The 800-ton R-GAS gasifier and the 4,000-ton/day multi-nozzle gasifier were selected as among the top ten news stories in the chemical equipment sector

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The 800-ton R-GAS gasification furnace, the David methanol synthesis tower, and the 4,000 tons/day multi-nozzle gasification furnace were among the top 10 news stories in the chemical equipment sector for 2019. Author/Source: Sinochem News Network. Date: 2020-03-04. Clicks: 24. Over the past year, enterprises in China’s chemical equipment industry have achieved further success in terms of market promotion and the localization of high-end equipment, with their overall capabilities continuing to improve, thereby helping to advance the petroleum and chemical industries toward higher levels. The China Chemical Industry News · Intelligent Manufacturing Weekly has also provided comprehensive coverage of chemical equipment produced in China as well as those that represent Chinese innovation. This article summarizes the top 10 news stories in the field of chemical equipment in 2019 (in chronological order), allowing readers to review this remarkable year for the industry. 　　1. China’s largest ion liquid alkylation plant comes online On March 31, Sinopec’s first ion liquid alkylation plant with the largest production capacity in China – the 300,000-ton/year alkylation plant at Jiujiang Petrochemical – was successfully put into operation. The high-octane alkylated oil products produced by this device can provide higher-quality and cleaner blending components for the upgrading of National VI gasoline in China. They help to reduce the emission of impurities from vehicle exhausts, thereby further improving air quality in urban areas. Additionally, they lay a solid foundation for further enhancing the quality of National VI gasoline. 　　The ionic liquid alkylation technology used in this project was developed by the ionic liquid research team at the Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil, China University of Petroleum, and won the Second Prize for Technical Invention in 2017. This technology overcomes the serious problems associated with traditional alkylation processes, such as equipment corrosion, environmental pollution, and health hazards; it represents a completely new green, safe, and environmentally friendly carbon tetraalkylation technique. This technology has pioneered a new type of composite ionic liquid that can replace traditional hydrofluoric acid/concentrated sulfuric acid as a catalyst. It has been used in industrial units designed for the production of 100,000 tons per year of ionic liquid alkylates, where long-term operation has been achieved with an olefin conversion rate of 100%; the octane number RON of the alkylated oils remains above 95. This development has broken the technical monopoly held by international oil companies in the field of producing clean petroleum products. 　　2. Commissioning of the world’s largest industrial turbine for drive purposes On June 19, the commissioning ceremony for the industrial turbine used to drive the cracking gas compressor in the 1.5 million-ton per year ethylene production facility of Hengli Petrochemical’s integrated refining and chemical processing project, located on Changxing Island in Dalian, was held at Hangzhou Turbine Co., Ltd.’s final assembly workshop. The steam turbine unit underwent 4 hours of no-load testing and successfully completed all the items specified in the testing plan; it operated stably, with the rotor vibration level being less than 20 micrometers, and all its performance indicators were satisfactory. The successful commissioning of the turbine for the 1.5 million tons per year ethylene plant manufactured by Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd. marks the birth of the world’s largest industrial turbine for driving purposes in Hangzhou. It also indicates that Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd. now possesses full capabilities for designing and manufacturing industrial turbines of over one million ton capacity for ethylene production. This represents another step forward in China’s ability to design and manufacture such equipment, with the domestic level of design and manufacturing for industrial drive turbines having reached international top standards. 　　The industrial steam turbine used to drive the cracking gas compressor in Dalian Hengli Refining & Chemical’s 1.5 million tons per year ethylene plant has an operating power of up to 90,000 kW, with a maximum designed capacity of 100,000 kW. Ye Zhong, General Manager of Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd., said that the complete localization of industrial steam turbines for the 1.5 million tons per year \"ethylene tri-machine\" plant represents another significant technical breakthrough in the localization of large-scale ethylene production equipment in China, and it holds milestone significance in the country’s petrochemical industry. 　　3. World’s first R-GAS gasifier delivered On June 22, the world’s first R-GAS gasifier, which is the core equipment for the 800-ton capacity R-GAS gasification technology industrial demonstration project of Yangmei Group Taiyuan Chemical New Materials Co., Ltd. and was manufactured by Shanxi Yangmei Chemical Machinery (Group) Co., Ltd., was successfully produced and delivered, entering the equipment installation phase. 　　The R-GAS gasification furnace utilizes patented technology from the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) in the United States; it is the world’s first of its kind, featuring advanced process technology. Drawing on the design experience of injectors from the aerospace industry, this technology allows the temperature in the vaporization zone to reach up to 2500°C, enabling the vaporization of low-quality coals with high ash fusion points and other similar materials. Its development and application can fundamentally solve the problem of direct gasification of high ash fusion point coal in Shanxi Province and across the country. Once successfully implemented, it is expected to bring about a historic transformation in the green utilization of low-quality coal in Shanxi Province. 　　Calculations show that by using this technology, the production cost of syngas in Shanxi region can be reduced by 0.2 yuan per standard cubic meter; the cost of synthetic ammonia can be lowered by approximately 420 yuan per ton, while the production cost of urea can be reduced by about 246 yuan per ton. The project is expected to be mechanically completed in August this year, ready for commissioning trials. 　　