Scribd
Upload
184 views2 pages

Inthe1 Converter Occurs Twice A Gas Cooling Through The Two Heat Exchanger Interbed Cooler and Process Gas Cooler

The document summarizes the four main steps of the Topsoe WSA process for producing sulfuric acid from elemental sulfur: 1) Sulfur is combusted at 1100°C to produce SO2 flue gas which is cooled in a waste heat boiler. 2) The gas is further cooled through heat exchangers to generate steam while SO2 is oxidized to SO3 in catalytic converters. 3) The gas is cooled on through additional heat exchanges and condensers where SO3 hydrates to sulfuric acid vapor. 4) The acid vapor condenses and is collected in the bottom of the final condenser at 200°C before concentration and cooling.

Uploaded by

rudy_423522658
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
184 views2 pages

Inthe1 Converter Occurs Twice A Gas Cooling Through The Two Heat Exchanger Interbed Cooler and Process Gas Cooler

The document summarizes the four main steps of the Topsoe WSA process for producing sulfuric acid from elemental sulfur: 1) Sulfur is combusted at 1100°C to produce SO2 flue gas which is cooled in a waste heat boiler. 2) The gas is further cooled through heat exchangers to generate steam while SO2 is oxidized to SO3 in catalytic converters. 3) The gas is cooled on through additional heat exchanges and condensers where SO3 hydrates to sulfuric acid vapor. 4) The acid vapor condenses and is collected in the bottom of the final condenser at 200°C before concentration and cooling.

Uploaded by

rudy_423522658
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Haldor Topsoe

The technology offered for the production of sulfuric acid on the basis of elemental sulfur is the
Topsoe WSA process (Wet gas Sulfuric Acid).
The process consists of four main steps that are tightly integrated:
a. Combustion of sulfur
If the feedstock is solid sulfur, it has to be melted and filtered before being pumped into the
WSA plant. The flow of combustion air to the combustor is adjusted to reach a temperature
of 1100C in the furnace. With this approach along with a high oxygen surplus a very
good burn-out of all sulfur is achieved in the furnace. The flue gas from the combustion
containing around 10 vol.-% SO2 is cooled in the downstream waste heat boiler (WHB).
The temperature downstream the WHB is controlled through an internal bypass.
Downstream the WHB, the process gas is further cooled by superheating of steam in the
steam superheater.
b. Gas cooling and steam generation
In the 1st converter occurs twice a gas cooling through the two heat exchanger; interbed
cooler and process gas cooler. In the WSA plant steam is generated in two boilers; the
waste heat boiler and the process gas cooler, which are connected to a common steam
drum. From the steam drum the steam flows through the interbed cooler where the steam is
superheated by the heat generated from the oxidation of SO2 to SO3 and afterwards the
superheated steam is routed to the 3rd process gas heater, where it is used for heating of the
process gas.
c. Oxidation of SO2 and subsequent cooling
The process gas is introduced to the 1st SO2 converter at approximately 410C. The 1st
converter has 2 catalytic conversion stages. Both stages, and also the catalyst bed in the 2nd
SO2 converter, are charged with Topsoe VK-W catalysts.
SO2 is oxidized to SO3 according to the following exothermic reaction:
SO2 + O2 SO3
+ 24 kcal/mole
The reaction is a temperature and concentration dependent equilibrium reaction, and
inorder to achieve a high conversion rate, it is necessary to cool the process gas between
the catalytic beds in order to optimize the temperature approach to equilibrium. The cooling
of the process gas between the reaction steps is supplemented by a partial removal of SO3
by reaction of condensation in the 1st WSA condenser. The process gas is cooled
downstream the 1st catalyst bed in the interbed cooler by heat exchange with steam from
the steam drum to achieve the desired temperature inlet the 2nd catalyst bed. In the process

gas cooler, the gas is cooled to 290C, before it enters the 1st WSA condenser. During this
step, the SO3 is partly hydrated to sulfuric acid vapor according to the reaction:
SO3 + H2O H2SO4 (g)
+ 25 kcal/mole
Before the process gas enters the 2nd WSA condenser the SO2 is further oxidized to SO3 in
the 2nd SO2 converter. Subsequently, the process gas is cooled in the 2nd process gas heater.
The presence of gaseous sulfuric acid means that the acid dew point of the process gas is
relatively high, and therefore the outlet temperature of the process gas from the 2nd process
gas heater has to be well above the acid dew point, but still low enough to enter the 2nd
WSA condenser without damaging the materials used in the 2nd WSA condenser.
In the 2nd WSA condenser the gas is further cooled with ambient air. During the cooling all
of the remaining SO3 is hydrated to H2SO4, and the acid is condensed inside the vertical
glass tubes of the 2nd WSA condenser. The cooling air leaves the 2nd WSA condenser at a
temperature of around 200C and is used for conditioning of the stack gas. Before entering
the stack, the hot air is heated by condensing steam from the internal steam system in the
air heater in order to bring the stack temperature up well above its dew point. The acid is
collected at approximately 200C in the bottom of the 2nd WSA condenser.
d. Acid condensation, concentration and cooling

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy