Methods and systems for recovering sulfur dioxide from a Claus unit process emissions stream are provided. The method comprises the steps of generating a process emissions stream from a thermal oxidizer or other combustion device, introducing the emissions stream to an SO.sub.2 removal system, introducing the SO.sub.2 rich stream from the SO.sub.2 removal system to a CO.sub.2 removal system, and introducing an enriched SO.sub.2 stream back to the Claus unit. The SO.sub.2 removal system can include one or more SO.sub.2 selective membranes. The CO.sub.2 removal system can include one or more CO.sub.2 selective membranes.

A method for controlling a temperature of an incinerator may include determining a flow rate of a gas stream. The gas stream may be being passed from a sulfur recovery system to the incinerator. The method may include adjusting a target temperature of the incinerator. The target temperature of the incinerator is proportional to the flow rate of the gas stream. The method may include determining a temperature of the incinerator and adjusting the flow rate of a fuel gas being passed to the incinerator such that the temperature of the incinerator approaches the target temperature of the incinerator.

The present invention is related to a catalyst supported for the selective oxidation of sulphur compounds of the tail gas from the Claus process or streams with an equivalent composition to elemental sulphur or sulphur dioxide (SO.sub.2). It is also the object of the present invention, a process for the preparation of a catalyst of this type, as well as the process of selective oxidation of sulphur compounds to elemental sulphur using the catalyst of the invention, as well as the process of catalytic incineration of the tail gas from the Claus process using the catalyst of the present invention.

A process for the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur trioxide with subsequent sulfur trioxide removal comprises oxidizing hydrogen sulfide to sulfur trioxide in at least one catalyst-containing reactor and feeding the effluent from the last reactor to a candle filter unit for SO.sub.3 removal, where it is mixed with an injected alkaline sorbent slurry or powder to form an alkali sulfate and a hot clean gas. Preferably the oxidation is done in two reactors, the first oxidizing H.sub.2S to SO.sub.2 over a monolith type catalyst and the second oxidizing SO.sub.2 to SO.sub.3 over a VK type catalyst.

A method of producing sulphuric acid from a sour tail gas comprises (a) obtaining a sour tail gas stream comprising H.sub.2S or reduced sulphur species or a combination thereof from an oil and gas facility; (b) subjecting the sour tail gas stream to oxidation and obtaining an oxidized gas stream comprising SO.sub.2; and, (c) utilizing the oxidized gas stream to obtain sulphuric acid and a SO.sub.2 reduced tail gas stream. The method may further comprise subjecting the oxidized gas stream to a regenerable absorption process. The sulphuric acid may be used to produce fertilizer.

A method of generating electricity in a body of water includes providing a colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria, a colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, and a colony of denitrifying bacteria submerged in the body of water. The colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria can be used to convert at least a portion of sulfates present in the body of water to hydrogen sulfide. The colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria can be used to convert the hydrogen sulfide to sulfuric acid, which can react with manganese to produce hydrogen gas. The colony of denitrifying bacteria can be used to convert at least a portion of nitrogen oxides in the body of water to nitrogen gas, which can be bubbled through a portion of water from the body of water to remove dissolved oxygen gas. The hydrogen gas and oxygen gas can be combined in a fuel cell generator to generate electricity.

A composite material is used for desulfurization. The composite material contains activated carbon, alkali metal oxides, silicon oxides, iron oxides, and rare earth element oxides. The weight ratio among the activated carbon, iron oxides and rare earth element oxides is 100:(0.5-5):(1-10). The composite material, used as a sulfur adsorbent, has a higher sulfur breakthrough capacity and desulfurization rate.

H2 production, sulfuric acid and SO2 production process refers to an innovative process VIA the phenomena of the Sulfur-Iodine (S-I) thermochemical cycle. The process consist of the acid gas burner to burn all the acid gases with air, enriched air or oxygen and without using any fuel gas to produce SO2. The acid gases are normally processed in the prior arts of the sulfur recovery units. Iodine is used to produce the hydrogen.

A portion or all of the acid gases are sent to the acid gas burner in accordance with the present invention.

The present innovation not only produces hydrogen but also reduces the SO2 and CO2 emissions.

The produced SO2 is sent to other units to produce other fertilizer products and the produced CO2 is sent to CO2 removal or CO2 Liquefaction process.

The hydrogen is produced is used to supply the needs within the facility like hydrotreaters to reduce external import and to reduce the operating costs.

A process for recovering sulfur from a sour gas is provided. The process includes the steps of: providing the sour gas to a membrane separation unit having a carbon dioxide-selective membrane that comprises a perfluoropolymer, wherein the sour gas comprises carbon dioxide and at least 1 mol % hydrogen sulfide; separating the sour gas using the carbon dioxide-selective membrane in the membrane separation stage to obtain hydrogen sulfide-enriched gas and hydrogen sulfide-stripped gas, wherein the hydrogen sulfide-enriched gas has a hydrogen sulfide concentration of at least 20 mol %, and wherein the hydrogen sulfide-stripped gas comprises carbon dioxide; and processing the hydrogen sulfide-enriched gas in a sulfur recovery unit to obtain sulfur.

A method of generating hydrogen gas includes providing a colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria and a colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The colonies can be submerged in a body of water. The colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria can be used to convert at least a portion of sulfates present in the body of water to hydrogen sulfide. The colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria can be used to convert the hydrogen sulfide to sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid can react with manganese to produce hydrogen gas and manganese sulfate.