A method and an apparatus for producing ammonia, in which a first hydrogen/nitrogen fraction is provided at a time-varying flow rate in order to form an ammonia synthesis gas which is converted to ammonia in an ammonia synthesis, wherein the first hydrogen/nitrogen fraction is supplemented by a second hydrogen/nitrogen fraction in such a way that, during normal operation, the ammonia synthesis gas can always be supplied to the ammonia synthesis at a flow rate which exceeds a predefined minimum value. The characterizing feature is that ammonia produced in the ammonia synthesis is transferred in liquid form to a storage means from which ammonia is taken and split into hydrogen and nitrogen in order to obtain hydrogen and nitrogen so as to form the second hydrogen/nitrogen fraction.

A process for producing ammonia and a derivative of ammonia from a natural gas feed comprising conversion of natural gas into a make-up synthesis gas; synthesis of ammonia; use of said ammonia to produce said derivative of ammonia, wherein a portion of the natural gas feed is used to fuel a gas turbine; power produced by said gas turbine is transferred to at least one power user of the process, such as a compressor; heat is recovered from exhaust gas of said gas turbine, and at least part of said heat is recovered as low-grade heat available at a temperature not greater than 200 C., to provide process heating to at least one thermal user of the process, such as CO2 removal unit or absorption chiller; a corresponding plant and method of modernization are also disclosed.

A method for synthesizing ammonia for agricultural fertilizers employs water (H2O) as the source of hydrogen (H2) in ammonia (NH3) synthesis, and gathers carbon monoxide (CO) as a limiting reagent for combining in a WGS (Water-Gas-Shift) reaction for producing hydrogen. The WGS reaction employs CO with the water to produce Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and H2, consuming undesirable CO from other industrial applications. A by-product of the process includes generating 1.5 mole of CO2 for each mole of ammonia synthesized. An intermediate step consumes 3 moles of hydrogen for each mole of Nitrogen (N2). The use of methane gas is avoided as the process employs CO and the WGS reaction as an exclusive source of H2 without introducing methane (CH4). A downstream synthesis of ammonia can be done through a fuel cell to produce electricity for the ammonia synthesis for further sustainability.

A method of producing ammonia includes heating, with a start-up oven, a first synthesis gas for a first ammonia synthesis in a first reactor; transferring the heated first synthesis gas to the first reactor for initiating a chemical reaction; heating, with the start-up oven, a second synthesis gas for a second ammonia synthesis in a second reactor; and transferring the heated second synthesis gas to the second reactor for initiating a chemical reaction, wherein a high-pressure synthesis of ammonia is carried out in the first reactor and a low-pressure synthesis of ammonia is carried out in the second reactor at a process pressure which is lower than the process pressure in the first reactor.

Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a process for ammonia synthesis. An example includes: passing a feed gas via an inlet opening over a catalyst within a reactor, wherein the feed gas comprises nitrogen and hydrogen under pressure; passing ammonia produced in the reactor as a wet gas to a condensation unit comprising three heat exchangers configured monolithically with one another, wherein the ammonia condenses; and discharging the subcooled liquid pressurized condensate through a collection channel and discharging the dry gas via an outlet opening. The first heat exchanger causes the wet gas to exchange heat with a dry gas from which ammonia has already condensed, producing a cooled wet gas. The second heat exchanger separates the wet gas into gaseous reactants and a liquid pressurized condensate. The third heat exchanger subcools the liquid pressurized condensate.

An ammonia synthesis converter for small production units which provides full access for routine maintenance and catalyst replacement while providing adequate catalyst pressure drop to ensure kinetic performance and reduce heat leak from the catalyst beds. A shell has a removable top head and an annular basket is removably mounted in the shell. First and second catalyst beds are disposed in side-by-side catalyst pods in the annular zone of the basket extending substantially a height of the basket for axial down-flow in series. A quench gas is introduced into effluent from the first catalyst bed and the resulting mixture flows through the annular 10 zone into a top of the second catalyst bed. A feed-effluent interchanger in the inner basket zone is adapted to receive effluent from the second catalyst bed and indirectly heat a feed to the first catalyst bed. Also, methods of operating and servicing the converter.

A compression unit for ammonia comprising a multi-stage compressor, including a first set of compressor stages adapted to compress a syngas containing hydrogen and nitrogen; and a second set of compressor stages adapted to compress a refrigerant of a refrigerant circuit. Described herein is also an ammonia production system including the ammonia compression unit and a method.

Provided is an ammonia synthesis system including an ammonia synthesis reactor; two or more catalyst beds; a distribution plate; a backflow prevention plate; a distribution device; and mixed gas supply lines, wherein the distribution plate has a plurality of openings formed independently of each other, and a percentage of a total region of the openings to a total region of each distribution plate is referred to as an opening ratio, wherein the opening ratio of the distribution plate is decreased toward a lower part.

Provided is an ammonia synthesis system including an ammonia synthesis reactor; at least two catalyst beds included in the ammonia synthesis reactor; a backflow prevention plate disposed downstream from each one of the catalyst beds except for the catalyst bed disposed at the lowest of the at least two catalyst beds for preventing a backflow of mixed gas; a distribution device disposed upstream from each one of the at least two catalyst beds for distributing the mixed gas to the catalyst bed; mixed gas supply lines arranged to supply the mixed gas to each distribution device; and a microwave heating device for emitting microwaves to each of the at least two catalyst beds.

Provided is an ammonia synthesis system including an ammonia synthesis reactor; two or more catalyst beds included in the ammonia synthesis reactor; a backflow prevention plate disposed downstream from each of the catalyst beds except for the catalyst bed disposed at the lowest of the two or more catalyst beds for preventing a backflow of mixed gas; a distribution device disposed upstream from each of the two or more catalyst beds for distributing the mixed gas to the catalyst bed; mixed gas supply lines arranged to supply the mixed gas to each distribution device; and a microwave heating device for emitting microwaves to each of the two or more catalyst beds, wherein the catalyst bed contains a microwave reactive catalyst mixture including a catalyst and a carbon body.