【Weekly Topic】Issues in the design of acid gas recovery units
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In accordance with the \"Emission Standards for Pollutants in the Petroleum Refining Industry\" GB3570-2015, the sulfur recovery capacity is designed such that in the event of a failure in one sulfur recovery unit, acidic gases are not released into the acidic gas flare. Now, this represents the clear requirement from most coal chemical industry review experts. This means that only one set of sulfur recovery equipment cannot be installed. Is it reasonable to adopt such an approach that ignores the sulfur content of the raw coal, regardless of whether the increased investment is justified?
There must be a backup set of sulfur recovery equipment. We have designed it in strict accordance with the requirements.
This is also normal; many plants have more than one set of such systems, sometimes three or four. The purpose of this is to reduce the emission of acidic gases into the flares. Secondly, in the event of an accident or maintenance work on one set of the system, it is possible to switch to another set, thereby ensuring that the entire plant does not come to a stop due to problems with that particular set. Currently, crude oil contains high levels of sulfur, and there are many local refineries in the country, as well as a large amount of acidic gas. Meanwhile, the sulfur content in petroleum products is decreasing, and environmental emission standards are becoming increasingly stricter
These specifications are designed for oil refining enterprises. In my experience, oil refining plants also tend to have multiple series configurations, so it is understandable to have several sets of sulfur recovery systems in place. However, the question remains as to the rationality of applying this standard to coal chemical enterprises. In particular, do coal chemical projects with a single-series configuration require sulfur recovery equipment?
It’s normal; generally, two sets of the process equipment are required, one in use and one as a backup
When considering the previous two sets, how should scale be taken into account?
For the first two sets, each sulfur recovery unit is designed at a 40% discount based on the total processing volume!
You’re only considering things from your own perspective. With such strong environmental regulations these days, if emissions don’t meet the standards, fines are imposed right away! You think that one is more reasonable! To be even stricter, simply ordering you to shut down – isn’t that more reasonable? Looking at things from a different perspective, you’ll find that many things that aren’t actually problems are problems in themselves!
From the perspective of pollutant emissions, it is necessary. Now, the SO2 levels in the flue gas are monitored online and connected to the local environmental protection authorities. To avoid fines, it may be necessary to shut down the entire plant immediately when there are minor issues with the equipment (such as problems with the exhaust treatment system that require temporary shutdowns). However, considering the overall efficiency of the plant, acid gas has to be vented through flares, resulting in greater pollution.