sulfur.

8. The purification unit of claim 1 , further comprising a manhole attached to a side of the purification unit, the manhole configured to be opened to allow an operator to enter the purification unit.

9. The purification unit of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure safety valve configured to open to relieve fluid from the purification unit in response to pressure in the purification unit rising above a threshold pressure.

10. The purification unit of claim 1 , wherein the steam coil is a first steam coil, wherein the purification unit comprises a plurality of steam coils including the first steam coil.

11. The purification unit of claim 10 , wherein the first steam coil is located near a bottom of the purification unit and the second steam coil is located near a middle of the purification unit.

12. The purification unit of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of steam coils maintain a temperature within the purification unit that is sufficiently high to prevent solidification of sulfur.

13. The purification unit of claim 1 , further comprising steam jacketing to maintain temperature and prevent heat loss.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Mohandas Subindas M
• Salah Saeed A

Classifications

• B01D2256/24

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title

• B01D53/523

  Mixtures of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur oxides · CPC title

• B01D53/1481 Primary

  Removing sulfur dioxide or sulfur trioxide · CPC title

• B01D19/0073

  by a method not covered by groups B01D19/0005 - B01D19/0042 · CPC title

• C01B17/0232

  Purification, e.g. degassing · CPC title