Industrial Internship Report

On
Overview of Sulfuric Acid Plant
Offered by
Indorama India Private Limited (Fertilizer Division),
Durgachak, Haldia, Purba Medinipur, 721602
October, 2023

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of

Batchelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering.

Submitted by:
Sahil Shaw (Roll no: 10300621077)
Ritam Saha (Roll no: 10300621072)
5th semester, 3rdyear

Haldia Institute of Technology

(An Autonomous Institution)
ICARE Complex, Haldia, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal – 721657

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Preface

Chemical Engineering is a type of subject that particularly requires knowledge of practical

training for a comprehensive understanding. And we know that Chemical engineers are
problem solvers who seek to use their tools to help improve the world. So, after we came
to. 'Indorama India Private Limited' for internship what we learn, this report will describe
and reflect our objectives and learning what we gain and also provide a synopsis of
theoretical approaches and methods of implementing them in the world of business. In this
report, we try to discover the relationship between the theoretical and practical types of
knowledge and to link between assumptions and practical necessities. To familiarize
ourselves with various materials, processes, products, and their applications along with
relevant aspects of technology and troubleshooting during the entire course of our
academic study, we remain engaged in theoretical learning where the primary objective is
academic success. A brief knowledge of the modern business arena can only be attained
through the pragmatic implementation of hypothetical ideas, which we learn from our
educational activities as we had to complete my internship within a short period so the
study admits its limitations. The report first shall give an overview of the tasks completed
during the period of internship with technical details. We tried to keep the report simple yet
technically correct. It helps to expose the student to professional role models or mentors
who will provide the student with support in the early stages of the internship provide an
example of the behaviors expected in the intern's workplace and help us with opportunities
in the future by expanding the student's knowledge of particular areas of skill.

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Acknowledgement

After the completion of our In-plant training, we intend to thank all the members of
'Indorama India Private Limited' who directly or indirectly were responsible for making our
stay during the training period fruitful. It was a wonderful opportunity as Chemical
Engineering students to experience the industrial atmosphere and this experience will surely
help us in some way to evolve as good experiences for engineers in the future. We are
indebted to Mr. Prakash Bhowmick, AGM (HR) for making it possible to come to Indorama
India Private Limited. We are especially thankful to Mr. Harihar Datta, GM (HOD of SAP) for
allowing us to let us work in that section. We are grateful to Mr. Snehangshu Roy (AGM of
SAP) for their valuable guidance and cooperation. We also express our gratitude towards
our professor, Mr. Pradipto Goswami for arranging such a wonderful summer internship
successfully. We are also thankful to our Mentor Mr. Rabindra Nath Jana (Asst. professor
of Chemical Engineering) for giving me permission to complete my training. With grateful
heart, we would like to thank the people who have somehow helped us with our successful
training. Nevertheless, we thank the entire INDORAMA family for the pains they undertook
to guide us, their cooperation, and their valuable guidance and support.

Signature Training Coordinator

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Table of Contents

Topic Page no.

Introduction 5

Process Plant Fertilizer Facility. 7-8

Overview of TPD DCDA Sulphuric acid production. 9-10

Process Description 11-18

Schematic Process Flow Diagram Of SAP-2 19

Overall Mass Balance 20-22

Energy Balance 23-35

Reference 36

Conclusion 36

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Introduction

About Indorama:
Indorama Corporation is one of Asia’s leading chemical companies. Its origins trace back to
1975 with the start of Indorama Synthetics in Indonesia by its founder, M.L. Lohia, and his
son, S.P. Lohia. Indorama Synthetics started as a cotton yarn spinning company. In 1991, the
company diversified into the production of polyester fibres from petchem derivatives, and
subsequently into the production of PET resins. Today, Indorama Corporation, which is
headquartered in Singapore, manufactures a multitude of products including nitrogen
fertilizers, phosphate fertilizers, polyethene, polypropylene, polyester, textiles, cotton fibre,
and medical gloves. Indorama India Private Limited (Fertilizer Division) produces
phosphate-based fertilizers in Haldia, which is located in the state of West Bengal in India.

Its first Di- Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) plant was set up in 1985 and subsequently, a
complex fertilizer line was installed to produce DAP and NPK fertilizers, along with a plant
to. produce SSP fertilizers. Sulphuric acid is also manufactured at Haldia which is sold in the
merchant market. The site has a production capacity of 1800 TPD of DAP, 3000 TPD of
NPK, or a combination of the two as per the domestic market's requirement. The SSP
production capacity is 600 TPD.

