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Gas preheat
Air-fin cooler
Direct Oxidation
water
Reactor
Sulfur
condenser
To Sulfur Storage
Liquids
• Carbon steel
• Refractory lined
• Operated adiabatically
• Adiabatic operation limits
H2S to 3-4% maximum
(because of temperature
rise)
• 1700 - 2000 lb catalyst
charge
• Typically 1/8 in x ¼ in pellets
H2S Concentration Determines
Catalyst Operating Temperature
3.0
S
• Equilibrium calculation
2.5
between liquid sulfur
and different vapor
phase sulfur species
2.0
for 3% sulfur (100%
conversion of 3% H2S)
1.5 at 1 atm pressure
Sulfur dew point • Dew point is
S2(g)
1.0
temperature where
liquid sulfur
concentration “S” goes
0.5
S8(g)
to zero
S6(g)
S7(g) S5(g) S3(g)
• Dew point in this
0.0
Tem example is about 210°C
100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 C
lf ii
(410°F)
z Direct oxidation is done in the vapor phase
z Minimum catalyst temperature depends on sulfur dew point
z Sulfur dew point depends on H2S concentration and system pressure
Sulfur Condenser
• Sulfur condenser
operates at constant
Air fin cooler
temperature by boiling
water in the shell
• Sulfur vapor condenses
tubeside
265F sat steam
water
• Controlling steam
pressure controls
condenser temperature
• 33 psia saturated steam
Desulfurized gas gives Tsat = 256°F
• Want to keep sulfur
temperature above 240°F
Sulfur
condenser
(melting point) and below
315°F (high viscosity
region).
Pilot Plant Test of SulfaTreat-DO
Demonstrated in West Texas (near Plains)
z Whiting Petroleum gas plant
250
H2S inlet concentration (ppm)
8000
7000 150
100
6000
50
5000 0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Time on stream (hours)
H2S inlet (ppm) Sour gas flow CFM
90%
80%
7.5
70%
H2S conversion
50% 5
40%
30%
2.5
20%
10%
0% 0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Time on stream (hours)
5.0
75
4.0
SO2 outlet (ppm)
2.0
25
1.0
0 0.0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Time on stream (hours)
SO2 outlet (ppm) AIR FLOW (cfm)
85
Percent Conversion
80
75
70
65
0.8 0.9 1.0
O2 Concentration (Percentage of Stoichiometric)
• Laboratory testing of fresh catalyst, and catalyst removed from the pilot
plant after the 1000 hour test, gave identical performance under carefully
controlled conditions
Pilot Test - Summary
Field Test Case No Sulfur Recovery Case
Average sour gas flow rate (SCFM) 228 228
Average air inlet flow rate (SCFM) 3.5 0
Average H2S inlet (ppm) 7341 7341
Average H2S outlet (ppm) 790 0
Selectivity to elemental sulfur 100% N/A
Average sulfur yield 89% 0
Total sulfur inlet (lbs) 7953 7953
Total sulfur inlet (tons) 3.9 3.9
Total sulfur recovered (lbs) 7097 0
Total sulfur recovered (tons) 3.6 0
Total sulfur flared as SO2 (tons) 0.86 7.95
INLET
GAS
ELECTRONIC MASS
FLOW CONTROLLERS
REACTOR BYPASS
DO REACTOR IN
FOR SAMPLING
TUBE FURNACE
INLET GAS
SWEET OUTLET
GAS TO
ANALYSIS
(Dräger Tubes)
Landfill Gas Results
100
80
H2S Conversion (%)
60
40
20
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Time on Stream (hours)
H2S conversion Selectivity to sulfur
z No catalyst deactivation