Refining process units and their

functions

January 15, 2009

 High conversion refinery
(COMPLEX REFINERY. RUNS HEAVY AND MORE SOUR CRUDE TO PRODUCE HIGHER VALUE PRODUCTS)
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN
NAT GAS PLANT PROPANE
C3/C4
SPLITTER
LPG BUTANE TO SALES
AND GASOLINE
SULPHUR
LIGHT NAPHTHA TO GASOLINE
REMOVAL
NAPHTHA
SPLITTER
DE- HYDROGEN
BUTANIZER LPG
NAPHTHA CATALYTIC
HYDROTREATER REFORMER HIGH OCTANE
GASOLINE

HYDROGEN
JETFUEL /KEROSENE JET/KERO
CRUDE HYDROTREATER JETFUEL /KEROSENE
TOWER
HYDROGEN

# 2 FUEL OIL/ DIESEL # 2 FUEL OIL/ DIESEL

DISTILLATE
HYDROTREATER
LPG
HYDROCRACKATE TO GASOLINE
HEAVY GASOIL
CDU
CDU HYDROCRACKER ULS JET/ DIESEL
FURNACE
FURNACE
SULPHUR
LIGHT CYCLE OIL SULPHUR PLANT

ACID GAS ALKYLATE

-
C3 /C4
-
ALKYLATION TO GASOLINE
DESALTER UNIT
FLUID CATALYTIC FCC GASOLINE
VDU
V ACUUM
VACUUM CRACKING UNIT
FURNACE TO GASOLINE
TOWER GAS OIL
HYDROTREATER
ASPHALT COKER OFF GAS, NAPHTHA, FUEL OIL
SOLVENT
DEASPHALTIING
DELAYED COKE
COKER
CRUDE OIL VACUUM BOTTOMS 57
NOTE: NAPHTHA, JET/KERO & DISTILLATE HYDRO TREATERS, CATALYTIC REFORMER, FLUID CATALYTIC UNIT, HYDROCRACKER, DELAYED COKER
HAVE THEIR HEATERS, DISTILATION TOWERS ALSO
 Crude oil refining and
product disposition PROPANE AND FURTHER
• FUEL GAS
• PROPANE
BUTANES PROCESSING
< 35 0C • BUTANES
• PETROCHEMICALS

LIGHT NAPHTHA • GASOLINE

FURTHER
30 - 105 C cut
0
PROCESSING • PETROCHEMICALS

MEDIUM/HEAVY NAPHTHA • GASOLINE

FURTHER
105 - 170 0C cut PROCESSING • JET FUEL

CRUDE
TOWER # 2 FUEL OIL/ KEROSENE/DIESEL • JET FUEL
FURTHER • KEROSENE
PROCESSING • DIESEL
170 - 290 0C cut
• HEATING FUEL # 2

HEAVY GAS OIL • GASOLINE

FURTHER
• DIESEL
290 - 345 0C cut PROCESSING
• HEATING FUEL # 2

CDU
FURNACE

• GASOLINE
VACUUM GAS OIL FURTHER • DIESEL
DESALTER PROCESSING
VDU 345 - 550 0C cut • HEATING FUEL # 2
FURNACE V ACUUM
TOWER
• GASOLINE
CRUDE
• DIESEL
OIL
• HEATING FUEL # 2
VACUUM BOTTOMS
FURTHER • LUBES
PROCESSING
5500C+ cut • ASPHALT
 Crude oil TBP curves
700 Cold Lake
Vacuum Residue

Light Sour Blend

600
Mixed Sweet Blend

500
Syncrude
Vacuum Gas Oil

C 400
0

Heavy Gas Oil

300

Fuel Oil, Kerosene, Diesel

200
Medium Naphtha

100
Light Naphtha

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
% Liquid Volume
 Distillate hydrotreater
• Reduces sulphur and nitrogen content of diesel, kerosene
streams. It also reduces metals levels down to undetectable
level.

• It is a mature process offered by many technology providers

• Sulphur and nitrogen compounds are converted to hydrogen

sulphide and ammonia respectively in presence of hydrogen over
beds of hydrotreating catalyst.

• The standard catalyst contains oxides of cobalt (1-5%) and

molybdenum (6-20 %) dispersed on alumina. For deeper
desulphurization of diesel and high nitrogen feeds nickel oxide
instead of cobalt oxide used.

