China’s first atmospheric-pressure circulating fluidized bed gasifier for use in ammonia synthesis was successfully ignited

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China’s first atmospheric-pressure circulating fluidized bed gasifier for use in the synthetic ammonia industry was successfully ignited. Author/Source: Modern Coal Chemical Engineering. Date: May 19, 2020. Clicks: 2. At 8:18 on May 18, 2020, the 60,000 Nm3/h circulating fluidized bed gasifier, which is one of the key equipment in the first phase of the 300,000-ton-per-year synthetic ammonia production upgrade project carried out by Hefei China Science and Technology Gasification Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Hefei Gasification”), was successfully ignited, marking the start of its hot-commissioning phase. The Hongsheng project is the first demonstration project in China to apply atmospheric-pressure circulating fluidized bed gasification technology for the production of synthetic ammonia feed gas; it is also China’s first circulating fluidized bed gasification unit that uses anthracite as raw material. Previously, Guizhou Hongsheng Chemical Co., Ltd. used batch fixed-bed gasifiers to produce feed gas, which resulted in high energy consumption, significant pollution, and low efficiency. Taking into account the low activity and high ash content of local anthracite, Zhonghe Gasification upgraded the gas production unit by applying the circulating fluidized bed gasification technology (CGAS technology) developed by the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The project is divided into two phases. Once the first phase is operational, a 60,000 Nm3/h circulating fluidized bed gasifier will be used to replace the capacity of the existing 24 batch-type fixed-bed gasifiers, thereby greatly increasing the level of automation in Hongsheng Chemical’s gasification process. This approach eliminates the problem of hazardous waste such as tar and phenol-cyanide wastewater generated by fixed-bed systems, helps save energy and reduce costs, and is expected to save Hongsheng Chemical over 66 million yuan per year. Since its arrival on site, the project team has overcome various challenges such as a tight schedule, high requirements, a humid construction environment, and hot and rainy weather, and by the end of 2019 it completed tasks such as low-temperature furnace drying, acceptance of the process piping system, and testing of the DCS system, all on schedule. Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic after the holiday, the project team resumed work and entered the site on April 8, 2020. In accordance with the requirements of the company and local authorities, it carried out strict inspections and implemented scientific prevention and control measures, actively coordinated with various parties, strived to mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic, and effectively organized the installation units to carry out the construction work. Thanks to the efficient cooperation and coordinated efforts of all relevant units, power was supplied officially on April 13, and the individual unit testing procedures were carried out in an orderly manner. During the commissioning phase, Zhonghe Gasification organized a series of training sessions for the owner’s operators, providing detailed explanations of the system processes as well as common issues encountered during equipment commissioning and their solutions, so that the operators could carry out operations independently and handle problems on their own. After a month of round-the-clock efforts, all tasks related to debugging, training, and issue resolution have been completed. Hot-state commissioning is an important step before the project goes into operation. Previously, the project department organized several meetings with the design department, the commissioning and after-sales service center, and the client to discuss the progress of the hot-state commissioning process. Careful plans were made, and coordination was ensured; emphasis was placed on the need for all relevant teams to work together to carry out inspections of the system’s pipelines, equipment, power supply, fuel supply, temperature monitoring points, and fire protection facilities. At the same time, relevant personnel are organized to receive safety and technical briefings, study emergency response plans, and carry out emergency drills, to ensure that the work at this stage progresses smoothly and safely. Next, the project team will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the device’s performance under hot conditions, record and organize the operational data of the gasification furnace to lay a foundation for subsequent economic analysis, and simultaneously identify the most efficient and cost-effective operating conditions to ensure the safe, efficient, and economical operation of the device. The successful ignition of the Hongsheng project marks Zhonghe Gasification’s first move in the field of synthetic ammonia production. Taking this project as a new starting point, Zhonghe Gasification will accelerate the industrial application of CGAS technology in the field of synthetic ammonia, leveraging its advantages such as strong adaptability to different coal types, low energy consumption, environmental friendliness, and high efficiency, in order to provide efficient and clean environmental solutions for synthetic ammonia and coal chemical industry enterprises.