Revamps For Ageing Ammonia Plants: by Gerard B. Hawkins Managing Director

Revamps for Ageing
Ammonia Plants
By;
Gerard B. Hawkins
Managing Director
Introduction
This presentation highlights some of
the retrofits that can be applied to
Safety
Environment
Reliability
Throughput
Improve efficiency
Increase production
Efficiency
Introduction
Why consider a retrofit?

Limitations
Options for retrofits
Problems and Pitfalls
GBHE Catalysts and Retrofits
Conclusions
Why Consider a Retrofit?
Plant is
Inefficient
Has poor economics
Production can be increased by
elimination of bottlenecks
Retrofits generally are more cost

effective than new plant builds
Plant Limitations
Six main areas that can limit plant

performance
Primary
Plant Limitations

performance
Convection Section
Primary
Plant Limitations

performance
Convection Section
Primary
Air Compressor
and Secondary
Plant Limitations

performance
Convection Section
Primary
Cooling, Shifts
and CO2 Removal
Air Compressor
and Secondary
Plant Limitations

performance
Convection Section
Compression
Primary
Cooling, Shifts
and CO2 Removal
Air Compressor
and Secondary
Plant Limitations
Six main areas that can limit plant performance
Convection Section
Compression
Primary
Cooling, Shifts
and CO2 Removal
Air Compressor
and Secondary
Ammonia
Synthesis
Pre-Reformers
Installation of pre-reformer helps to

de bottleneck
The primary reformer - reduced box
duty
The convection section - heat removal
Eliminates heavies/ poisons
Can increase plant rate by up to

11%
Will affect steam balance
Change Catalyst Shape and

Size
By optimizing catalyst size can

Reduce pressure drop by up to 33%
Reduce carbon formation potential
By changing to VULCAN VSG-Z101 can
Reduce ATE/CH4 slip

Reduce Tube Wall Temperatures
Reduce carbon formation potential
Optimize catalyst loading even further
Primary Reformer Re-Tube
By re-tubing reformer can generate

large benefits
Reduce pressure drop by 20%
Improve radiant efficiency
Reduce tube wall temperature
Increased plant rate by 3.5%
Further optimize catalyst loading to
generate even more benefits
Combustion Air Pre-heat
Installed on many modern plants

Has been retrofitted to many plants
Must have high stack temperature
Allows for large improvements in radiant
efficiency
Use less fuel
Can allow for plant increases

Will increase NOx levels
May require NOx reduction system
Options for Secondary Reformers
Install High Intensity

Burner Gun
Install improved
catalyst
Reduce installed
volume - up to 45%
Increase mixing volume
Add excess process air

Requires H2 recovery in
loop
VULCAN SG Delta Retrofit for Shift

Vessels
By installing a specialized support

system we can reduce pressure drop
significantly
GBHE can offer the VULCAN SG Delta
which can reduce pressure drop by 50%
Allows plant rate increases of up to
0.5%
CO2 Removal Retrofits
Can uprate CO2 removal by

Changing packing
Use more efficient solution
Either will help to reduce reboiler duties

In turn allows reduction in steam to carbon
ratio
GBH Enterprises range of catalysts are

designed to operate under these lower
steam to carbon conditions
Water Removal from Synthesis

Gas
Use either molecular sieves or ammonia

washing
Can feed synthesis gas to converter inlet
Reduces ammonia content of gas inlet
converter therefore increases production
Reduced refrigeration load
No loss of reactants in purge gas
Converter Retrofits
Convert to axial-radial or radial flow

Utilize smaller catalyst
Since reaction is diffusion limited
increases reaction rate and therefore
increased production
Can improve efficiency by 0.5-1.0 GJ/t
Must look at rest of plant
Converter exit piping and exchangers
Converter Retrofits
Often link with modifications to circulator

Reduce circulation rate and hence power
requirement
If converter already modified then can
Modify converter again
Use heat exchange rather than quench
Install high activity catalyst
VULCAN Series VSG-A101 low pressure

synthesis
Can be utilized up to 150 bara
Converter Retrofits
Further Options
Add a booster converter
Utilize when main converter has reached limit

Can achieve up to 30% capacity increases
Will need modifications to rest of the plant
Add a synthesis gas converter - for example as

done in the Uhde DPUP
Utilize when main converter has reached limit

Can achieve up to 30% capacity increases
Will need modifications to rest of the plant
Hydrogen Recovery
Can increase plant capacity by up to 5%

with no other modifications
Either
Cryogenic
Membrane
If adding excess air to the secondary then

must install hydrogen recovery
Even greater capacity increases are achievable
since methane slip has been reduced
Other Retrofits
Addition of Saturator
Fuel gas preheat
Synthesis gas machine suction
chilling
Modification of synthesis gas
machine internals
Install AGHR in parallel to existing
Waste Heat Boiler
Upgrade utilities
Other Options
There are other options

There are a number of operational
modifications that will improve plant
performance for no cost
Reduction in steam to carbon
Raising primary exit temperature
Reduce excess air/oxygen in reformer
Energy Audits will help to identify these

areas and the benefits of changing
process parameters
Plant Revamp Selector

Ammonia Capacity Increases
What capacity
increase is required ?
<5%
Front End
Catalyst change
Re-tube
New burner gun
VULCAN SG Delta
Compression/Loop
Syn gas drying
High activity catalyst
H2 recovery
Chill Syn Gas
>15%
5-15%
Front End
SC Reduction
Pre-reformer
Front End
Parallel AGHR
Re-tube
Loop
Booster converter
MUG converter
Plant Revamp Selector