Indorama India Private Limited ("IIPL"), is also engaged in manufacturing, trading, and sale
of urea and other agri-inputs at its facility in Jagdishpur, Uttar Pradesh in India. The facility
has a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant with the capacity to produce 1.2 mil tons of Urea
per annum under its strong "Shaktiman" brand in Northern and Eastern India

The facility manufactures and markets Urea (Neem Coated), CFG (Customized Fertilizer
Grade), and SHP (Soil Health Products). It also markets seeds, crop protection products, and
plant health products (PHP) as part of its Purak business. With a sharp focus on farmers by
providing total agri-solutions through a vast range of agri-input and technical know-how from
seed to harvest accompanied by its after-sales service, the Shaktiman brand enjoys a leading
position and top consumer recall. The manufacturing consists of almost over 80 tons per day
of a customized fertilizer plant to produce different grades of customized fertilizers (CFG)
and soil health products (SHP) and a separate 20-ton-per-day plant to produce Oorja. This is

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the first fertilizer plant in India to register a CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) project
with the UNFCCC.

The facility has its manufacturing location at Jagdishpur adjacent to the National Highway
(NH-56) connecting Lucknow - Varanasi and about 80 km away from Lucknow, the capital
city of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The Jagdishpur plant is certified with ISO 9001:2015
for quality systems, ISO 18001:2007 for occupational health and safety management system,
ISO 14001:2015 for environment management systems, and Recertification Cycle from
June'2018, ISO 50001:2011 for energy management systems.

Indorama India’s fertilizer business is conducted under the umbrella brand of Paras, which is
a premier brand in Eastern India. Paras has very strong brand equity supported by its unique
specifications, quality, and customer support. Which is a premier brand in Eastern India.
Paras has very strong brand equity supported by its unique specifications, quality, and
customer s

Figure: Overview of Indorama

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Process Plants Fertiliser Facility

Sulphuric Acid Plant:

The main raw material for the production of Sulphuric Acid is Sulphur, which is imported in
granular solid form or in molten condition. The process is called Double Contact Double
Absorption (DCDA). The Haldia Phosphate facility has two Sulphuric acid plants, named
SAP-1 and SAP-2, with capacities of 450 TPD and 300 TPD respectively. The sulphur is
burnt in the presence of excess air to form Sulphur dioxide, which is converted to Sulphur tri-
oxide in the presence of a catalyst. The Sulphur tri-oxide is then absorbed in towers with
circulating acid to obtain 98.5% Sulphuric acid product. The process of conversion from
Sulphur to Sulphur di-oxide and then to Sulphur tri-oxide is highly exothermic and as a
result, steam is produced from the process as by-product, which is used in generation of
power and as process steam.

Complex Phosphate Fertilizer Plants (DAP/ NPK):

DAP is the world’s most widely used phosphorus fertilizer. It is popular due to its relatively
high nutrient content and its excellent physical properties. There are two complex Phosphate
Fertilizers (CPF) plants, named CPF-1 and CPF-2. Both the plants have flexibility to produce
Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) as well as NPK products. The capacity of the CPF-1 plant
is 900 TPD of DAP and CPF-2 is 1650 TPD of NPK10. The raw materials for DAP
production are ammonia and phosphoric acid, while for NPK are ammonia, phosphoric acid,
and Muriate of Potash (MOP). The basic process is the reaction between anhydrous ammonia
and phosphoric acid to form Mono-Ammonium Phosphate (MAP) and then Di-Ammonium
Phosphate (DAP). The PN reactor and pipe reactor slurry which is a combination of these two
salts (DAP and MAP) is sprayed onto a bed of recycled fines in the granulator. The granular
mass is then dried in a rotary drum dryer. The dried product is then screened and the desired-
sized product is transferred to the packaging plant after cooling the granules in a Fluidised
Bed Cooler (FBC). The oversized granules are pulverized and mixed with undersized
material and then recycled back into the granulator. For NPK production, MOP is mixed in

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the recycle stream and sent back to the granulator. DAP is an excellent source of phosphorus
(P) and nitrogen (N) for plant nutrition. It provides the correct proportion of phosphorous and
nitrogen for the farming of grains such as wheat, barley, fruits, and vegetables. NPKs, also
called compound fertilizers, are fertilizers that contain all three nutrients, nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium in different proportions. There are many types of NPK products
in the world based on different nutrient recipes and they are often customized to best suit the
needs of a specific crop or parcel of land. The global demand for NPKs is estimated to be
about 20 million tons a year and the global demand for DAP is about 30 million tons a year.

