OC-17-08 Online Prediction of Claus Combustion Temperature

Description:

Hydrogen sulfide is a staple gas processing desulfurization intermediate. Hydrogen sulfide is combusted to form sulfur dioxide, which reacts with excess hydrogen sulfide to form elemental sulfur and water – the Claus process. Temperature is a critical process variable, ensuring safe operating conditions and low salt formation rates in the presence of ammonia. Infrared pyrometers and shielded thermocouples are the main sensory methods, each subject to external forces (e.g., flame transparency, purge rates). An analytical model was developed for real-time temperature estimation within a control system, a low-cost supplement to existing control strategies. After one year, environmental deviations were significantly reduced across four sulfur recovery units.