Ammonia burner for nitric acid production

An ammonia burner reactor for catalytic oxidation of gaseous ammonia in a nitric acid production process, the ammonia burner reactor comprising:

• an ammonia oxidation section suitable for catalytic oxidation of gaseous ammonia in presence of oxygen to produce a nitrogen oxides-containing effluent gas;
• wherein the ammonia burner includes a heat exchange section,
• wherein said heat exchange section occupies a central axial region of the ammonia burner reactor and said ammonia oxidation section has an annular configuration and is arranged coaxially around the heat exchange section;
• wherein the heat exchange section includes a first side arranged to be traversed by a process stream and a second side arranged to be traversed by at least part of said nitrogen oxides-containing gas effluent from the ammonia oxidation section;
• wherein said first side and said second side of the heat exchange section are arranged so that said first side and said second side are not in a fluid communication, while heat can be transferred from the nitrogen oxides-containing gas flowing in the second side to the process stream flowing in the first side, so that the nitrogen oxides-containing gas in the second side can be a heat source for the process stream.