Integrated steam generator and superheater with process gas in ammonia synloop
AssigneeKellogg Brown & Root LLC
InventorsXueqian Lin, Shiliang Zhan
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Abstract
An integrated steam generator/steam superheater apparatus is disclosed. The disclosed apparatus can be used in a process, such as an ammonia synthesis process, to cool an ammonia converter effluent process gas and to generate superheated steam. The integrated apparatus includes a steam superheater portion wherein hot process gas is used to generate superheated steam by heat transfer to saturated steam. The apparatus also includes a steam generator portion wherein the process gas is used to generate saturated steam by heat transfer to water. Both the superheater and the steam generator are integrated into a single unit, without intervening pluming, etc., thereby saving space and equipment.
Claims20
An integrated steam generator/steam superheater apparatus comprising:
- a steam superheater section integrated with a steam generator section, wherein:
- the steam superheater section comprises a superheater chamber containing a first one or more heat exchange tubes and configured so that process gas within the superheater chamber superheats steam contained within the first one or more heat exchange tubes and then passes into the steam generator section, wherein
- the steam generator section comprises a steam generator chamber containing a tube bank comprising a plurality of second heat exchange tubes and configured so that process gas from the steam superheater section passes into the plurality of second heat exchange tubes and generates steam by transferring heat to water contained within the steam generator chamber, and wherein
- the apparatus is configured so that steam generated in the steam generator section is provided to the first one or more heat exchange tubes of the steam superheater section via an intervening steam drum.
A method of generating superheated steam using an integrated steam generator/steam superheater apparatus comprising a steam superheater section integrated with a steam generator section, wherein
- the steam superheater section comprises a superheater chamber containing a first one or more heat exchange tubes, and wherein
- the steam generator section comprises a steam generator chamber containing a tube bank comprising a plurality of second heat exchange tubes, the method comprising:
- receiving a process gas within the superheater chamber and allowing the process gas to superheat steam contained within the first one or more heat exchange tubes,
- obtaining the superheated steam from the one or more heat exchange tubes,
- passing the process gas from the superheater chamber into the plurality of second heat exchange tubes and allowing the process gas to generate steam in the steam generator chamber from boiler feed water (BFW) contained within the steam generator chamber, and
- providing the steam generated within the steam generator chamber to the first one or more heat exchange tubes via an intervening steam drum.
A method of generating ammonia, the method comprising:
- reacting synthesis gas with nitrogen to produce an effluent process gas comprising ammonia and unreacted synthesis gas,
- using an integrated steam generator/steam superheater apparatus to cool the process gas and to generate superheated steam,
- further cooling the cooled process gas, and
- isolating ammonia from the further cooled process gas, wherein
- the integrated steam generator/steam superheater apparatus comprises a steam superheater section integrated with a steam generator section, wherein the steam superheater section comprises a superheater chamber containing a first one or more heat exchange tubes, and wherein the steam generator section comprises a steam generator chamber containing a tube bank comprising a plurality of second heat exchange tubes, and wherein
- using the integrated steam generator/steam superheater apparatus to cool the process gas and to generate superheated steam, comprises:
- receiving a process gas within the superheater chamber and allowing the process gas to superheat steam contained within the first one or more heat exchange tubes,
- obtaining the superheated steam from the one or more heat exchange tubes,
- passing the process gas from the superheater chamber into the plurality of second heat exchange tubes and allowing the process gas to generate steam in the steam generator chamber from boiler feed water (BFW) contained within the steam generator chamber, and
- providing the steam generated within the steam generator chamber to the first one or more heat exchange tubes via an intervening steam drum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.