Single Super-Phosphate Plant (SSP):

SSP is the most popular phosphate fertilizer after DAP as it contains 3 major plant nutrients
namely Phosphorus, Sulphur, and Calcium along with traces of many micro-nutrients. SSP is
indigenously available and supply can be made at short notice. Oilseed farmers have a special
preference for SSP.

The plant has the capacity to produce 600 TPD of SSP fertilizer in powder form. The raw
materials for the production of SSP are rock phosphate and sulphuric acid. Rock phosphate is
first ground and then mixed with 98.5% strong sulphuric acid. This process converts
insoluble phosphates into forms more readily available to plants. Impact Fertilisers' SSP
manufacturing process uses blends of various rock phosphate rock sources.

Single Superphosphate or SSP fertilizer is a type of phosphorus-based fertilizer that is widely

used in agriculture to enhance soil fertility and promote plant growth. SSP fertilizer is the
first commercially-used mineral-based fertilizer that farmers started using to increase crop
production.

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Overview of TPD DCDA Sulphuric acid production

There are 2 sulphuric acid plants in In Indorama India Pvt. Ltd., Haldia, SAP-1 & SAP-2, and
both are based upon DCDA Process. SAP-1 was built by Simon Carves in 1979 having a
capacity of 200 TPD, and its capacity was expanded to 450 TPD in 1995. SAP-2 was built by
Monsanto DMCC in 1999 having a capacity of 300 TPD.

SAP plants are highly advanced in technical aspects. The control section of SAP plants is
well equipped with a direct control system which is automatic in nature. The technicians are
always ready to tackle any kind of abnormal situation. The technical committee consists of a
group of panel operators and field operators. The standard operating conditions vary with the
industrial demand and ambient conditions. The set points are adjusted according to the
instructions in the operating manual provided by the designer. Accordingly, the other
dependent variables vary with the process criteria so as to meet the suitable product acid
strength and quality.

The general operating instruction which is being followed is intended to assist the plant
operators in ensuring smooth and trouble-free operation of the plant with minimum
operational and maintenance expenses.

In here we are going to discuss sulphuric acid production in SAP-2 acid plant.

Raw Material:

● The main raw material of sulphuric acid plant is sulphur. They are using both solid and

liquid sulphur. 50% sulphur is imported from IOCL Haldia and the rest is imported from
various distributors as in Middle East Asia, South America, and African countries.

● Other raw materials are Atmospheric air, DM water, raw water, and condensates from

within the plant.

Chemical Process:

a) Combustion of elemental sulphur in excess air to form sulphur dioxide. The reaction is
exothermic, the chemical reaction being.

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b) Oxidation of sulphur dioxide with excess air to form sulphur trioxide in the presence of
vanadium pentoxide catalyst. The chemical reaction is again an exothermic reaction.

c) Absorption of sulphur trioxide by water present in circulating strong sulphuric acid.

S + O2 = SO2

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SO2 + O2 =SO3
2

SO3 + H2SO4 = H2S2O7

H2S2O7 + H2O = 2 H2SO4

Figure: Sulphuric acid plant production

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Process Description

Sulphur handling & melting system:

Solid sulphur comes in bins and then with the help of a pay loader it goes into the hopper
from where it goes to the melting compartment. The melting compartment consists of steam-
heated coils to melt the solid sulphur, as the processing of molten sulphur is only possible,
not solid or highly viscous as it would jam the equipment.

Molten sulphur will overflow into the dirty sulphur compartment from where it will be
pumped to the two sulphur filters by the dirty sulphur pump. Before filtration, filter leaves are
precoated with an agent (Hyflosupercell), along with molten sulphur pumped from the
precoat compartment with the help of a precoating pump.

Agitators are used in dirty and precoat compartments to keep the solid/dirt in suspension and
to facilitate the mixing of an agent with molten sulphur. After the precoating operation,
molten sulphur is pumped to clean the sulphur compartment through the sulphur filter. Two
clean compartments receive clean molten sulphur from the sulphur filter by two separate
discharge lines.

Two clean compartments are used so that in the event of shutdown of one compartment, the
other can be used. Then with the help of a clean sulphur pump, it is pumped to a sulphur
burner.

In the melting compartment, steam at 7 kg/cm ^ 2 to the steam coils. In other compartments,
steam at 4.2 kg/cm ^ 2 to keep sulphur in a molten state. Molten sulphur is kept around 135 -
155 C to keep viscosity to a minimum so that easy pumping of it can be done.