• Exothermic reaction. Typical operating conditions:

Reactor 3500C, 400-800 psig, 800-1200 SCF/B H2/HC ratio, LHSV 2 h-1
 A typical distillate hydrotreater
MAKE-UP
HYDROGEN CONDENSER
LIGHT ENDS
COMPRESSOR
MAKE-UP `
HYDROGEN
REFLUX
DRUM
RECYCLE GAS
COMPRESSOR

LEAN
AMINE
AMINE
SCRUBBER DISTILLATE
STRIPPER
REACTOR

RICH
AMINE

QUENCH
GAS GAS
SEPARATOR

FEED
FURNACE REBOILER

FEED-EFFLUENT
DISTILLATE EXCHANGER
FEED
DIESEL PRODUCT
WASH
WATER
 Fluid catalytic cracking
• Converts a wide range of gas oils and heavier oil feedstocks into valuable
gasoline, diesel and light products.
– Feeds from paraffinic crude oil have high relative crackability, K factor >12
– Feeds from olefinic crude oil have medium relative crackability, K factor 11.5-11.6
– Feeds from aromatic crude oil have lower relative crackability, K factor <11.3

• Product flexibility:
– FCCU can be operated to maximize gasoline, diesel or gas and olefins make by
adjusting cracking temperature, catalyst to oil ratio and fresh catalyst make-up

• Typical feeds are

– atmospheric gas oil, vacuum gas oil, coker gas oil, thermally cracked gas oil, solvent
deasphated oil, hydrocracker bottoms, lube extracts.

• Process technology suppliers:

– UOP
– Stone & Webster (Shaw Group)
– Axens (IFP)
– Other
 Fluid catalytic cracking
Examples of yields under different operating mode.
Distillate Gasoline Olefin
Mode Mode Mode
H2S, wt% 0.7 1.0 1.0
C2, wt% 2.6 3.2 4.7
C3, LV% 6.9 10.7 16.1
C4, LV% 9.8 15.4 20.5
C5 + Gasoline, LV% 43.4 60.0 53.2
RON/MON 90/79 93/81 95/82
Light cycle oil, LV% 37.5 13.9 10.1
Coke, wt% 4.7 5.0 6.5
 Fluid catalytic cracking
Component parts of the process:
– Converter section
• Riser reactor
• Disengager
• Stripper
• Regenerator
– Flue gas train
• Fines recovery
• Power recovery
• Boiler/steam production
• SOx removal
– Fractionation section
• Separation of liquid products ( similar to crude unit)
– Vapour recovery unit
• Wet gas compressor
• Absorbers
• Debutanizer
• Depropanizer
 Fluid catalytic cracking

STEAM FLUE GAS

EXHAUST
FUEL GAS

SCRUBBER HYDROGEN
BOILER
SULPHIDE
POWER AIR WET GAS
COMPRESSOR PROPANE &
TURBO BOILER FEED VAPOUR PROPYLENE
MOTOR
EXPANDER WATER RECOVERY UNIT
CYCLONE/ GENERATOR AIR
STEAM BUTANES &
ELECTROSTATIC COMPRESSOR BUTYLENES
SEPARATOR TURBINE

CATALYST DISENGAGEMENT
FINES
CAT GASOLENE
HOT MAIN
FLUE GAS STRIPPER FRACTIONATOR

LIGHT CYCLE OIL

COMBUSTION
CATALYST AIR
REGENERATOR
REACTOR
RISER

HOT
REGENERATED
CATALYST
STEAM
STEAM

FEED

MAKE-UP
CATALYST
 Fluid catalytic cracking
Converter
 Fluid catalytic cracking
Main fractionator WET GAS
` TO VAPOR RECOVERY
REFLUX UNIT (GAS PLANT)
DRUM

HEAVY NAPHTHA PUMP AROUND RETURN FROM VRU SECONDARY ABSORBER SOUR WATER
TO STRIPPER
HEAVY NAPHTHA PUMP AROUND TO VRU SECONDARY ABSORBER
CAT GASOLINE TO VRU
` PRIMARY ABSORBER
PREHEAT
WITH FEED
MAIN
FRACTIONATOR
TOWER

HCO PUMP AROUND

LCO
` STEAM
STRIPPER

VRU DEBUTANIZER
REBOILER
LIGHT CYCLE OIL
HYDROCARBONS TO HYDRO TREATER
FROM CONVERTER
PREHEAT
WITH FEED

RECYCLE TO PREHEAT STEAM BOILER

CONVERTER WITH FEED FEED WATER
HEAVY OIL
PRODUCT
STEAM PREHEAT
GENERATOR WITH FEED
SLURRY
OIL
 Fluid catalytic cracking SOUR FUEL GAS
TO FUEL GAS
Vapour recovery unit AMINE ABSORBER
LEAN OIL
FOM MAIN
(Unsats Plant) SECONDARY FRACTIONATOR
ABSORBER
CAT GASOLINE FROM
MAIN FRACTIONATOR ` `
PRIMARY
ABSORBER

