The ruthenium-based industrial demonstration plant for ammonia synthesis at low temperature and pressure operated continuously and stably for 8,600 hours
Thread Content
The ruthenium-based ammonia synthesis catalyst and the low-temperature, low-pressure ammonia synthesis technology based on \"iron-ruthenium relay catalysis\", jointly developed by Sanju Environmental Protection Company and Fuzhou University, among others, have operated smoothly for 8,600 hours in Jiangsu Heyou Chemical’s 10,000-ton-per-year ammonia synthesis plant. On January 21st, they passed the expert evaluation conducted by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. This calibration is the second one since the start-up of the plant; it serves to provide an overall assessment of the plant’s performance over a long period of time. It focuses on evaluating the actual operating conditions of the plant and the lifespan of the catalysts, as well as determining technical parameters, product quality, energy consumption, and the operational status of the equipment. During the device calibration process, the project team formulated a detailed calibration plan, carried out inspections carefully, and followed safety standards and procedures strictly to ensure that the device calibration was fully under control. The expert team followed and recorded throughout the process, collected information on the devices, and analyzed the operation of the assessment devices in real time. The results of on-site testing and calibration showed that during the continuous and stable operation of the industrial plant, the reaction pressure was 10.1–10.5 MPa, the hotspot temperature of the ruthenium catalyst was 432–440 °C, the exit temperature of the ruthenium catalyst bed was 423–430 °C, the ammonia concentration at the outlet was 17.6–18.7%, and the ammonia yield was 14.51–15.58 v%, all of which met the design requirements and expected objectives.
The evaluation expert group unanimously agreed that the industrial ammonia synthesis plant using \"iron-ruthenium relay catalysis\" features stable reaction pressure under low temperature and pressure; the temperatures of the ruthenium catalyst bed and the outlet of the synthesis tower remain stable, as does the ammonia concentration and the net ammonia yield at the reactor outlet. The ruthenium-based ammonia synthesis catalysts exhibit high activity and stability, and the entire set of technologies, processes, and equipment meets the requirements for continuous industrial production. This set of technologies offers significant energy-saving and economic benefits, further enhances intrinsic safety, and brings positive social and environmental advantages, contributing to the upgrading of the ammonia synthesis industry.
Last March, the low-temperature and low-pressure ruthenium-based ammonia synthesis industrial demonstration unit passed the 72-hour calibration test conducted by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. Shu Xingtian, head of the calibration expert group and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, gave high praise to the calibration results. He said, “The traditional ammonia synthesis industry uses iron-based catalysts, which result in high reaction pressures, high temperatures, high energy consumption, and low efficiency.” The research and development team formed by Sanju Environmental Protection and Fuzhou University has made breakthroughs in high-activity, high-stability ruthenium-based catalysts as well as iron-ruthenium catalytic systems, which will enable leapfrog progress in the technology of China’s ammonia synthesis industry. ”
”Jiang Lilong, the head of the R&D team and director of the Fuzhou University Engineering Research Center for Fertilizer Catalysts, led the development of this technology through more than 20 years of hard work by two generations of researchers. Thanks to the close integration of industry, academia, and research, this technology was first demonstrated on an industrial scale of 10,000 tons at Jiangsu Heyou Chemical Co., Ltd., showing great potential for reducing production costs and increasing output. Taking an ammonia synthesis plant with a capacity of 180,000 tons per year as an example, preliminary estimates show that this set of technologies will enable the enterprise to save over 30 million yuan in energy costs each year, increase production capacity by more than 33.6%, and generate an additional output value of over 100 million yuan. “
“If this technology is successfully rolled out, and assuming that half of the country’s synthetic ammonia production capacity is upgraded, it could save 5.5 million tons of standard coal per year, as well as reduce emissions of CO2, NOx, SO2, and other pollutants by tens of millions of tons – bringing about significant economic and environmental benefits. ”said Men Cungui, a professor-level senior engineer at the China Petroleum Consulting Center.
Jiangsu Heyou Chemical Co., Ltd. (formerly Suqian Fertilizer Factory) is located on the banks of the Grand Canal, at the east end of Canal No. 1 Bridge. It was established in 1972. As the company has grown, it now employs over 1,200 people. Its main production capacities include: 300,000 tons of synthetic ammonia per year, 1 million tons of ammonium bicarbonate, 500,000 tons of compound fertilizers, 60,000 tons of liquid ammonia, 60,000 tons of methanol, as well as other chemical products.
Introduction to the R&D team: The Fuzhou University Engineering Research Center for Fertilizer Catalysts (hereinafter referred to as the Center) was approved for establishment by the former **Planning Commission in 1996, and passed the inspection by the **Development and Reform Commission in 2000. The center is the only **-level innovation platform in China’s fertilizer catalyst industry, established by Academician Wei Kemei. The center has achieved a deep integration of industry, academia, and research with Beijing Sanju Environmental Protection New Materials Co., Ltd., and together they have established Fujian Sanju Fuda Fertilizer Catalyst **Engineering Research Center Co., Ltd. The current director of the center is Researcher Jiang Lilong, who is the head of the innovation team in the key field of \"Fertilizer Catalysis\" under the Ministry of Science and Technology, as well as a leading talent in scientific and technological innovation under the \"Ten Thousand Talents Program\". Over the course of more than forty years, spanning three generations – from academicians to Academician Wei Kemei and now to the Fertilizer Catalysis Innovation Team – the center has consistently focused on research and development in synthetic ammonia catalysts and their practical application. To date, fourteen fertilizer catalysts belonging to four different series have been developed and put into industrial use. Five of these catalysts have won **Invention Awards or Science and Technology Progress Awards, with numerous other achievements receiving provincial and ministerial-level science and technology progress awards. The aforementioned technology has been transferred to more than a dozen catalyst manufacturers in six provinces and cities across the country for production and dissemination, yielding significant economic, social, and environmental benefits.