PROCESS AND PLANT FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF UREA

Abstract

A process for synthesis of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide wherein: the urea synthesis is performed with a stripping process in a synthesis loop including at least a reactor (1), a stripper (2) and a condenser (3); the reactor effluent is treated in the stripper to remove unreacted ammonia and carbon dioxide; the urea solution (14) from the stripper is sent to a low-pressure recovery section (4); the stripper vapours are split into a first portion (151) directed to the reactor and a second portion (152) sent to the condenser; the condenser (3) is a shell-and-tube kettle condenser where condensation of stripper vapours is performed in the tube side (30); a carbamate-containing effluent (20) from the condenser is returned to the reactor.

Claims

1. A process for synthesis of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide wherein: the urea synthesis is performed with a stripping process in a synthesis section including at least a reactor, a stripper and a condenser; conversion of ammonia and carbon dioxide into urea occurs in the reactor at a synthesis pressure with formation of an aqueous effluent containing urea and unconverted ammonium carbamate; a stripping step of the reactor effluent is performed in the stripper, wherein the reactor effluent is heated and contacted with gaseous carbon dioxide acting as a stripping aid, with formation of a urea-containing solution and of stripper vapours comprising mainly ammonia and carbon dioxide; the urea-containing solution effluent from the stripper is sent to a low-pressure recovery section for further processing; the gaseous carbon dioxide fed to the stripper represents the full input of fresh carbon dioxide to the synthesis section; the stripper vapours are split into a first portion which is sent to the reactor and a second portion which is sent to the condenser, the condenser is a shell-and-tube kettle condenser with a tube side and a shell side and said second portion of the stripper vapours is sent to the tube side for condensation; a carbamate-containing condensate stream is withdrawn from the tube side of the condenser and is returned to the reactor.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein said carbamate-containing condensate stream is returned to the reactor via a carbamate separator which separates a carbamate-containing liquid from the effluent of the condenser, and said liquid is sent to the reactor.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein said carbamate-containing liquid, which is obtained in the carbamate separator, is sent to the reactor via an ejector together with fresh ammonia.

4. The process according to claim 3, wherein the fresh ammonia fed to the ejector represents the majority of fresh ammonia input to the synthesis section.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein prior to introduction in the tube side of the condenser, the second portion of stripper vapours is mixed with a stream of fresh ammonia and/or with a carbamate-containing recycle solution coming from said recovery section.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the urea synthesis section does not include a high pressure scrubber and a stream of inert gas vented from the reactor is mixed with the second portion of stripper vapours prior to introduction of said stripper vapours in the tube side of the condenser.

7. The process according to claim 4, wherein the fresh ammonia input of the synthesis section is partially introduced into the reactor via the ejector and partially mixed with the stripper vapours before introduction in the tube side of the condenser.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the shell side of the condenser is traversed by a cooling fluid.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein urea is synthesized at a pressure of 120 bar to 180 bar, and the low-pressure recovery is performed at a pressure of 2 to 6 bar.

10. The CO2-stripping urea plant suitable to perform the process of claim 1, comprising: a synthesis loop including at least a reactor, a stripper and a condenser; a line arranged to feed a urea-containing reactor effluent from the reactor to the stripper, and a line arranged to feed fresh CO2 as a stripping medium to said stripper; a line arranged to send a urea-containing solution effluent from the stripper to a low-pressure recovery section for a further processing, said line arranged to feed fresh CO2 to the stripper being the only CO2 feed of the synthesis section, a line arranged to feed a first portion of stripper overhead vapours to the reactor, and a line arranged to feed a second portion of said stripper vapours to the condenser, the condenser being a shell-and-tube kettle condenser with a tube side and a shell side and said line of the second portion of the stripper vapours being connected to the tube side of the condenser, so that the second portion of stripper vapours is fed into the tube side of the condenser for condensation, a line arranged to feed back to the reactor a carbamate-containing condensate stream which is withdrawn from the condenser.

11. The plant according to claim 10, further comprising a carbamate separator arranged to separate the condensate withdrawn from the tube side of the condenser into a carbamate-containing liquid, which is recycled to the reactor, and a vapour or gas phase.

12. The plant according to claim 11, further including an ejector arranged to feed the carbamate containing liquid from the carbamate separator to the urea reactor, and a line arranged to feed fresh ammonia as a motive stream to the ejector.

13. The plant according to claim 10, further including one or more lines arranged to mix the second portion of stripper vapours, prior to its introduction in the tube side of the condenser, with a stream of fresh ammonia and/or with a carbamate-containing recycle solution coming from the recovery section.

14. The plant according to claim 10, wherein the synthesis loop does not include a high-pressure scrubber and a line is arranged to mix a stream of inert gas vented from the reactor with the second portion of stripper vapours prior to introduction of said stripper vapours in the tube side of the condenser.

15. The plant according to claim 10, wherein the urea reactor is a vertical reactor having a height of less than 20 meters.

16. The plant according to claim 10, including a structure for supporting the reactor, stripper and condenser, wherein the maximum elevation of said structure is not greater than 40 meters.

17. The process according to claim 4, wherein the fresh ammonia fed to the ejector comprises at least 80% of the fresh ammonia input to the synthesis section.

