Discussion on the scale and number of sulfur recovery units in refineries
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Assuming that a refinery can recover a total of 100,000 tons of sulfur per year, what would be the most optimal configuration for its sulfur recovery and exhaust gas treatment systems? The available options are as follows: A – Build one sulfur recovery unit with a capacity of 100,000 tons per year, at one end and one other end; B – Build two sulfur recovery units, each with a capacity of 50,000 tons per year, at one end and one other end; C – Build two sulfur recovery units, each with a capacity of 50,000 tons per year, at both ends; D – Build three sulfur recovery units, with capacities of 40,000–50,000 tons per unit, at two ends or at one end and two other ends; E – Other options (please suggest them)
The specific solution to choose depends on the type of oil you are processing. If high-sulfur oil is processed over a long period with little variation in its type, and the feed to the sulfur recovery unit remains stable, then Option A is the best choice. However, if the sulfur content of the crude oil being processed varies significantly and the feed to the sulfur recovery unit is not stable, then option C can be considered. The operating range of a normal sulfur recovery unit is 30-110%; taking into account shutdowns or the possibility of processing low-sulfur oil (when the acid gas load is lower), it is recommended to use one unit with a capacity of 20,000 tons per year and another with a capacity of 80,000 tons per year, with the exhaust gases preferably separated from each other.
Option C involves constructing two sulfur recovery units with a capacity of 50,000 tons per year each. As a environmental protection project, such units are not allowed to stop operating; therefore, Option C is chosen – two units of 50,000 tons per year each, one in operation and one as a backup, to facilitate maintenance work
If a sudden failure occurs in one of the sulfur-related equipment units and the system can no longer handle acidic gas, what should be done in an emergency? Should the acidic gas be burned in a flare? How should one adjust in such a situation?
? ? ? ? In case of an emergency shutdown, the only option is to vent the gas; even with two sets of equipment, it takes time to activate the other one. The equipment malfunctions; it depends on the situation – on how long it takes to repair it, with a short period of inactivity or a longer period of shutdown.