ammonia process
Ammonia Production from Natural Gas
Problem Statement
This senior design project involves transformation of natural gas into ammonia. Ammonia is an important chemical for fertilizer industry. About 85% of ammonia production is used for nitrogen fertilizers [1]. Urea alone consumes 40% of the total ammonia production. Other fertilizers that are made from ammonia are ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and ammonium phosphate. Non-fertilizer applications include the production of aminies, nitriles (e.g. acrylonitile) and organic nitrogen compounds.
Saudi Arabia has ample reserves of natural gas. It is proposed to manufacture ammonia from natural gas. The available natural gas stream is already sweetened and has following composition:
Component
Volume %
Methane
78.00
Ethane
4.75
Propane
6.50
Isobutane
1.60 n-Butane 3.45
Isopentane
4.75
CO2, N2, He
0.95
The whole class is divided into eight groups. Each group will design and analyze the plant for the following daily ammonia production.
Group #
Production (MTPD)
Group1
600
Group2
750
Group3
950
Group4
1100
Group5
1300
Group6
1450
Group7
1650
Group8
1800
The production of ammonia requires a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen in a ratio of 3:1. The source of nitrogen is invariably air. The hydrogen is produced by steam reforming of naural gas followed by autothermic reforming with air. Currently following four commercial processes are available to choose from:
1. Haldor Topsoe Process
2. Linde AG Process
3. Uhde GmbH Process
4. KAAPplus Process of Kellogg Brown and Root, Inc.
5. KBR Purifier, Process of Kellogg Brown and Root, Inc
Description of these processes is available in Hydrocarbon Processing [2]. This assignment uses Topsoe process. More than 60 installed plants use this process. More than 50 % ammonia is produced using Topsoe process. Capacities of the plants constructed in the last decade range from 650 mtpd to 2050 mtpd. The flow diagram of the
Problem Statement
This senior design project involves transformation of natural gas into ammonia. Ammonia is an important chemical for fertilizer industry. About 85% of ammonia production is used for nitrogen fertilizers [1]. Urea alone consumes 40% of the total ammonia production. Other fertilizers that are made from ammonia are ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and ammonium phosphate. Non-fertilizer applications include the production of aminies, nitriles (e.g. acrylonitile) and organic nitrogen compounds.
Saudi Arabia has ample reserves of natural gas. It is proposed to manufacture ammonia from natural gas. The available natural gas stream is already sweetened and has following composition:
Component
Volume %
Methane
78.00
Ethane
4.75
Propane
6.50
Isobutane
1.60 n-Butane 3.45
Isopentane
4.75
CO2, N2, He
0.95
The whole class is divided into eight groups. Each group will design and analyze the plant for the following daily ammonia production.
Group #
Production (MTPD)
Group1
600
Group2
750
Group3
950
Group4
1100
Group5
1300
Group6
1450
Group7
1650
Group8
1800
The production of ammonia requires a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen in a ratio of 3:1. The source of nitrogen is invariably air. The hydrogen is produced by steam reforming of naural gas followed by autothermic reforming with air. Currently following four commercial processes are available to choose from:
1. Haldor Topsoe Process
2. Linde AG Process
3. Uhde GmbH Process
4. KAAPplus Process of Kellogg Brown and Root, Inc.
5. KBR Purifier, Process of Kellogg Brown and Root, Inc
Description of these processes is available in Hydrocarbon Processing [2]. This assignment uses Topsoe process. More than 60 installed plants use this process. More than 50 % ammonia is produced using Topsoe process. Capacities of the plants constructed in the last decade range from 650 mtpd to 2050 mtpd. The flow diagram of the
References: 1. Czuppon TA, Kenz SA, Rovner JM (1992) ‘Ammonia’ in : Kroschwitz JI and Howe-Grant M (eds) Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, vol 2, 4th Ed., Wiley, New York. 2. “Petroleum Processes 2003” Hydrocarbon Processing, March 2003.