Shell gasifier drying

Original poster, you should ask this question in the coal chemical technology forum; there are some people there who work for Shell. There might not be a good solution to this problem; the only option is to control the flow rate of the burner and make adjustments gradually

First, ensure proper insulation, then control the flow rate of the burner, and operate it carefully

Using an electric heater to heat the furnace is a relatively safe method, but the temperature increase is limited; ultimately, liquefied gas is still needed, and careful operation is required

5. Oven Programming 5.1 General Provisions The layout of thermocouples for oven use is shown in Appendices 5, 6, and 7. Hot flue gas passes through the internal component lining area to ensure that all the refractory linings are heated evenly. The hot flue gas exits at the outlet of the syngas cooler, then enters evenly into the gaps between the internal components and the pressure vessel, and is discharged into the atmosphere via manway A12. If the drying process is interrupted for various reasons, it must be restarted at the temperature level at which the interruption occurred. The insulation time that has already been completed at that temperature is invalid, and the continuous insulation period must be started over again. The drying of the refractory lining must be carried out strictly in accordance with the drying curve, so that all parts of the lining are heated evenly and local overheating is avoided. Each individual section will be equipped with thermocouples in accordance with the requirements of this document. The temperature data measured by these thermocouples will be recorded using a multi-wire recorder. The drying process will be supervised throughout by personnel with extensive experience in drying operations, and the equipment used for temperature measurement prior to drying will be inspected and tested. 5.2, Baking Procedure: Baking is carried out using hot smoke generated by a heat generator. The pressure vessel shell of the gasification furnace, enclosed by an external insulation layer, forms a large \"furnace chamber.\" Hot flue gas ducts are inserted into this chamber, allowing the hot flue gas to pass through the lined area in sequence, thereby enabling a uniform heating process. The furnace will use gaseous fuel as its fuel source, and the temperature of the hot flue gases is controlled by precisely regulating the amount of fuel used. 5.2.1 Layout of furnace drying equipment: The hot gas generator is installed on the platform at elevation +38.000m, and the hot gas duct enters the internal components from access hole A1 (see Appendix 3). The flue duct must be secured to ensure safety. To prevent hot smoke from bypassing, temporary baffles will be used to seal the gap between the manhole and the smoke duct; furthermore, a thermal insulation layer will be installed on the smoke duct to protect the surrounding equipment. To protect the pressure vessel (the bottom of the reactor), temporary baffles are used to cover the bottom of the slag pool cone, with an insulation layer installed on the inside; the same measures are applied to the inner wall of the slag pool as well. 5.2.2 Direction of hot flue gas during furnace drying: Most of the flue gas flows into the gasification reactor chamber from the bottom of the slag pool. The hot flue gas flows sequentially through the gasifier reaction chamber, quench tube, gas delivery pipe, gas return chamber, syngas cooler, and the annular gap between the syngas cooler and the pressure vessel shell, and is finally discharged into the atmosphere through a temporary chimney installed at manhole A12 (see Appendix 4). 5.2.3 Layout of other equipment: The hot flue gas is discharged through a temporary chimney at manhole A12 at SGC (see Appendix 4). This temporary chimney must be separated from the pressure vessel wall, and warning barriers should be installed in all areas affected by the discharged hot flue gas to prevent harm to personnel. The furnace drying equipment control station is located near the hot gas generator; the control and monitoring of the second stage of the furnace drying process are carried out by this control station. It is equipped with multi-threaded temperature recorders, flame sensors, and flame-out alarm devices, and there are operators on duty 24 hours a day. If the temperature difference between various components of the pressure vessel during the drying process exceeds the allowable value (see 7, Conditions to be met for drying operations), the drying process shall be interrupted, and measures shall be taken to adjust the heating rate.

