Method for controlling claus furnace with variable hydrocarbon feed composition

Patent · Tue Jun 06 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5585980

Reed, R L; Holdeman, D A

This patent describes a method for controlling the flow of oxygen feed to a Claus furnace in a sulfur recovery plant comprising a Claus furnace and a Claus catalytic reaction zone. The method consists of: generating a first control signal by means sensing flow rate of a gaseous feed(s) containing hydrogen sulfide to the Claus furnace wherein hydrogen sulfide is combusted to produce a first molar ratio of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur dioxide in feed to the Claus catalytic reaction zone; generating a second control signal representative of carbon-hydrogen bonds and composition of the hydrocarbons in the feed(s) to the Claus furnace by steps comprising: generating a first response signal representative of carbon-hydrogen bonds of hydrocarbons in the hydrogen sulfide feed(s) to the Claus furnace; responsive to a second molar ratio of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur dioxide in effluent from the Claus catalytic reaction zone, the second ratio differing from the first ratio, generating a second responsive signal representative of a changed hydrocarbon composition of hydrocarbons in feed(s) to the Claus furnace; and combining the first and second response signals by means generating a third response signal representative of carbon-hydrogen bonds and the changed hydrocarbon composition in the feed(s) to the Claus furnace; generating a fourth response signal representative of concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the hydrogen sulfide feed(s).

• Assignee: Amoco Corp., Chicago, IL
• Patent Number(s): US 4836999
• OSTI ID: 5585980
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020800* -- Petroleum-- Waste Management
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLAUS PROCESS
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DESULFURIZATION
ELEMENTS
ENRICHMENT
FUEL FEEDING SYSTEMS
FUEL SYSTEMS
FURNACES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
NONMETALS
OXYGEN ENRICHMENT
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFIDES
SULFUR
SULFUR COMPOUNDS