RICH OIL
TO MAIN
FRACTIONATOR
PROPANE/
LPG PROPYLENE
MEROX TO ALKYLATION
UNIT
HP
SEPARATOR DEPROPANIZER
WET GAS DEBUTANIZER
COMPRESSOR STRIPPER
``

`
WET GAS BUTANES/
FOM MAIN BUTYLENE
FRACTIONATOR TO ALKYLATION

DEBUTANIZED
CAT GASOLINE
HYDROTREATER
 Fluid catalytic cracking
• Process Highlights
• Converts gas oils and heavier fractions to more valuable products
• Heavier feeds may require hydrotreatment to reduce sulphur,
nitrogen and metals removal – side benefit, improved yields
• Higher severity (higher riser temp) - higher conversion, allows
higher gasoline and gas production, increases octane marginally.
More coke is formed.
• Lower severity – lower conversion, more distillate production
• Recycle of HCO and slurry oil is used to increase conversion and
riser temp
• Higher the catalyst recirculation, higher the conversion
• Increased catalyst make-up rate increases conversion as overall
activity increases. ( less V, Ni, Na deposits)
• Overall endothermic reaction (both exo & endothermic reactions)
• Catalyst
• Standard catalyst is a zeolite based catalyst. Additives may be
added to increase gas make
Examples of catalytic cracking reactions
FCCU feedstocks are mixtures of complex hydrocarbons
from small to large molecules containing upto 60 carbon
atoms. Many reactions proceed at various rates, e.g.
Cracking, Isomerization, Transalkylation, Dealkylation, Dehydrogenation

-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C- -C-C-C-C-C-C-C
+
-C-C-C-C-C=C-C-C-C-

-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C- -C-C-C-C=C-C-C-C-C- + H2
S
+ H2 2 + H 2S
 Hydrogen production
• Hydrogen demand has grown significantly with processing
of sour and heavier crude oils and stricter product sulphur
specifications. Other major use include fertilizers.
– Steam reforming remains dominant source.
– Other sources include partial oxidation of heavy fuels, and co-
product of catalytic reforming, ethylene production and chlorine
production.
• Typical steam reformer feeds are
– Natural gas, propane, butanes and light naphtha
• Process technology suppliers:
– Foster Wheeler
– Haldor Topsoe
– Other
• Catalysts
• Nickel catalyst on alumina packed in tubes of the reforming furnace
• Cobalt/Molybdenum to hydrotreat feed followed by Zinc oxide is used
to adsorb hydrogen sulphide and any hydrogen chloride
• Iron oxide with Chromium oxide stabilizer is used in the shift reactor bed
• Mole sieve is used in PSA unit
 Hydrogen plant
NATURAL GAS FEED EXCESS
STEAM

STEAM
DRUM

REFORMER
FEED SHIFT
TREATER CONVERTER
BOILER
FEED WATER

AIR
COOLER
STEAM
GENERATOR

HYDROGEN 99.9%

FURNACE FUEL

PURGE PSA
GAS UNIT

PURGING ADSORPTION
 Hydrogen from steam reforming
• Process Highlights
• Paraffinic hydrocarbons upto light naphtha range (but typically natural
gas) are reacted with steam at 8700C and 300 psig. over a nickel catalyst
to produces hydrogen with oxides of carbon being the by-products
• The feed is pretreated to remove sulphur and chloride in a small
hydrogenation reactor over Cobalt/Molybdenum catalyst followed by
adsorption of resulting H2S and HCl over a zinc oxide catalyst (3700C)
• Coke is also produced and coats the catalyst that is periodically
regenerated with heated steam
• High steam/hydrocarbon ratio> 3 is used to minimize coke
• High temperature promotes conversion limited by furnace tube metallurgy
• Carbon monoxide is converted to carbon dioxide in a shift reactor on a
bed of iron oxide catalyst at 3500C
• Various methods are available to remove carbon dioxide from reformed
gas to produce higher purity hydrogen
– PSA unit (predominant) produces hydrogen of 99.9% purity. Tail gas is burnt
in the reforming furnace
– Amine unit (requires methanation reactor using a nickel catalyst. Hydrogen
purity at 95-97% is not as high as PSA). Used if there is a market for carbon
dioxide
– Use of membrane separation modules
• Overall endothermic reaction
• Catalyst Poisons
• Sulphur and chloride
 Chemistry of steam reforming
Reforming:
CH4 + H2O 3H2 + CO
Methane Steam Hydrogen Carbon monoxide
CnHm + (n)H2O (n+m/2)H2 + (n)CO
P- Naphtha Steam Hydrogen Carbon monoxide