Ammonia Efficiency Improvements
What efficiency improvement
is required ?
<0.1 GJ/t
>1 GJ/t
0.1-1 GJ/t
None
Front End
SC Reduction
Fuel preheat
CO2 solution change
Saturator
Chill syngas
Front End
Combustion air
preheat

Contractor and Contract
Must carefully select partners

Must have domain knowledge
Design and operations
Must have correct tools

Must be able to supply correct level of detail
for study
Must select appropriate contract type

LSTK or Reimbursable
Both have advantages and disadvantages

Modelling Capability
Must use correct tools

Model the whole plant using a
flowsheeting package
Must include all unit operations

Must develop a robust base case
Must validate against plant data
Must understand deviations
Then develop the retrofit case

Retrofit Details
The customer and engineering contractor

must determine
Precise scope for retrofit

Responsibilities
Key deliverables
A detailed and consistent design basis
Time scale and milestones
Review schedules
Summarize as Good Project Management

Design Basis
Engineering contractor must conduct on

site visit
Must work with client

Collect representative plant data
Model and understand plant data
Discuss discrepancies and eliminate
Identify bottlenecks
Identify opportunities for improvement
These form the core of the design basis

HAZOPs and Commissioning
Must use systematic review method to highlight

potential problems with retrofit
HAZOPs are a well proven system
Requires time and buy in from all parties
Results as good as quality of people !
Retrofit will change plant parameters
Must update PFDs and P&IDs
Must update operating instructions
Must take additional care during start up
What Can GBHE Catalysts Offer?
GBHE Catalysts Process Technology has

developed a detailed flowsheeting package
GBHE Modelling for AMMONIA includes
Detailed primary reformer model

Models for secondary reformers, shifts, methanation and
ammonia synthesis
Can model in detail the synthesis gas machine
Unified, consistent and intelligent process

model
What Can GBHE Catalyst Process

Technology Offer?
Detail catalyst unit operation models such as the

Industry leading VULCAN REFSIM program
Also models for other catalyst unit operations
Detail non-catalyst unit operation models such as
Heat exchange programs
Finite Element Analysis
CFD modelling
One stop shop
What Can GBHE Catalysts

Offer?
Domain
Domain Knowledge
Operations
Many staff have operations
background
Troubleshooting clients plants
Design
Many staff have detailed
engineering background
Engineers work on design daily
Work with leading contractors
on front end and detailed
design issues
Knowledge
Catalysts
Consulting
Services
What Can GBHE Catalysts

Offer?
Can supply any level of detail for

retrofit
Scoping studies
Front End
What are the best options
Front End Engineering
Flowsheets and design of key components
Detailed Engineering
Design of all components of retrofit
A one stop shop for all your revamp

requirements
One Stop Shop Case Study

Re-tube Present Model
Plant
Operator
Concept
Engineer
Tube
Supplier
Detailed
Engineer
Catalyst
Vendor
No Communication
Tube
Installer
Catalyst
Handler
One Stop Shop Case Study

Re-tube One Stop Shop Model
Plant
Operator
GBHE
Concept Engineer
Detailed
Engineer
Tube
Supplier
Tube
Installer
Seamless
Minimum Cost
Maximum Benefit
Catalyst
Handler
Case Study - How GBHE Works
Strong position due to credibility from previous

work
Uprate projects
Feasibility Process Uprate study on Naphtha
115%, 130% or 150% cases
FEEP (Front End Engineering Package, what
would be needed?)
115% FEEP adopted
Option evaluations and natural gas feed
conversion
Followed by full Engineering Detail Design
Also additional design work on Desulfurization
Design Study
Conclusions
Many options for retrofitting an ammonia

plant
Must select correct options based on
Require capacity increase
Present bottlenecks
Must select the right contractor

GBHE has all the right expertise and
knowledge to develop and design retrofits

Revamps For Ageing Ammonia Plants: by Gerard B. Hawkins Managing Director

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Revamps for Ageing

Why consider a retrofit?

Why Consider a Retrofit?

Retrofits generally are more cost

Six main areas that can limit plant

Six main areas that can limit plant

Six main areas that can limit plant

Six main areas that can limit plant

Six main areas that can limit plant

Installation of pre-reformer helps to

Can increase plant rate by up to

Change Catalyst Shape and

By optimizing catalyst size can

By changing to VULCAN VSG-Z101 can

Reduce ATE/CH4 slip

Primary Reformer Re-Tube

By re-tubing reformer can generate

Combustion Air Pre-heat

Installed on many modern plants

Can allow for plant increases

May require NOx reduction system

Options for Secondary Reformers

Install High Intensity

Add excess process air

VULCAN SG Delta Retrofit for Shift

By installing a specialized support

CO2 Removal Retrofits

Can uprate CO2 removal by

Either will help to reduce reboiler duties

GBH Enterprises range of catalysts are

Water Removal from Synthesis

Use either molecular sieves or ammonia

Convert to axial-radial or radial flow

Converter exit piping and exchangers

Often link with modifications to circulator

Use heat exchange rather than quench

Install high activity catalyst

VULCAN Series VSG-A101 low pressure

Utilize when main converter has reached limit

Add a synthesis gas converter - for example as

Utilize when main converter has reached limit

Can increase plant capacity by up to 5%

If adding excess air to the secondary then

There are other options

Energy Audits will help to identify these

Plant Revamp Selector

Plant Revamp Selector

Problems and Pitfalls

Must carefully select partners

Design and operations

Must have correct tools

Must select appropriate contract type

Problems and Pitfalls

Must use correct tools

Must include all unit operations

Problems and Pitfalls

The customer and engineering contractor

Precise scope for retrofit

Summarize as Good Project Management

Problems and Pitfalls

Engineering contractor must conduct on

Must work with client