Temperature control
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Our system uses the Claus reaction. Recently, there have been significant fluctuations in the temperature of the sulfur production furnace; for the ammonium salts to burn and decompose more effectively, the process temperature needs to be above 1250 degrees. Any variation in the volume of acidic gas flowing through the system can cause large fluctuations in the furnace temperature. When the temperature is below 1250 degrees, it’s not possible to increase the air flow too much. Frequent adjustments to the flow rate of acidic gas can lead to pressure buildup in the solvent system. So, how can we maintain the furnace temperature without causing pressure buildup in the solvent system?
This post was last edited by SulfurBlind on 2016-8-12 at 14:58. First of all, I’m quite skeptical about the fact that even slight fluctuations in the acid gas flow rate can result in such large fluctuations in furnace temperature. Generally, the furnace temperature is closely related to the acid gas concentration, while flow rate hardly affects the furnace temperature. So, I suspect that the acid gas you are cleaning may contain hydrocarbons; there might be oil in the tower, and the hydrocarbons are being released one after another. There might also be an issue with the solvent; the presence of liquid can affect the furnace temperature. Manual control of tower pressure ensures stable acid gas levels; no issues there. Keep it slightly below normal levels; it’s fine to hold it in for a short while at this point, but you shouldn’t hold it in constantly, and you shouldn’t release it too quickly. Generally, the furnace temperature is controlled; given a constant concentration of acidic gas, one approach is to heat the acidic gas and air entering the furnace, and another is to direct some of the acidic gas to the middle part of the furnace. Of course, you first need to have such a process in place. The worst approach is to add hydrogen or natural gas to the furnace to support combustion and raise its temperature. Try not to do this.
As you mentioned, the presence of hydrocarbons or oil can result in very high exhaust emissions; generally, the flow rate of acidic gases shows significant oscillations. However, if you close the valves by just a few percent, the furnace temperature will still rise. As for the valve in the middle, it is usually kept fully open.
The term “sulfur blindness” probably means that you should follow his instructions in order to rule this possibility out; if that’s the case, that would be great! But it doesn’t seem to be the case as you described. My personal suggestion is to set the intermediate control valve for the acidic gas flowing into the furnace to the manual position and open it to a certain degree, then observe the changes that occur!