US EPA

7462964 

Meetings & Symposia 

An exclusive experience of synthesis gas compressor's low efficiency problem diagnostics 

Iqbal, A; Ahmed, R 

2017 

American Institute of Chemical Engineers 

62nd Annual Safety in Ammonia Plants and Related Facilities Symposium 

2017-September 

69-78 

English 

The Synthesis Gas Compressor is installed at 1220 MTPD ammonia plant of Haldor Topsoe Design. Starting from May 2007, a gradual decrease in polytropic efficiency of the compressor's 4th stage urged operation and technical personnel to probe into the issue which started to hamper plant operation. Subsequent to meticulous investigation, the compressor was opened and its 4th stage impeller eye was found blocked with Ammonium Carbamate deposits giving a new direction to the diagnostic proceedings. The paper describes the interesting interaction of certain anomalies such as leakage in the feed-effluent gas heat-exchanger downstream of the Methanator and the presence of ammonia in the sour-gas recycle to the compressor which resulted in an unprecedented phenomenon inside the compressor. The paper also encompasses step by step investigation findings, data analysis, application of simulation tools and corrective actions taken. 

Ammonia; Compressibility of gases; Compressors; Efficiency; Effluents; Stages; Synthesis gas; Ammonia plants; Ammonium carbamates; Corrective actions; Effluent gas; Haldor topsoe; Plant operations; Polytropic efficiency; Technical personnel; Gas compressors