US 2024/0217820 A1 · HIGH ENERGY RECOVERY PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF NITRIC ACID

Abstract

A high energy recovery process in nitric acid production process recovers, utilizes and/or stores heat energy in at least four stages. In the first stage, a first heat energy is recovered at the catalytic oxidation of ammonia to nitric oxide to generate high-pressure steam used for a first electrical power generation. A second heat energy is recovered at the catalytic oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide to generate low-pressure steam used for a second electrical power generation in the second stage. The nitrogen dioxide is further cooled in a condenser and a third heat energy is recovered and stored in a thermal storage via a heat pump. The nitrogen gas is absorbed to produce nitric acid in an absorber resulting in a hot tail gas stream. The hot tail gas stream is expanded over a tail gas turbine for a third electrical power generation.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A process for producing nitric acid, the process comprising:

(a) mixing compressed air, ammonia, and gaseous oxygen to obtain a gaseous mixture;
(b) catalytically oxidizing the ammonia in a first reactor to obtain an ammonia oxidized stream comprising nitric oxide;
(c) catalytically oxidizing the ammonia oxidized stream comprising nitric oxide in a second reactor to obtain a nitric oxide oxidized stream comprising nitrogen dioxide;
(d) cooling the nitric oxide oxidized stream comprising nitrogen dioxide to obtain a cooled gaseous stream;
and
(e) absorbing the cooled gaseous stream in water to obtain nitric acid and a tail gas;
wherein energy is recovered from said (b), (c), and (d).

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High energy recovery process for the production of nitric acid

Life of this patent

High energy recovery process for the production of nitric acid

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30