Research Article

INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS

Volume: 45 Number: 1 April 7, 2025
EN TR

INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS

Abstract

This study aims to increase the cooling performance of NOx gas by improving the heat exchangers of an industrial-type ammonia oxidation reactor with a diameter of 3.8 m and a height of 6.5 m in a nitric acid production plant with a capacity of 610 tons/day. The reactor produces 100% HNO3, 56% diluted nitric acid, and 33 tons/hour of superheated steam. To this end, the parametric analysis study, in which the horizontal and vertical distance between the exchanger tubes, the pipe diameters, and the distance between the exchanger packages (pre-evaporator, superheater, evaporator, economizer) were used separately, was carried out with the help of Ansys Fluent program and the flow properties and performance values were examined. The best cooling performance (for the inner part of the ammonia oxidation reactor) resulted from different parametric studies; there was a study in which the process gas temperature was obtained at 270.510C with a 56 mm horizontal distance between the heat exchanger tubes (a). Thus, a 9.1% decrease in the actual gas outlet temperature of the operating reactor was achieved. In other parametric studies, the lowest process gas temperatures are; it was found to be 323.200C for the distance between heat exchanger packages (L), 318.42 0C for the vertical distance between heat exchanger tubes (b), and 296.67 0C for the heat exchanger tube diameter (D). In addition, when the CFD simulation results, which provide the best cooling performance, are compared with actual operating data (SCADA online data), In the ammonia oxidation reactor, the fluid outlet temperature increased by 8.2% in the economizer, 9.7% in the evaporator and 4.3% in the superheater.

Keywords

References

  1. Abbasfard, H., Ghanbari, M., Ghasemi, A., Ghader, S., Rafsanjani, H. H., & Moradi, A. (2012). Failure analysis and modeling of superheater tubes of a waste heat boiler thermally coupled in an ammonia oxidation reactor. Engineering Failure Analysis, 26, 285-292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2012.06.012
  2. Abbasfard, H., Ghanbari, M., Ghasemi, A., Ghahraman, G., Jokar, S. M., & Rahimpour, M. R. (2014). CFD modeling of flow mal-distribution in an industrial ammonia oxidation reactor: A case study. Applied thermal engineering, 67(1-2), 223-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2014.03.035
  3. Amirsadat, S. M., Azari, A., Nazari, M., & Akrami, M. (2024). Conversion augmentation of an industrial NH3 oxidation reactor by geometry modification to improve the flow and temperature pattern uniformity using CFD modeling. Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, 19, 100629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceja.2024.100629
  4. Ardy, H., Putra, Y. P., Anggoro, A. D., & Wibowo, A. (2021). Failure analysis of primary waste heat boiler tube in ammonia plant. Heliyon, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06151
  5. Bagheri, H., Bagheri, S., Hashemipour, H., & Rahimpour, M. R. (2024). Modeling and optimization of ammonia reactor. In Progresses in Ammonia: Science, Technology and Membranes (pp. 173-204). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-88516-4.00001-9
  6. Belghaieb, J., Dkhil, O., Elhajbelgacem, A., Hajji, N., & Labidi, J. (2010). Energy optimization of a network of exchangers-reactors in a nitric acid production plant. Chemical Engineering, 21. https://doi.org/10.3303/CET1021046
  7. Chatterjee, I. B., & Joshi, J. B. (2008). Modeling, simulation, and optimization: Mono pressure nitric acid process. Chemical Engineering Journal, 138(1-3), 556-577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2007.07.064
  8. Chernyshev, V. I., & Zjuzin, S. V. (2001). Improved start-up for the ammonia oxidation reaction. Platinum Metals Review, 45(1), 22-30.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Mechanical Engineering (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

April 7, 2025

Submission Date

October 14, 2024

Acceptance Date

December 16, 2024

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 45 Number: 1

APA
Erbaş, O., & İkbal, F. M. (2025). INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS. Isı Bilimi Ve Tekniği Dergisi, 45(1), 97-110. https://doi.org/10.47480/isibted.1566904
AMA
1.Erbaş O, İkbal FM. INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS. Isı Bilimi ve Tekniği Dergisi. 2025;45(1):97-110. doi:10.47480/isibted.1566904
Chicago
Erbaş, Oğuzhan, and Fadime Menekşe İkbal. 2025. “INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS”. Isı Bilimi Ve Tekniği Dergisi 45 (1): 97-110. https://doi.org/10.47480/isibted.1566904.
EndNote
Erbaş O, İkbal FM (April 1, 2025) INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS. Isı Bilimi ve Tekniği Dergisi 45 1 97–110.
IEEE
[1]O. Erbaş and F. M. İkbal, “INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS”, Isı Bilimi ve Tekniği Dergisi, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 97–110, Apr. 2025, doi: 10.47480/isibted.1566904.
ISNAD
Erbaş, Oğuzhan - İkbal, Fadime Menekşe. “INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS”. Isı Bilimi ve Tekniği Dergisi 45/1 (April 1, 2025): 97-110. https://doi.org/10.47480/isibted.1566904.
JAMA
1.Erbaş O, İkbal FM. INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS. Isı Bilimi ve Tekniği Dergisi. 2025;45:97–110.
MLA
Erbaş, Oğuzhan, and Fadime Menekşe İkbal. “INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS”. Isı Bilimi Ve Tekniği Dergisi, vol. 45, no. 1, Apr. 2025, pp. 97-110, doi:10.47480/isibted.1566904.
Vancouver
1.Oğuzhan Erbaş, Fadime Menekşe İkbal. INVESTIGATION OF INCREASING PROCESS GAS COOLING PERFORMANCE BY IMPROVING AMMONIA OXIDATION REACTOR HEAT EXCHANGERS. Isı Bilimi ve Tekniği Dergisi. 2025 Apr. 1;45(1):97-110. doi:10.47480/isibted.1566904