Other reactions:
CH4 2H2 + C
Methane Hydrogen coke
C + H2O H2 + CO

Shift reaction:
CO + H2O H2 + CO2

Methanation: ( only with non PSA units)

CO + 3H2 CH4 + H2O

CO2 + 4H2 CH4 + 2H2O

Chemistry of partial oxidation
CH4 + 1/2O2 CO + 2H2
 Hydrocracker
• Like FCCU, a hydrocracker converts a wide range of gas oil feedstocks into
valuable gasoline, diesel and light products.

• Hydrocracker employs high temperature and high pressure environment in

presence of hydrogen over fixed bed catalysts to achieve the conversion

• Product flexibility:
– Hydrocracker can be operated to maximize gasoline, diesel or gas make by adjusting
cracking temperature and hydrogen/hydrocarbon ratio

• Typical feeds are

– atmospheric gas oil, vacuum gas oil, coker gas oil, thermally cracked gas oil, solvent
deasphated oil, lube extracts.

• Process technology suppliers:

– UOP
– Haldor Topsoe
– Axens (IFP)
– CBI (Lummus)
– Other
 Hydrocracker
Component parts of the process:

– Reactor section

– Fractionation section
• Separation of liquid products (similar to crude unit)

– Vapour recovery unit

• Absorbers
• Debutanizer
• Depropanizer
 Hydrocracker
Examples of yields under different operating mode.
Distillate Gasoline
Mode Mode
NH3, wt% 0.1 0.1
H2S, wt% 2.6 2.6
C2-, wt% 0.6 0.8
C3, LV% 1.0 3.3
C4, LV% 3.5 21.4
C5 + Naphtha, LV% 18.9 98.0
RON 70
Distillate, LV% 94.0 -
Cetane # 60
 Hydrocracker OFF GAS TO VRU
HYDROGEN
RECYCLE `
COMPRESSOR

HP
SEPARATOR
LIGHT NAPHTHA TO VRU
PRIMARY ABSORBER

REACTOR 1 REACTOR 2 LET DOWN

OR POWER NAPHTHA
EXPANDER STRIPPER
MAIN
FURNACE FRACTIONATOR
TOWER
LP
SEPARATOR
` MEDIUM NAPHTHA
TO REFORMER
DIESEL
STRIPPER

ULTRA LOW
FEED-EFFLUENT SULPHUR
EXCHANGER DIESEL

FEED
HOT
SEPARATOR

RECYCLE OIL
 Hydrocracker FUEL GAS
TO FUEL GAS
Vapour recovery unit HEADER
LEAN OIL
FOM MAIN
(Sats Plant) SECONDARY FRACTIONATOR
ABSORBER
NAPHTHA FROM
MAIN FRACTIONATOR ` `
PRIMARY
ABSORBER

RICH OIL
TO MAIN
FRACTIONATOR
PROPANE
TO STORAGE

HP
SEPARATOR DEPROPANIZER
DEBUTANIZER
STRIPPER
``

`
OFF GAS BUTANES
FOM MAIN TO ALKYLATION
FRACTIONATOR

DEBUTANIZED
NAPHTHA TO
REFORMER
 Hydrocracker
• Process Highlights
• Converts gas oils and heavier fractions to more valuable products
• Typical configuration uses two reactor configuration. Single
reactor configuration is also used
• Higher severity (higher reactor temp) - higher conversion, allows
higher naphtha and gas production. More coke is formed
• Lower severity – lower conversion, more distillate production
• First pass conversion is ~ 60%
• Recycle of heavier fraction to reactor 2 is used to complete
conversion
• Overall exothermic reaction requiring cold hydrogen quench
injection

