Wednesday, 19 February 2025
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Advanced spray technology solves sulphuric acid spraying problems

Home Manufacturing & Processing Petro Chemicals Advanced spray technology solves sulphuric acid spraying problems

DROPLET size and temperature are critical factors when maximising sulphuric acid production and furnace efficiency.

If droplets are too big, the droplet distribution is too large or the sulphur is not in the ideal temperature range, the following problems can occur. Vaporisation and combustion can be compromised; there can be build-up on the waste heat boiler tube sheet face and damage to the furnace refractory and/or downstream equipment and thirdly, guns can plug, dramatically increasing maintenance time.

With the proper selection of a sulphur burning gun and sulphur spray nozzle, these problems can be avoided. Monitor Engineering uses advanced spray technology to improve operating efficiency by using computational modelling to validate sulphur gun performance and placement to solve problems like carryover and wall wetting – prior to purchase.

A wide range of hydraulic and air atomising guns are available for spraying both molten sulphur and spent acid.

Monitor Engineering has a proven track record that started with the industry-standard BA WhirlJet hollow cone spray nozzles which feature small droplets and open flow passages to minimise plugging. Energy-efficient FloMax air atomising guns followed and are widely used in operations requiring very small droplets and quick evaporation. The company’s newest sulphur gun, the CBA WhirlJet, offers producers the performance of the BA WhirlJet with greatly reduced plugging.

The BA WhirlJet sulphur gun is a solution for sulphur combustion furnaces.

BA WhirlJet sulphur guns are precision – engineered to produce the exact droplet size and droplet size distribution required for complete vaporisation and efficient combustion.

The new CBA sulphur nozzles dramatically reduce plugging. Plugging occurs in sulphur guns when the temperature of the sulphur falls outside the optimal range. This commonly happens when the sulphur flow is decreased or turned off. Producers try to compensate for this by purging or removing guns quickly at the end of the production run. However, this creates safety issues and is not always possible. The design of the new nozzle eliminates both problems.

The CBA gun features a unique design that keeps the temperature of the sulphur consistent as it passes through the gun, even when flow rates change.

Unlike conventional sulphur guns that protrude slightly from the steam jacket, the CBA sulphur gun is recessed into the steam jacket. This ensures temperature uniformity and eliminates or dramatically reduces the incidence of sulphur solidifying and plugging the gun.

  • The recessed design of the CBA gun also helps increase wear life. The nozzle is threaded on the front of the gun and offers easy access when maintenance is required. The CBA WhirlJet sulphur gun provides the same droplet size.

Solutions for spent acid plants

Two-fluid guns are widely used in spent acid plants because the atomisation process produces smaller droplets than hydraulic guns and provides better decomposition with reduced risk of carryover.

Flomax sulphur guns use a unique three-stage atomising process to produce a focused air stream that shears the liquid with minimal air. The result is a D32 droplet size 34% smaller using 20% less air than other two-fluid guns. The smaller, uniform droplets decompose at the same time and maximise process efficiency. The atomising air flow provides a secondary benefit of purging the guns of potential build-up and ensuring uninterrupted operation.

The high turndown ratio of the FloMax sulphur guns at 10:1, enables the air pressure to remain constant while the liquid flow rate varies and extends operating flexibility.

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