18. The process according to claim 8, wherein the cooling fluid comprises boiling water.

19. The process according to claim 8, wherein the cooling fluid is at a pressure not greater than 6 bar.

20. The process according to claim 8, wherein the cooling fluid is at a pressure of 2 to 6 bar.

21. The process according to claim 9, wherein the low-pressure recovery is performed at the pressure of 4 bar.

22. The plant according to claim 15, wherein the height of the vertical reactor is in the range of 12 to 18 meters.

23. The plant according to claim 16, wherein the maximum elevation of said structure is in the range of 30 to 38 meters.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0035] FIG. 1 is a scheme of a urea synthesis process and plant according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates the following main items: [0037] Urea reactor 1 [0038] High-pressure stripper 2 [0039] High-pressure condenser 3 [0040] Low-pressure recovery section 4 [0041] Carbamate separator 5 [0042] Ejector 6 [0043] Control valve 7.

[0044] Urea is formed in the reactor 1 under a high pressure, for example 140 bar. The urea reactor 1 is a vertical apparatus internally divided by plates. The urea-containing solution is collected with a downcomer 10 and goes to the stripper 2 via line 11.

[0045] The stripper 2 is a shell-and-tube vertical apparatus operating substantially at the same pressure as the reactor 1. The reactor effluent 11 is fed to the tube side of the stripper 2. Gaseous CO2 is fed to the bottom of the tube side via a line 12. The effluent solution thus descends the tubes in a falling-film regime in counter-current with the gaseous CO2. The shell side around the tubes is heated by steam entering at line 13.

[0046] In the stripper 2, some of the unreacted carbamate contained in the reactor effluent is decomposed into gaseous ammonia and carbon dioxide.

[0047] The solution effluent from the stripper 2 is sent to the recovery section 4 via line 14.

[0048] The stripper overhead gas, which is predominantly composed of ammonia and carbon dioxide, is withdrawn from the top of the stripper 2 with line 15.

[0049] This line 15 is split into a first line 151 going to the reactor 1 and a second line 152 going to the condenser 3. The flow rate of line 152 is controlled by the valve 7.

[0050] Accordingly, a first portion of the stripper overhead gas is returned to the reactor 1 and a second remaining portion is sent to the condenser 3 for condensation. Preferably the valve 7 is regulated so that the stream of line 151 directed to the reactor 1 is 20% to 40% of the total stream withdrawn from the stripper in line 15.

[0051] The condenser 3 is a horizontal kettle apparatus with a bundle 30 of U-tubes. The condenser 3 is also a high-pressure equipment operating at a pressure substantially equal to the pressure of the reactor 1 and stripper 2.

[0052] Said second portion (line 152) of stripper overhead gas is sent to the tube side of the condenser 3, as illustrated.

[0053] More particularly, the second portion of stripper overhead gas of line 152 is mixed with reactor vented gas 16, a stream of fresh ammonia 17 and a stream of recycled solution 18 from the recovery section 4.

[0054] Mixing of the stripper vapours 152 with any of said streams 16 (reactor vent gas), 17 (fresh ammonia) and 18 (carbamate recycle), or a combination thereof, is an optional; FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment where the stripper vapours 152 mixes with all said streams 16, 17 and 18.

[0055] The so obtained mixed stream 19, which includes the portion of stripper vapours of line 152, is condensed in the tube side 30 of the condenser 3. The shell side 31 is traversed by a cooling fluid, e.g. boiling water (not shown).

[0056] The condenser effluent is sent to the carbamate separator 5 via line 20. The condenser effluent in line 20 is generally a biphasic mixture. This mixture is separated into a liquid fraction and a gaseous fraction in the carbamate separator 5. The liquid fraction leaves the separator 5 with line 21 and is returned to the reactor 1 by means of the ejector 6 and its output line 23. A stream 22 of fresh ammonia drives the ejector 6. The gaseous fraction separated in the separator 5 is made chiefly of non-condensable gas and can be vented via line 25.

[0057] The recovery section 4 operates at a low pressure, for example 2 to 6 bar. The recovery section 4 is known and does not need be described in detail. Basically this section includes at least a low-pressure carbamate decomposer and a low-pressure condenser; gaseous ammonia and carbon dioxide are removed from the urea solution in the decomposer, and said gas are condensed into a carbamate-containing recycle solution in the low-pressure condenser.

[0058] Accordingly the recovery section 4 produces the carbamate-containing solution 18 and a urea solution 24 which consists essentially of urea and water. As stated above, the carbamate solution 18 is preferably returned to the condenser 3 together with the portion 152 of stripper vapours. The carbamate solution 18 may help condensation of said stripper vapours in the condenser.

[0059] It can be noted that the reactor 1, the stripper 2 and the condenser 3 are interconnected to form a high-pressure synthesis loop. The loop may also comprise a scrubber in some embodiments. The items in the synthesis loop operate at the same or substantially the same pressure, which is preferably in the range 120 to 180 bar.

[0060] FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment wherein the high-pressure loop does not include a scrubber. Accordingly the vent gas 16 withdrawn from the reactor 1 goes directly into the condenser 3 after mixing with the portion of stripper vapours 152.

[0061] It can also be noted that fresh CO2 enters said loop only via the line 12 connected to the stripper 2. In other words the only input of fresh is the CO2 entering the stripper 2 as stripping medium.

[0062] The fresh ammonia enters the loop from line 22 connected to the ejector 6 and possibly from line 17 which mixes with the stream 152 before the condenser 3. In the event that ammonia enters from both locations, it is preferred that the majority of ammonia enters via the ejector, i.e. from line 22.

[0063] In a variant the gas vented from the reactor 1 via line 16 may be sent to a high-pressure scrubber and washed with a carbamate solution, e.g. a portion of the solution 18. The liquid effluent from the scrubber may be sent to the tube side of the condenser 3.