Combustion air system:

The combustion air system consists of all the necessary components for the injection of the
air into the furnace, as calculated for the best combustion results. The air mass flow is divided
into two parts: the primary air to be fed under the grate; and the secondary air for the post
combustion stage. Atmospheric air is drawn through the suction filter by a main air blower

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and an auxiliary air blower which is operated by a turbine and compressed to adequate
pressure with which it can react efficiently with sulphur to produce So2. This atmospheric air
is first dried by counter-current contact with 98.5% sulphuric acid in the drying tower to
remove the moisture or any other impurities. Removal of moisture is an important work
before the going to the burner as it can react with the So3 inside the pipes and can convert
into sulphurous acid which can damage the plant. Dried air passes through demister pad
located at the top of the drying tower, which removes the entrained acid. Further removal of
acid mist takes place in brink mist eliminator housed in BME housing.

Sulphur burning & waste heat recovery system:

The sulphur burner uses heating in combination with airflow to spread the sulphur through
the greenhouse. The Sulphur burner includes an aluminium tray for adding the sulphur, a
dripping tray and a roof. By filling the Sulphur in the tray, the sulphur is heated with the
heating element. Until the evaporation temperature is reached, a maximum amount of sulphur
can be evaporated. Powerful air currents create a chimney effect that distributes Sulphur
evenly throughout the greenhouse. The roof of the burners protects the greenhouse glass or
shading screen against pollution. In the sulphur burner, the combustion of molten sulphur in
the presence of excess air takes place to form SO2. The clean sulphur pump delivers the
molten sulphur to the spray nozzles (2 sulphur guns) of the sulphur burner, which is a brick-
lined mild steel vessel. When the burner is operating correctly, the gun produces a fine spray
giving a blue colouration with very little sulphur burning on the fuller. Since it’s a highly
exothermic reaction so gases leaving will be at high temperatures. The air to sulphur ratio is
so adjusted so as to obtain 11% by volume of sulphur dioxide in the exit gas mixture this will
correspond to an approximate burner outlet temperature of 1020-1050˚c.

Hot exit gases from the burner enter the tube side of the waste heat boiler where the gases are
cooled to about 425˚c. A bypass line with a bypass valve is provided to control the outlet
temperature of the gas within the desired range. The WHB is supplied with an adequate
treated and deaerated boiler that feeds water from the stream drum which also feeds the BFW
to the Super Heater. With the aid of the bypass valve, the gas temperature at the inlet of the
hot gas filter is adjusted to a desired temperature of 425-430˚C.

At normal operating temperature, there should be no unburned sulphur in the burner. Sulphur
left in the burner, when the blower is stopped would vaporize and condense in the colder part

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of the plant. Small amounts would not cause damage but large quantities could be harmful.
The sulphur spray gun must not be operated without the blower supplying air to the burner.
There is a close correspondence between the sulphur burner outlet temperature and the gas
strength accordingly with experience, the gas strength can be checked approximately from
the burner outlet temperature. The cooler gas emerging from the WHB enters the hot gas
filter where it is freed from any solid impurities which may be carried on by the gas stream,
i.e., ash formed during combustion. The gas is filtered by passing through a bed of graded
crushed firebrick in this equipment.

Oxidation System:

A filtered gas mixture containing 11% by volume of SO2 and at a temperature of 425˚C
enters the first pass of the converter where oxidation of SO2 to SO3 takes place in the
presence of V2O5 catalyst almost 60% conversion is achieved here and leaves the first pass
at approximately 615˚C. And then it enters the tube side of the Super Heater where it is
cooled to about 440˚C by exchanging heat with the BFW. The bypass valve is provided to
control the outlet temperature of the gas within the range desired at the inlet of the second
pass of the converter. Steam drum supplier the BFW to the super heater.

The unabsorbed gases emerge from the top of the tower packing and enter the BME housing
located at the top of the tower. the entrained acid mists are arrested by the BME and finally,
the gases free from acid mist enter the bottom shell side of the cold heat exchanger. In CHE,
the shell side gas (IAT outlet gas) is counter currently heated from about 70˚C to
approximately 320˚C by third pass outlet gas. The shell side gas leaving the CHE enters the
shell side of the HHE where it is again counter currently further heated to about 425-430˚C
by extracting heat from the second pass outlet gas.