• Catalyst
• Bifunctional catalysts using platinum, palaladium and other noble
metals on zeolite or amorphous silica-alumina base. Molybdenum
and tungsten sulphide promoted cobalt or nickel catalysts provide
hydrogenation function in the front reactor
Examples of hydrocracking reactions
Hydrocracker feedstocks are mixtures of complex
hydrocarbons from small to large molecules containing many
carbon atoms. Many reactions proceed at various rates, e.g.
Cracking, Isomerization, Hydrogenation
Cracking
-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C- -C-C-C-C-C-C-C
+
-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-
Isomerization C
-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C- -C-C-C-C-C-C-C-
Hydrogenation C
-C-C-C-C=C-C-C-C-C- H -C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-

+ 3H2
S
+ H2 2 + H2S
 Coker unit
• Breaks down a wide range of heavier oil feedstocks at high temperature
into gaseous and lighter hydrocarbons, and fractions in gasoline, diesel
product range
– Nitrogen and sulphur compounds react to form wide range of compounds
that distribute in the coker product fractions requiring further treatment
– Metals in feed end up as contaminants in coke
– Depending on contaminant levels coke quality is classified as, fuel grade
(power plants, cement industry), anode grade (for aluminium, titanium,
industries) or premium coke grade “needle coke” ( for high grade graphite
anodes used in steel industry)
– Calcining of coke at ~13000C reduces water and hydrocarbons from coke
improving electrical conductivity

• Typical feeds are

– Vacuum residue, tar sands bitumen, visbroken tar, atmospheric residue,
slurry oil etc.

• Process technology suppliers:

– ConocoPhillips (delayed coker)
– Foster Wheeler (delayed coker)
– Other (ExxonMobil Flexicracker)
 Coker unit
Component parts of the process:
– Furnace and preheat section
• Feed preheat
• Low residence furnace
– Fractionation section
• Separation of liquid products ( similar to crude unit)
– Coke drum and coke handling
– Coke blowdown
• Quench tower
• Slop and vapour recovery
• Coke blowdown used to strip hydrocarbon from drum with
steam routed to quench tower sprayed with heavy slop oil
vapours to recovery unit.
 Coker unit
Examples of yields for a middle east vacuum residue .

C4 and lighter, wt% 9

C5 – 1700C Gasoline, wt% 11
RON/MON 71/65
1700C - 2700C Light Distillate, wt% 9
CETANE INDEX 39
2700C - 3430C Heavy Distillate, wt% 10
CETANE INDEX 41
3430C + Heavy gas oil, wt% 42
Coke, wt% 19
 HGCO QUENCH
Coker unit
OVERHEADS TO
TO COKE ` WET GAS
BLOWDOWN REFLUX COMPRESSOR
SYSTEM DRUM

SOUR WATER
TO STRIPPER
LCGO
PUMP AROUND COKER NAPHTHA

LCGO
`
PREHEAT
WITH FEED
STRIPPER
STEAM
HCGO COKER
COKE COKE PUMP AROUND FRACTIONATOR
DRUM 1 DRUM 2 LIGHT COKER
PREHEAT
GAS OIL TO
` WITH CRUDE HYDROTREATER
PREHEAT
WITH FEED HCGO
FLASH ZONE SPRAY
STRIPPER
STEAM

STEAM
QUENCHED OVERHEAD GENERATOR HEAVY COKER
VAPOUR GAS OIL TO
PREHEAT
WITH FEED
HYDROTREATER
GREEN GREEN BOILER
COKE COKE FEED WATER

FLASH ZONE
OIL
PREHEAT
STEAM WITH FEED

RECYCLE SLOPS,
NAPHTHA, LCGO,
COKER FRESH FEED
HCGO
 Coker unit
• Process Highlights
• Converts heavy petroleum fractions to more valuable products
• HP steam injection enables low residence in the furnace tubes to
minimize coke formation in the furnace tubes
• Furnace tube outlet temperature is controlled at ~ 500-5200C
• Conversion is completed in coke drums (“delayed coking”)
• No catalyst is used
• Furnace tubes are decoked by steam-air decoking, mechanical
pigging or on-line spalling
• Coke drum operates at ~ 4500C and 25 psig. pressure
• Higher coke drum temperature and lower pressure reduce coke
make
• Overall endothermic reaction
• Drum overhead vapour is quenched with heavy coker gas oil to
stop the reaction
• Quenched vapour is fractionated in the main fractionator
• When drum fills the reactor effluent is switched
• Coke is drilled by two mode drill that cuts a pilot hole and than
with a HP jet (3000-4500 psig) water and “green coke” are
removed and sent to cake handling area
 Examples of coker reactions
Coking process consists of a numerous reactions taking
place simultaneously, e.g.
Thermal cracking, condensation and polymerization
-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C- -C-C-C-C-C-C-C
+
-C-C-C-C-C=C-C-C-C-