6. Temperature control process 6.1 The heat input from the hot flue gas side should first affect the area at manhole A1. Using the temperature indicated by the internal component Tg of the gasifier as a reference, the hot flue gas rises to 100°C/110°C at a heating rate of 5 K/h. 6.2 The average temperature measurement of the “hot surface” (Tgh…) of the heat skirt shall be used as the reference temperature. The temperature of the \"hot surface\" on the bottom of the gasifier reaction chamber, the membrane wall, and the top cone (TgB1.., TgG1.., and TgT1..) should be increased in accordance with the furnace drying curve, at a rate not exceeding 5 K/h. When the temperatures of the \"hot side\" and \"cold side\" of the hot skirt/slag pool (TgH.., TwH..) reach 110°C, attention should be focused primarily on the average temperature measurement of the \"hot side\" (TgB..) at the bottom of the gasifier. 6.3 Once the temperature at the last temperature measurement point on the \"hot side\" inside the gasification furnace – namely, at the bottom of the furnace (TgB..), the membrane wall (TgG..), or the top cone (TgT..) – reaches 110°C, the temperature indicated by the temperature measurement points on the cold side shall be used as a guide for further temperature increases. All temperature measurement points in the gasification furnace must remain at least at 110°C for 8 hours; during this period, the maximum temperature on the hot side of the refractory materials shall not exceed 150°C. 6.4 Upon the end of the aforementioned insulation period in the gasification furnace, it should be heated to 225–230°C using hot flue gas at a heating rate of ≤10 K/h. The increase in the temperature of the \"hot surface\" of the gasification furnace should be controlled through measurement points (Tg…), which are most sensitive to the rate of temperature rise. Once the temperature at the last temperature measurement point on the \"hot side\" of the gasifier’s membrane wall (TgH…, TgB…, TgG…, and TgT…) reaches 230°C, the temperature at all these measurement points must be maintained constant for at least 6 hours. When the temperature on the \"hot side\" of the gasifier’s membrane wall reaches 230°C, it is necessary to monitor the temperature of the pressure vessel’s insulation lining; if it is below 185°C, the constant temperature on the \"hot side\" can be increased appropriately to ensure proper drying of the pressure vessel’s insulation lining. 6.5 During the heating-up of the refractory material SiC75P in the gasification furnace, the temperature should continue to rise at a rate of ≤15K/h. The temperature of the components of the vaporization furnace that are lined with thermal insulation, especially those without cooling systems, should be monitored to ensure that it does not exceed the allowable values (see the conditions to be met for furnace drying operations). 6.6 When the temperature on the \"hot side\" of the membrane wall in the gasification furnace reaches 450°C, and the readings at all measurement points on that hot side are consistent, this temperature of 450°C must be maintained constant for at least 12 hours. During this period, it is necessary to ensure that the temperature of the catheter’s \"hot side\" (TgD) remains at least 350°C for a minimum of 6 hours. 6.7 After the aforementioned insulation period has ended, cooling can begin, with the cooling rate not exceeding 50 K/h. 6.8 When a measurement point indicates a temperature of 50°C, the drying process of the refractory lining in the vaporization furnace is complete. 6.9. Turn off the hot air generator. 6.10 Once the baking of the relevant fire-resistant lining areas is complete, a thorough inspection shall be carried out immediately in accordance with safety regulations, and the data records from the baking process shall be verified by all relevant parties.

1. Strictly follow the heating curve, and avoid sudden increases or decreases in temperature. 2. During the heating process, first heat the main equipment (the furnace), and then use it to heat the entire system as a combustion chamber. 3. As the temperature rises, once a certain area reaches its set temperature limit, adjust the temperature accordingly. 4. Decide whether to use positive pressure or normal pressure for heating based on the specific circumstances

Shell’s furnace heating began 48 hours after the completion of the silicon carbide lining installation. It generally involves two steps: first, steam is passed through the water wall tubes for heating, and only then is the furnace dried with hot flue gas. For specific details, you can contact Dalian Kemong Refractory Materials Co., Ltd. The refractory materials for Shell furnaces at Yuntianhua and Liuhua are used for their furnace heating processes.

Shell experts from the Netherlands provided on-site guidance for tracking the ignition!

Coke ovens have specialized units responsible for heating them up; I think the same is true for gasification furnaces as well