The gases from the shell side outlet of the HHE enter the converter which constitutes the
fourth pass. In this final stage of conversion, approximately 12% conversion is achieved by
simultaneously increasing the temperature to approximately 445˚ C. The fourth pass outlet
gas at a temperature of 445˚C enters the shell side of the economizer where it's cooled to
around 165˚C by counter currently heating the steam as well as BFW (tube side). Gases from
the economizer finally enter the bottom of the final absorption tower, FAT, where so3 present
in the gas mixture is counter currently absorbed in 98.5% sulphuric acid. The exit gases from
the top of the tower packing pass through the BME which removes the entrained acid mist

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before being sent to the bottom of the tall gas scrubber. In the scrubber, from the top
ammonia enters the scrubber and with-it scrubber is done of the gas entering from the bottom,
so as to remove as much as so2 present, and finally, when it is discharged to the atmosphere
through the stack, it contains only around 600 ppm of sulphur dioxide that is permissible as
per the environment regulation.

Converters:

Determination of the optimum inlet temperature to achieve maximum conversion efficiency

is to some extent a matter of trial and error. Start with the temperature of the gas entering the
first pass and work through the converter. Some factors that affect the optimum inlet
temperatures to each pass for individual plants are the exact position of the tip of the
thermocouples, pressure drops through each bed of the catalyst, and efficiency of the
insulations.

First pass: The preferred inlet temperature of the first pass is that temperature which results
in the greatest temperature rise in the pass up to an outlet temperature of 600˚C. If the
maximum rise prevails with several inlet temperatures which will produce the maximum rise
should be used. The maximum conversion efficiency will probably be obtained from a gas
inlet temperature of 420 to 425˚C

Second & third pass: The most efficient gas inlet temperature of these two passes has been
found to be higher than the gas inlet temperature of the first pass. These inlet temperatures
will probably be found to be around 440˚C, in order to take advantage of the increased rate of
reaction of the remaining SO2 at higher temperatures.

Fourth pass: The fourth pass gas inlet temperature should be maintained lower than the
second and third passes inlet temperatures and should be operate near 425˚C. The outlet
temperature of each pass gives a guide to the percentage conversion and the temperature rise
is a measure of conversion efficiency and also indicates the change in gas strength.

Hot & cold heat exchangers (HHE, CHE):

Hot & and cold heat exchangers have vertically mounted shell and tube heat exchangers
installed at the 2nd and 3rd pass outlets of the converter for inlet mediate cooling of passes
from respective passes by reheating the gas leaving the intermediate absorption tower and

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entering the 4th pass of the converter. The gas leaving 2nd pass at about 525˚C enters the
tube side of HHE and leaves at about 440˚C gas leaving 3rd pass at about 470˚C enters the
tube side of CHE and leaves at about 320℃. Gases leaving IAT at about 70 ℃ enter the shell
side of CHE and get reheated to about 320℃. These gases are further heated to about 425 ℃
by passing through shell side of HHE before entering the 4th pass of the converter. Bypass
valves are provided across the shell side of both HHE and CHE. By suitably adjusting the
bypass valve openings correct outlet temperature can be maintained.

Economizer & Super-heater:

An economizer is a mechanical device that reduces the amount of energy used for cooling
purposes. It is integrated into the building's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
systems, which is why it is sometimes called a HVAC economizer. An economizer uses
outside air to help control indoor temperatures and achieve greater energy efficiency.
Economizers are commonly used in data centres to reduce the reliance on cooling devices,
such as chillers, compressors or computer room air conditioners. Economizers can help lower
a data centre's energy consumption and the associated costs while moving toward a greener
computing environment. Economizers can also extend the life of cooling devices, leading to
additional savings. They can even improve indoor air quality, depending on the type of
economizer. Hot gases leaving 3rd pass partially cooled in CHE are further cooled to around
170℃ in the Economizer before entering IAT. Water from BFW pump discharge passing
through the tubes gets heated up to 190℃, before entering the 2nd economizer located at the
4th pass outlet. A bypass valve has been provided on the waterside of the economizer for
controlling the gas inlet temperature to the IAT.

The hot gas leaving the 4th pass of the converter is cooled to a suitable temperature for the
absorption of its SO3. The gas inlet temperature to FAT for optimum absorption of its SO3 is
approx., 170℃.

The gas leaving the 1st pass of the converter is cooled by the steam superheater, superheating
the steam to a temperature of around 400℃. The superheated steam temperature is controlled
by allowing some of the saturated steam from the steam drums to bypass the superheater. The
partially cooled gas is further cooled by the economizer to around 170 ℃, by controlling the
amount of boiler feed water passing through the tubes of the economizer.