4. All three units of the Hengyi Brunei project have been completed. Following the completion of the hydrotreating unit of the Hengyi (Brunei) PMB petrochemical plant with a capacity of 8 million tons per year, which was constructed by China National Chemical Engineering Second Construction Company, on June 26, the hydrocracking unit and the flexible coking unit were also completed on July 10. The successful completion of these three major installations to a high standard marks the official entry into production phase of the Hengyi (Brunei) PMB petrochemical project, demonstrating China’s \"speed\" in the construction of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. 　　The first phase of this project is designed with a crude oil processing capacity of 8 million tons per year, and its main production facilities include six separate units such as refining units, chemical production units, and oil storage and transportation systems. As one of the three major types of units, the flexible coking unit is the first of its kind built by Chinese companies under the Belt and Road Initiative, and it is the seventh such unit in the world. Compared with conventional delayed coking coke drum technologies, the design of flexible coking units utilizes Exxon Mobil’s technology, which eliminates the periodic fluctuations in processing capacity and operational risks associated with switching between coking cycles, as well as reducing the labor intensity required for coke removal. The coke produced is used to generate flexible gas, thus solving the problem of what to do with low-value coke. It also prevents coking of reactor tubes and pipelines due to high-temperature feedstock, thereby avoiding plant shutdowns; furthermore, there are no restrictions imposed by feed heating furnaces, giving it greater adaptability to different types of feedstock. download-20200304100657.jpg The image shows the project site. (Photographed by Geng Mingyue, our newspaper’s reporter) 5. Domestic production of David methanol synthesis towers Our newspaper reports that in August, Dongfang Boiler Co., Ltd. successfully manufactured two David methanol synthesis towers, completing the horizontal assembly of their tower shells and tube bundles. Thus, China has successfully developed its own methanol synthesis tower using the David technology for the first time, putting an end to the monopoly of foreign manufacturers over this technology. 　　The synthesis tower is the core equipment of a methanol synthesis plant. The David Technology methanol synthesis tower manufactured by Dongfang Boiler is a key piece of equipment for Ningxia Baofeng’s project with an annual production capacity of 2.2 million tons of methanol; it is currently the largest methanol synthesis tower in the world in terms of coal-based methanol production capacity. This project utilizes technology from the British company Davy, and it represents the first domestic production of Davy methanol synthesis towers. This synthesis tower is a vertical shell-and-tube pressure vessel, an isothermal water-cooled radial tower with tubes; the catalyst is placed on the shell side of the reactor, and medium-pressure steam is generated inside the tubes. The feed synthesis gas passes radially from top to bottom through the shell side containing the catalyst bed; the temperature of the catalyst bed is controlled by regulating the steam pressure, thereby achieving a nearly isothermal temperature distribution. The recycle loop for the methanol synthesis tower manufactured by Dongfang Boiler features two towers connected in series, with fresh gas feed entering separately into the parallel streams of the two towers. The series connection of the circulating gases allows for more thorough contact between the syngas and the catalyst, while the parallel connection of the fresh gases enables precise control over the gas composition in both towers. The boiler water is located on the tube side, with the catalysts filled on the shell side, which allows for an increased amount of catalyst to be used within the tower, resulting in a higher capacity for processing syngas. Moreover, the gas and liquid flow within the tower is radial, which results in lower pressure drops and less energy loss compared to towers with axial flow. 　　6. Sinopec’s first large-scale fluidized-bed residue hydrogenation unit was completed. On September 10, the commissioning ceremony for Zhenhai Refining & Chemical’s 2.6 million tons per year fluidized-bed residue hydrogenation unit was held, marking the completion of Sinopec’s first large-scale fluidized-bed residue hydrogenation unit. 　　This facility is the first large-scale industrial production plant built by Sinopec using the AXENS process technology. It is also the first new project to achieve digital delivery of engineering data, documents, and information models based on the attributes of factory objects, with the EPC construction carried out by Sinopec Luoyang Engineering Co., Ltd. 　　During the construction period, Luoyang Engineering Company carried out a series of engineering technology developments to address challenges such as the online addition and removal of catalysts, as well as the use of high-temperature and high-pressure hydrogen-handling equipment, achieving the localization of key equipment such as high-pressure heat exchangers. At the same time, they adopted a combination of hydraulic lifting and a crawler-mounted rotating crane beam, which enabled the successful one-time lifting of the world’s heaviest single hydrogenation reactor to date (2,389 tons). They overcame construction challenges such as TP347 high-pressure process pipes with a wall thickness of 73 millimeters, as well as piping for boiling pumps whose levelness error had to be no more than 1 millimeter; the welding work achieved a first-pass success rate of 98.01%. 　　In digital delivery, Luoyang Engineering Company developed a PDMS intelligent entity support and hanger design system based on a component library, established a digital factory model involving all relevant disciplines, and achieved simultaneous construction of the digital factory and the physical factory. 　　