PTQ Q4 2022 Issue

Design of sulphur recovery units

Cost-effective methodologies for SRU developments should incorporate advanced structural design aspects with process design improvements

Osama Bedair Consultant

M uch of the efforts directed toward SRU process design improvements neglect structural design aspects. To bridge the gap between process improvements and structural design, advanced structural methodologies have been proposed that can be utilised to optimise the cost of SRU design. The sulphur vessel sup- ports are categorised into three systems based on loading mechanisms during operation and testing. Sulphur recovery units (SRUs) are a vital facility used for the treatment of petroleum and natural gas to eliminate sulphur compounds from hydrocarbon products. Sulphur compounds in crude oil and natural gases are absorbed as acid gas (H₂S & CO₂) and converted to sulphur in the SRU. Sulphur material is commonly used to manufacture fertilis- ers, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and in the rubber industry. Existing sulphur recovery technologies require high oper- ating costs to meet emission requirements. The increasing

Piperack

(SSP)

ISS

SPR-03

SMSS

SV-05

SV-04

SV-07

SV-09

SV-01

SV-02

INTS SV-03

INTS

ISS

SV-06

(SB)

INTS

SV-08

INTS

(CB)

Figure 1 SRU l ayout

demands on SRU efficiency to min - imise sulphur emissions have trig- gered significant efforts to develop optimisation studies. Efforts were made 1-5 to advance the process design of SRUs. Unfortunately, these techniques overlooked criti- cal structural issues. Against this backdrop, it is important to address SRU structural requirements. The methodologies presented herein are based on actual cost evalua- tions using industrial data. SRU components Primary SRU components include piperacks, horizontal vessels, buildings, and sulphur storage facilities (see Figure 1 ). Structural components include:  Sulphur vessels SV01-SV-09  Piperacks  Sulphur storage pit  Substation building (SB) and control building (CB)  Drums, condensers and heat exchangers. Piperacks are used to sup- port pipelines transporting pro- cess material from or to the SRU.

Figure 2 SMSS snapshots

PTQ Q4 2022