COBALT™: A New Primary Burner for SRUs

Description:

COBALTTM (Claus Oxygen Burner Air Liquide Technology) is a new primary burner for Sulfur Recovery Units (Claus Units) developed by Air Liquide for improved ammonia destruction and increased flexibility. Oxygen injection can meet either or both objectives. Air Liquide developed this burner using basic concepts that Air Liquide learned during years of combustion research, principally of hydrocarbons in air and oxygen environments. The COBALT™ burner, was tested in semi-industrial conditions (4 mt/day throughput) and validated using finite element analysis. The final design was then constructed and installed in the BP Lavéra refinery where its performance was demonstrated under various actual operating conditions and oxygen enrichment levels. The COBALT™ is a significant improvement over presently available burners due to the 1) increased destruction of ammonia obtained, 2) reduction of oxygen required for adequate ammonia destruction, 3) flexibility of oxygen enrichment levels, and 4) flexibility of feed rates.