PERFORM SAFE TROUBLE-FREE CLAUS SULFUR PLANT START-UPS

摘要

The start-up of Claus Sulfur Recovery Units (SRU's) can be wrought with many problems, such as: (1) burner and/or refractory damage, (2) production of carbon (soot), (3) catalyst deactivation, (4) major equipment damage, or (5) internal explosions resulting in plant destruction and safety risks to personnel. SRU's are normally started-up using fuel gas (methane) firing to dry-out and cure refractory, heat-up the Reaction Furnace, and warm-up equipment and the catalyst beds. Often times, the meter runs used for the start-up fuel gas flow and its companion air flow measurements are improperly sized or missing completely. During fuel gas firing, operators often try to use the "main air meter run" (which is much, much too large) or the "trim air meter run" (which is much, much too small). But, these are usually the only two air meter runs provided by the contractor/constructor. The results may be: (1) over-heating due to burning fuel gas at very sub-stoichiometric (sub-stoich.) conditions, and many times without any flame moderation, (2) carbon (soot) formation due to firing at an extreme sub-stoich. condition, or (3) potentially explosive conditions due to use of a large excess of fuel gas.