7. World’s first 7000-type electric-driven fracturing equipment was produced In early October, the 7000-type electric-driven fracturing unit, developed and manufactured by Jerry, was successfully produced and passed all tests. This is the world’s first 7000-type electric fracturing skid. This equipment can **improve fracturing efficiency, enabling long-duration, continuous, high-power operations at drilling sites; it thus contributes to achieving efficient, low-cost, environmentally friendly, and intelligent shale gas extraction in China. 　　The Model 7000 electric fracturing skid is equipped with the world’s most powerful plunger pump, symbolizing the world-leading status of electric fracturing equipment. This electric fracturing skid not only has a \"compact\" design and a tight structure, which meets the requirements of road transportation in mountainous areas and allows for more flexible transportation, but its lubrication and cooling systems have also been significantly improved, resulting in lower noise levels. It is suitable for long-term, continuous operation, while also featuring low energy consumption and no exhaust emissions, making it more economical and environmentally friendly. Its core component is a super plunger pump with an input power of 7,000 horsepower, making it the most powerful plunger pump in the world to date. The power of its electrically driven fracturing equipment is equivalent to that of 2 to 3 conventional 2,500-horsepower fracturing units; one such unit is sufficient for high-volume shale gas fracturing, thereby addressing the challenges associated with operations in natural gas fields. download-20200304100642.jpg The image shows the overall view of the PTA plant. (Photo provided by the company) 8. World’s first 2.2 million tons/year PTA plant comes online On October 30, the 2.2 million tons/year PTA plant of Zhejiang Dushan Energy, owned by Xinfengming Group, was successfully brought online for the first time, with Huisheng Engineering responsible for the overall design of the plant. The commissioning of the Dushan Energy PTA project marks Huisen Engineering as the world’s first company to implement the 2.2 million tons per year BP PTA process technology on a commercial scale. 　　This project is currently the PTA plant with the largest single-series production capacity in the world. It utilizes the latest PTA process technology and patented equipment from the industry leader BP in the UK; compared to traditional processes, it reduces waste solids by 95%, greenhouse gas emissions by 65%, and wastewater discharge by 75%. 　　Huisheng Engineering obtained the design contract for this project in June 2017; the scope of the design work included the conceptual and detailed design of more than 20 sub-projects, such as a 2.2 million tons per year PTA plant, utility systems, tank farms, and overall plant infrastructure. Leveraging its core capabilities in technical engineering, Huisheng’s design team took full account of the compact layout of equipment and pipelines in the PTA plant. By employing digital design methods and optimizing the equipment arrangement through various approaches, they delivered high-quality \"fully digital\" design documents for the 2.2 million tons per year PTA plant, earning high recognition from the client and BP, the patent holder. 　　9. Establishment of the Petrochemical Group within the Alliance for Research and Development of Major Technical Equipment On August 7, led by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, the Petrochemical Industry Working Group of the Alliance for Research, Development, Innovation, and Pilot Application of Major Technical Equipment was established in Beijing. The working group will focus on promoting research, development, and innovation in key technical equipment for the petrochemical industry, as well as the deployment of such equipment for the first time. The member companies will be given priority in undertaking tasks related to **major equipment. 　　Over the past period, the industry has shown significant shortcomings in terms of achieving self-sufficiency in key technological equipment; there has been an overreliance on imports from abroad, which poses a threat to the security of its industrial supply chains. Some complete sets of equipment fail to be put into use in a timely manner, and the development of certain key technical equipment has not been successful; such technologies remain in the hands of others to this day. Once established, the industry working group will focus on five main areas of work: formulating development guidelines for industry equipment during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, organizing research and innovation in key technical equipment, promoting the enhancement of capabilities related to industry equipment, carrying out demonstrations of the use of new types of technical equipment, as well as facilitating the dissemination of such equipment. This creates a platform for technical equipment manufacturers and users to carry out innovation in this field. 　　10. World’s largest gasifier successfully commissioned On October 29, the 4,000 tons per day multi-nozzle gasifier at Yanzhou Coal Industry Ordos Energy Chemical Rongxin Chemical Co., Ltd. was successfully commissioned. This device is the world’s first gasifier of its kind capable of processing coal on a large scale, marking another significant advancement in China’s large-scale coal gasification technology. 　　The company’s annual production capacity is 400,000 tons of coal-based ethylene glycol and 300,000 tons of polydimethyl methoxymethane (DMMn). The total investment for this circular economy demonstration project amounts to 7.68 billion yuan; it was built using the EPC contract model, with construction officially starting in November 2017. Building on the first-phase project with an annual production capacity of 900,000 tons of coal-based methanol, this project expands the coal chemical industry chain through phased developments in the second and third phases, ultimately creating a coal chemical demonstration base capable of producing 5 million tons of coal-based methanol per year as well as a range of downstream fine chemical products. 　　The project utilizes multi-nozzle gasification technology, and its main construction components include 3 water-coal slurry gasifiers with a capacity of 4,000 tons per day, purification units, sulfur recovery units, a methanol production facility with an annual capacity of 900,000 tons, an ethylene glycol production facility with an annual capacity of 400,000 tons, a DMMn production facility with an annual capacity of 300,000 tons, and 2 air separation units with a capacity of 92,000 standard cubic meters per hour each.