-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C- -C-C-C-C=C-C-C-C-C- + H2

S
+ H2 2 + H 2S
 Amine unit
COOLER
TREATED
FEED ` ACID GAS
TO SULPHUR
UNIT

CARBON LEAN AMINE

BED `
FILTER

FILTER
ABSORBERS IN VARIOUS SOUR
SOUR STREAM PRODUCING WATER
H2S
UNITS PURGE
RICH
SOUR
FEED
`

TO FUEL GAS REGENERATOR

H2S RICH AMINE

FLASH DRUM
TANK REBOILER

HYDROCARBONS
TO SLOP SYSTEM
FEED
PREHEAT
 Amine unit
• Process Highlights
• Extensively used gas and refinery industry
• Separates hydrogen sulphide from fuel gas and process off gases
• Uses an organic amine solution ~ 20% (DEA, MEA, Proprietary
amine mixes)
• Consists of a number of tray absorbers and a regenerator
• Hydrogen sulphide is stripped from the solution in the regenerator
section and routed to the sulphur recovery unit

• Chemistry
H2S (g) H2S (sol)
Hydrogen sulphide Hydrogen sulphide

H2S (sol) + R2N (sol) R2N-H2S (sol)

Hydrogen sulphide Amine

R2N-H2S (sol) R2N (sol) + H2S

OH CH2 CH2 OH
FOR DEA,
DIETHANOLAMINE, R2N = CH2 N CH2
 Sour water stripper
SOUR GAS
TO SULPHUR
PLANT

STRIPPED WATER FOR RE-USE PUMPAROUND

COOLER

`
STRIPPED WATER TO
WASTE TREATMENT

COOLER `
To Flare STRIPPER

SOUR WATER

FLASH DRUM
REBOILER

HYDROCARBONS
FEED
TO SLOP SYSTEM
PREHEAT
 Sulphur recovery unit
• Essential part of a refinery to meet environmental emission
restrictions
– Makes some contribution when sulphur demand is high
• Sulphur plant feed is the hydrogen sulphide rich acid gas
stream from the amine regenerator and sour water stripper
off gas
• Process technology suppliers:
– Various
• Catalyst
– Activated alumina
– Titanium dioxide ( if high COS or CS2 is present)
 Sulphur recovery unit

REHEATER` CLAUS CLAUS

REACTOR # 1 REACTOR # 2 CLAUS
REACTOR # 3

ACID GAS MP STEAM

FROM LP STEAM
AMINE ACID GAS
REGENERATOR BURNER SULPHUR
REHEATER` REHEATER
WASTE
HEAT BOILER` CONDENSER`

BOILER
FEED WATER LP STEAM TAIL GAS
BOILER LP STEAM LP STEAM INCINERATOR
FEED WATER
SULPHUR SULPHUR SULPHUR
BLOWER
CONDENSER` CONDENSER` CONDENSER`

BOILER BOILER BOILER

OXYGEN FEED WATER
FEED WATER FEED WATER

SULPHUR
STORAGE/LOADING
 Sulphur recovery unit
• Process Highlights
• Acid gas is burnt with limited air to convert hydrogen sulphide to
sulphur dioxide which in turn reacts with hydrogen sulphide to
produce elemental sulphur
• Waste heat from combustion gases is used to produce MP steam
• The stream is further cooled to condense sulphur in a condenser
generating LP steam.
• Condenser off gas is reheated to avoid condensing sulphur over
reactor bed in Claus reactor # 1 where more is recovered and
condensed in the associated condenser
• The three reactor unit enables high sulphur recovery, 98% +
• The final tail gas is incinerated or further treated in a “SCOT” unit
in stricter environmental areas
• In the “SCOT” unit any sulphur components are hydrogenated
back to hydrogen sulphide, absorbed in an amine facility and
returned as acid gas to sulphur unit
• Overall endothermic reaction
• Some carbon deposits from hydrocarbons present in off gas
 Chemistry of sulphur recovery unit

H2S + 1 ½ O2 SO2 + H2O

Hydrogen sulphide Oxygen Sulphur dioxide Water

2H2S + SO2 S + 2H2O

Hydrogen sulphide Sulphur dioxide Sulphur Water

Other reactions:
COS + H2O H2S + CO2
Carbonyl sulphide

CS2 + 2H2O 2H2S + CO2

Carbon disulphide