Technical paper
Improve Your Gas Plant's Performance in the Middle East Part II: The Sulfur Recovery Unit
Part one of this series of papers (presented at GPA GCC 21st Annual Technical Conference in 2013) detailed various ways to optimize an amine sweetening unit, particularly sweetening units located in the Middle East (Slagle, 2013). Conditions in the Middle East are often more sour and warmer than other locations in the world. Part two expands on the work completed in part one, focusing on the impact of choices made for the sweetening section on the sulfur recovery unit, while detailing ways to optimize the entire process. Various aspects of the sulfur recovery unit design are impacted by the amine sweetening unit design. The influence amine sweetening technologies have on sulfur recovery units is explored, along with competing sulfur recovery options. The study details choices engineers must make when deciding the number of Claus beds, adding a tail gas treatment unit, using a selective versus non-selective amine and other essential variables.
Part one of this series of papers (presented at GPA GCC 21st Annual Technical Conference in 2013) detailed various ways to optimize an amine sweetening unit, particularly sweetening units located in the Middle East (Slagle, 2013). Conditions in the Middle East are often more sour and warmer than other locations in the world. Part two expands on the work completed in part one, focusing on the impact of choices made for the sweetening section on the sulfur recovery unit, while detailing ways to optimize the entire process. Various aspects of the sulfur recovery unit design are impacted by the amine sweetening unit design. The influence amine sweetening technologies have on sulfur recovery units is explored, along with competing sulfur recovery options. The study details choices engineers must make when deciding the number of Claus beds, adding a tail gas treatment unit, using a selective versus non-selective amine and other essential variables.