Low energy ammonia synthesis process
AssigneePullman Incorporated
InventorColman L. Becker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved synthesis loop for the production of ammonia, has a low pressure, i.e., less than 100 atmospheres, a water absorption recovery system which utilizes low level heat recovered from the process for producing the synthesis gas to distill the ammonia-water mixture and an ammonia absorption refrigeration system which utilizes the same distillation column for both the water absorption system and the refrigeration system.
Claims15
In a process for the production of ammonia which comprises a series of process steps including producing a raw synthesis gas and converting the carbon monoxide in said raw synthesis gas to carbon dioxide for producing a synthesis gas containing a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen in approximately a 3 to 1 ratio, the improvement which comprises:
- reacting said hydrogen and nitrogen in an ammonia synthesis converter at pressures less than 100 atmospheres to produce an effluent containing ammonia;
- scrubbing said effluent with water to form a water-ammonia mixture;
- distilling ammonia from said water-ammonia mixture by means of a distillation column heated by removing liquid therefrom at several levels;
- and
- passing in indirect heat exchange with said liquid the effluent from one of said process steps.
In a process for the production of ammonia, comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a raw synthesis gas which contains hydrogen and carbon monoxide;
- (b) converting the carbon monoxide in said raw synthesis gas to carbon dioxide and further hydrogen by the addition of steam;
- (c) scrubbing the gas to remove the carbon dioxide;
- and
- (d) purifying said scrubbed gas to produce a synthesis gas containing a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen in approximately a 3 to 1 ratio
- the improvement which comprises
- reacting said hydrogen and nitrogen in an ammonia synthesis converter at pressures less than 100 atmospheres to produce an effluent containing ammonia;
- scrubbing said effluent with water to form a water-ammonia mixture;
- distilling ammonia from said water-ammonia mixture by means of a distillation column heated by removing liquid therefrom at several levels;
- and
- passing in indirect heat exchange with said liquid the effluent from step (b).
In a process for the production of ammonia, comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a hydrogen-rich gas by the primary steam reforming of a hydrocarbon;
- (b) producing a raw synthesis gas by the secondary steam reforming of said hydrogen-rich gas;
- (c) converting the carbon monoxide in said reformed gas to carbon dioxide and further hydrogen by the addition of steam;
- (d) scrubbing the gas to remove the carbon dioxide and
- (e) purifying said scrubbed gas to produce a synthesis gas containing a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen in approximately a 3 to 1 ratio
- the improvement which comprises
- reacting said hydrogen and nitrogen in an ammonia synthesis converter at pressures less than 100 atmospheres to produce an effluent containing ammonia;
- scrubbing said effluent with water to form a water-ammonia mixture;
- distilling ammonia from said water-ammonia mixture by means of a distillation column heated by removing liquid therefrom at several levels;
- and
- passing in indirect heat exchange with said liquid the effluent from step (c).
A low energy ammonia synthesis loop which comprises
- means for the synthesis of ammonia from a synthesis gas at low pressures;
- means for scrubbing the effluent of the synthesis means with water to form a water-ammonia mixture;
- a distillation column for distilling the water-ammonia mixture having a plurality of side reboilers for heating the water-ammonia mixture from said distillation column;
- and
- means for passing in indirect heat exchange with the water-ammonia mixture in said side reboilers the effluent of the shift conversion process used in preparing said synthesis gas to distill the ammonia from the water-ammonia mixture.
A low energy ammonia synthesis loop for an ammonia plant which comprises
- (a) means for producing a raw synthesis gas which contains hydrogen and carbon monoxide;
- (b) shift conversion means for converting the carbon monoxide in said raw synthesis gas to carbon dioxide and further hydrogen by the addition of steam;
- (c) scrubbing means for removing the carbon dioxide from the gas;
- and
- (d) purifying means for producing a synthesis gas containing a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen in approximately a 3 to 1 ratio
- the improvement which comprises
- an ammonia synthesis converter for reacting said hydrogen and nitrogen at low pressures to produce an effluent containing ammonia;
- scrubbing means for scrubbing said effluent with water to form a water-ammonia mixture;
- a distillation column having a plurality of side reboilers wherein the water-ammonia mixture is heated for recovering ammonia from said water-ammonia mixture;
- and
- means for passing in indirect heat exchange with the water-ammonia mixture in said side reboilers the effluent from said shift conversion means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.