Ammonia production plant

• US 10,457,564 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2019
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuovo Pignone Tecnologie SRL (Nuovo Pignone International SRL)
• Original Assignee: Nuovo Pignone Tecnologie SRL (Nuovo Pignone International SRL)
• Inventors: Fiori, Marco, Ghezzi, Sergio, Pelagotti, Antonio
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Natasha E
• Application Number:
  US16/240,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20190210885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/068 Ammonia synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/025 Preparation or purification of gas mixtures for ammonia synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: C01C 1/0417 characterised by the synthesis reactor, e.g. arrangement of catalyst beds and heat exchangers in the reactor arrangement of several reactors C01C1/0405; fixed-bed reactors in general B01J8/02
• CPC Class Codes: C01C 1/0447 Apparatus other than synthesis reactors
• CPC Class Codes: C01C 1/0458 Separation of NH3 during purge gas treatment C01C1/0476
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/024 the driving means being assisted by a power recovery turbine
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/16 Combinations of two or more pumps ; Producing two or more separate gas flows
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/056 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/10 with multi-stage compression with cascade operation F25B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2210/60 Natural gas or synthetic natural gas [SNG]
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2215/20 Ammonia synthesis gas, e.g. H2/N2 mixture
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/0276 separation of H2/N2 mixtures, i.e. of ammonia synthesis gas in general C01B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/52 using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts

Abstract

The ammonia production plant includes a feed gas compression section, a process air compression section, a syngas compression section and a refrigerant compression section. At least two of these compression sections are combined together forming a combined compression train driven by a single driver.

Claims

1. An ammonia production plant, comprising:

a feed gas compression section;

a process air compression section;

a syngas compression section; and

a refrigerant compression section;

wherein at least two of the compression sections are combined to form a combined compression train driven by a single driver.

2. The ammonia plant production of claim 1, wherein the single driver is a steam turbine.

3. The ammonia production plant of claim 1, wherein the single driver is a double-end driver comprising a first shaft end and a second shaft end on opposite sides of a driver casing, a first one of the at least two compression sections being drivingly coupled to the first shaft end and a second one of the at least two compression sections being drivingly coupled to the second shaft end.

4. The ammonia production plant of claim 1, wherein the combined compression train comprises the syngas compression section, and wherein the syngas compression section comprises two compressors arranged in series.

5. The ammonia production plant of claim 4, wherein the syngas compression section comprises a recycle impeller in an overhanging arrangement and an in-between-bearings, drive through compressor.

6. The ammonia production plant of claim 1, wherein the combined compression train comprises three of the feed gas compression section, process air compression section, syngas compression section, refrigerant compression section, driven into rotation by the single driver.

7. The ammonia production plant of claim 6, wherein the combined compression train comprises in combination:

the refrigerant compression section, the feed gas compression section and the process air compression section.

8. The ammonia production plant of claim 6, wherein:

a first of the compression sections of the combined compression train is drivingly coupled to a first shaft end of the single driver;

a second of the compression sections of the combined compression train is drivingly coupled to a second shaft end of the single driver;

a third of the compression sections of the combined compression train is drivingly coupled to the first compression section, the first compression section comprising a drive-through compressor.

9. The ammonia production plant of claim 1, wherein at least one of the compression sections of the combined compression train comprises an integrally geared compressor.

10. The ammonia production plant of claim 9, wherein at least one of the following compression sections included in the combined compression train comprises said integrally geared compressor:

the refrigerant compression section;

the feed gas compression section; and

the process air compression section.

11. The ammonia production plant of claim 9, wherein at least two of the compression sections of the combined compression train comprise a respective integrally geared compressor.

12. The ammonia production plant of claim 11, wherein the integrally geared compressors of the at least two compression sections are arranged at opposite sides of the single driver and are drivingly coupled to opposite first shaft end and second shaft end of the single driver.

13. The ammonia production plant of claim 11, wherein the combined compression train comprises at least the feed gas compression section and the refrigerant compression section, and wherein both the feed gas compression section and the refrigerant compression section comprise a respective integrally geared compressor.

14. The ammonia production plant of claim 11, wherein the combined compression train comprises at least the feed gas compression section and the process air compression section, and wherein both the feed gas compression section and the process air compression section comprise a respective integrally geared compressor.

15. The ammonia production plant of claim 11, wherein the combined compression train comprises at least the refrigerant compression section and the process air compression section, and wherein both the refrigerant compression section and the process air compression section comprise a respective integrally geared compressor.

16. An ammonia production plant, comprising:

a feed gas compression section;

a process air compression section;

a syngas compression section; and

a refrigerant compression section;

wherein the refrigerant compression section comprises an integrally geared compressor.