Abstract:
An improved tower saddle packing having a general shape that is a segment of a hollow torus. The circumferential outer edges of the saddle define a plurality of radially, outwardly extending convex lobes. The lobes and wing portions preferably have weep holes to effectual wetting of all surfaces of the saddle. The hub of the saddle has in one aspect a plurality of apertures extending substantially across the hub. The saddle provides improved gas-liquid interaction, permits enhanced gas throughput in an absorption tower and allows for reduced tower packing sections.
Abstract:
A catalytic converter for converting sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide comprising an exterior shell of a heat resistant weldable metal; foundations from which the shell vertically extends; an interior tube of same metal vertically disposed within the shell and defining a passage; the interior tube having i. a first inlet aperture through which the passage receives a first portion of a sulfur dioxide-containing gas from a source of such gas; ii. a second inlet aperture through which the passage receives a second portion of the sulfur dioxide-containing gas; and iii. an outlet aperture; at least one catalyst bed including an annular bed extending fully between the shell and the interior tube; wherein the annular bed is in direct gaseous communication within the shell with the first passage through the outlet aperture; a plurality of axial heat exchange tubes within the interior tube for conducting hot sulfur trioxide-containing gas from the catalyst bed through the heat exchange tubes to effect heat transfer with and to heat the first and second portions of the sulfur dioxide-containing gas and to cool the hot sulfur-trioxide containing gas; structure for directing the hot sulfur trioxide-containing gas to the heat exchange tubes, and for directing the heated first and second portions of the sulfur-dioxide containing gas through the outlet aperture to the annular bed. The converter offers improved thermal efficiencies and compactness.
Abstract:
Apparatus and process for the production of gaseous sulphur dioxide mixture for conversion to sulphur trioxide in a catalytic converter in the production of sulphuric acid by the contact process. Apparatus comprises the furnace to produce sulphur dioxide gas from elemental sulphur and a first dry air stream; means for feeding a first portion of the sulphur dioxide gas to a waste heat boiler to cool the gas; the improvement comprising combining a second portion of the sulphur dioxide gas exiting the furnace with a second dry air stream to provide a combined gaseous stream which bypasses the boiler and subsequently is combined with the cooled sulphur dioxide stream. The system provides use of a bypass valve which experiences only cooled sulphur dioxide containing gases with its attendant reduced corrosion. Further, the system may operate at higher temperatures than is common to provide further advantages.
Abstract:
A process for producing concentrated sulphuric acid from a hot gas stream comprising water and sulphur trioxide which process comprises feeding a first portion of said gas stream through a first sulphur trioxide absorption zone and a second portion through a second sulphur trioxide absorption zone; feeding a recycled sulphuric acid stream to said first sulphur trioxide absorption zone whereby substantially all of the sulphur trioxide and sulphuric acid are removed from said first portion of said gas stream to produce an enlarged sulphuric acid stream; recycling a first portion of said enlarged sulphuric acid stream through said first sulphur trioxide absorption zone; feeding a second portion of said enlarged sulphuric acid stream to said second sulphur trioxide absorption zone; and collecting sulphuric acid product from said second sulphur trioxide absorption zone; wherein the ratio of gases to sulphuric acid in said second sulphur trioxide absorption zone is such that the sulphuric acid product leaving said zone is of the desired concentration to a maximum of the azeotropic concentration. The process is of value in the production of concentrated sulphuric acid from waste sulphuric acid.
Abstract:
In conventional processes for manufacturing phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid is reacted with phosphate rock to produce weak phosphoric acid which is concentrated using steam from the associated sulphuric acid manufacturing operation. Low grade heat from the absorbers and drier of the sulphuric acid manufacturing plant has been wasted. According to the invention waste heat from the drier and one or more absorbers of the sulphuric acid manufacturing plant is used in all the evaporators of the phosphoric acid plant. The evaporators all operate at low pressures and their heaters are arranged in series, to enable the heat to be used at the relatively low temperatures available. The valuable steam is thus freed for other uses.
Abstract:
A heat exchanger having a disc and doughnut baffle configuration, in which the tubes are laid out in a set of concentric rings. Each ring of a set contains the same number of tubes as each other ring of the set, and the tubes in each ring are spaced uniformly apart. Each tube in each ring is located circumferentially midway between the two adjacent tubes of each neighboring ring and is separated from each of the two adjacent tubes in each adjacent ring by a ligament distance h. The distance h is held constant for all tubes in the set, by varying the radial spacing between rings, and the distance between any two adjacent tubes in any ring of the set is made greater than or equal to 2 h. The ligament gaps h which are constant therefore determine the minimum flow area between adjacent rings, and therefore the mass flow velocity through the tube bundle is constant.
Abstract:
A heat exchanger for use in a sulphuric acid manufacturing plant to effect heat transfer between desired gas streams selected from air, sulphur dioxide and sulphur trioxide. The exchanger provides for hot or cold split flow gas streams through the exchanger shell with either mixing or splitting into two or more streams to provide for reduced condensible material condensation, corrosion, metal thermal differential stress and capital equipment cost. A preferred exchanger is used in combination with a sulphur burning furnace to provide an improved preheater.
Abstract:
An improved packed tower for effecting the absorption of a gas into a liquid, comprising a cylindrical tower wall defining a packing zone; a plurality of packing pieces contained within the packing zone; a liquid distributor above the packing zone for distributing liquid onto the packing pieces; a gas feed inlet below the packing pieces for feeding gas through the packing zone, the improvement wherein the plurality of packing pieces comprises a first plurality of packing pieces, of a first packing piece size, disposed within a first region of the packing zone defining an annulus adjacent at an upper part of the tower wall, and a second plurality of packing pieces of a second packing piece size greater than the first packing piece size, within a second region of the packing zone. The packed tower provides higher efficiencies in gas absorption over prior art towers as to offer reduced tower and/or packing heights.
Abstract:
The invention provides in one broad aspect an improved process fluid preheater system for raising the temperature of a process fluid with a hot furnace gas, having a combustion furnace in communication with a shell and tube heat exchanger, wherein the furnace operably produce the hot furnace gas and comprises air inlet means, fossil fuel combustion means and hot furnace gas exit means; and the heat exchanger comprises an exchanger shell, a first end radial tube sheet and a second end radial tube sheet, which define a shell space; a plurality of longitudinal tubes retained by the first and second end tube sheets within the shell and comprising heat exchange means; hot furnace gas inlet means; cooled furnace gas outlet means; process gas inlet means; and heated process fluid outlet means; the improvement comprising the plurality of tubes further comprises the hot furnace gas inlet means and the cooled furnace gas outlet means; the hot furnace gas exit means in communication with the plurality of tubes furnace gas inlet means to operably provide the tubes with the hot furnace gas. The process fluid inlet means comprises a first process fluid inlet adjacent the first tube sheet and in communication with the shell space, and a second process fluid inlet adjacent the second tube sheet and in communication with the shell space; and the heated process fluid outlet means comprises a fluid outlet essentially midway between the first and the second tube sheets and in communication with the shell space.
Abstract:
In the purification of gases generated in metallurgical and similar furnace operations, the impurities include solid particles and compounds or elements which are gaseous at the furnace temperatures and only form solid or liquid at temperatures approaching ambient conditions. Proper cleaning therefore requires cooling of the gases to at least the water dew point to cause these impurities to form as particles or droplets. This invention describes an apparatus for collecting such particles or droplets in which a charging device and condensation equipment are combined to provide a simple, yet effective apparatus at a fraction of the cost of conventional apparatus.