How to deal with clogged downcomers in spray-type saturators?
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How to deal with clogged downcomers in spray-type saturators? The resistance of the saturator used for replenishing the mother liquor has risen to 4000 Pa; solve this issue!
Could you please provide the information on the mother liquor temperature, specific gravity, and crystal ratio? The issue you’re referring to is likely caused by the small size of the AN sulfate crystals, which makes it difficult to remove them using a centrifuge.
The mother liquor is discharged when its temperature is 50°C, its specific gravity is 1.26, and the crystal ratio is 30%; discharge stops when the crystal ratio is 10%. The main problems are that the current and pressure of the mother liquor circulation pump are low, there is a vacuum condition in the crystallization chamber of the saturator, and the resistance of the saturator is low – it should normally be 2000 Pa, but it is currently at 1000 Pa. Upon analysis, it was found that the downcomer is blocked. What measures can be taken to address this issue?
Since the operating conditions vary from company to company, the ratio is low and the crystal ratio is high in your case; it’s likely that the mother liquor balance is abnormal. Is there a phenomenon of low consumption of mother liquor? It is best to check the mother liquor temperature remote transmission. It is recommended to keep the mother liquid ratio at a lower level, with the temperature of the mother liquid controlled at 53°C. The material should be discharged from the centrifuge once 2/3 of the crystallization tank has been filled; this may require more effort from the workers. The acidity is controlled at 3–4%.
There are many possible scenarios: check whether discharge is taking place normally, inspect the bottom mixing tube, examine the diagonal connection tubes, and finally consider the possibility of blockages in the internal components
First, it’s necessary to determine what caused the blockage: 1. Is it due to excessive and fine crystallization, resulting in a high crystal-to-liquid ratio that led to the blockage of the downcomer? 2, is it still due to an inappropriate pressure difference between the crystallization chamber and the absorption chamber?
To increase the acid concentration, just add water; pay attention to cleaning regularly. Working in the chemical industry is like being a health practitioner – one shouldn’t wait until something is wrong before taking action; by resolving such issues, you can be considered highly skilled! But it’s also the tragedy of those in the technical field!