Abstract:
Urea production requires the reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide. The
production of ammonia, itself, is a complex process that requires several steps.
Ammonia is produced by introducing a synthesis gas, which is comprised of
hydrogen, nitrogen and inert byproducts like methane and argon, into a catalytic
reactor. In the Ammonia production synthesis loop, the conversion of the reactor
is very low in a single pass, so the process requires the components to be looped
through a cycle.
A purge stream is taken out of the synthesis loop to get rid of these built-up inert
byproducts in the recycled stream. This purge also contains high concentrations
of valuable gases such as hydrogen and ammonia. According to economic and
environmental aspects, it is beneficial to recover these gases rather than burning
them. After recovery, hydrogen is recycled back to the synthesis loop, which not
only reduces the amount of natural gas required as raw material but also enhances
the production efficiency. As per the industrial directive, a detailed study has been
carried out to propose a suitable process to recover ammonia and to use
Membrane Separators for the recovery of hydrogen. Material and Energy Balance,
Equipment Design, Simulation, Instrumentation and Process Control and a
comprehensive Economic Analysis has been performed to provide the industry
with a viable process to enhance the overall ammonia production by recovering
hydrogen using Membrane Separation Technology.