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Absorption Towers:

An absorption tower is an industrial tower used to separate out components of a rising gas
with the use of a falling liquid to trap the gas. This equipment is used in a variety of settings
for purification, processing of materials, and other activities. The absorption tower usually
needs to be custom-designed for a specific application to ensure efficient and smooth
operation. Like other components of a factory, it needs regular cleaning and maintenance to
function properly and can be subject to inspection by regulatory officials.

In an absorption tower, the gas is pumped in at the bottom of the tower. It, along with any
impurities it contains, begins to float to the top. As it moves toward the top, aerosolized
liquid is sprayed into the tower. The droplets catch impurities in the gas and carry them to the
bottom of the tower for collection. Some towers can have multiple points where the liquid is
sprayed out to capture different impurities or maximize the amount of material trapped. For
optimum absorption the following parameters should be maintained: The gas temperature at
the tower inlet should be maintained between 165-170˚C for FAT and IAT. Acid inlet
temperature is to be maintained at about 70℃. This is controlled by controlling the cooling
tower water flow rate through DT and IAT/FAT cooler.

Acid strength should be maintained around 98.5% this is maintained by controlling the
addition of dilution water to the common acid circulation tank. Since acid strength for all the
towers and that of product acid is maintained at the same level in the common acid
circulation tank, the strength of acid is monitored by the strength analyser controller.

Flow of acid through the distributor pipes is found out by trial-and-error method. The troughs
should overflow uniformly as adjusted during the checking of circulation system and
generally the valve position is kept undisturbed. Brink elements generally require no
observations once fitted properly. The seal pots should be kept clean so that accumulated acid
will fall back into the tower. Accumulation of excessive muck/dirt in the packing should be
avoided which otherwise cause channelling resulting in uneven distribution of acid over the

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packing. Pressure drop across the brink elements should be periodically checked and proper
record be kept. Any excessive pressure builds up in brink elements will indicate clogging of
the filter surface due to accumulation of dirt. At this stage, brink elements should be taken out
and cleaned properly and put back.

Acid Circulation System:

Acid required for absorption of SO3 and drying of wet air is continuously circulated through
IAT, FAT, and DT and returned by gravity to the common acid circulation tank. All the
towers are packed with interlock saddles over which acid and gases are counter currently
contacted. Since absorption of both moister and SO3 are exothermic, acid leaving the tower
will be at high temperature. It then goes to the acid circulation tank where DM water is added
(to maintain its strength at 98.5% and this is measured using a strength recorder controller.
The temperature of acid at the inlet to the tower is maintained around 70-75˚C and the acid
temperature in the tank would be 100˚C, so for that 2 schematics coolers are used to bring
back the temperature of acid to 70-75˚C and then it enters the towers.

For absorption, two parameters are very important, they are the strength of acid and
temperature. With the help of two acid circulation pumps, hot acid from tanks goes to acid
coolers and then to towers. Two separate acid coolers, cool the acid from 100˚C to 70-75˚ c
by recirculating cooling water.

Acid coolers are basically shell and tube type, schematics coolers in which the acid is
countered currently cooled with cooling water from a cooling tower. Also, product acid
tapped from the IAT circuit will be cooled in a product acid cooler, which is basically a plate
heat exchanger, before sending it to storage, to maintain the acid temp at 45-50 degrees
centigrade.

Steam Generation and Distribution System:

A steam distribution system is defined as a network of pipes, valves, fittings, and accessories
that transport steam from the boiler or the co-generation plant to the steam-consuming
equipment in the process plant. The steam distribution system can be divided into two parts:
the steam mains and the branch pipes. Steam is generated from the waste heat boiler and by
extracting heat from the hot gases. DM water is supplied to a deaerator where water is fed

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from dissolved gases such as o2 by steam. Boilers in which combustion of fuel is performed
inside one or more furnace-tubes running through a sealed container of water. Combustion
heat is transferred through the walls of the tubes by thermal conduction, thereby heating
water and creating steam. A boiler incorporates a firebox or furnace in order to burn the fuel
and generate heat. The generated heat is transferred to water to make steam, the process of
boiling. This produces saturated steam at a rate which can vary according to the pressure
above the boiling water. Condensate from within the plant is recycled back to the emergency
condensate tank. Then it is sent to the de-aerator. Also, hydrazine is dosed into the BFW tank
by means of a hydrazine dosing pump in order to remove the residual oxygen from BFW. De-
aerated BFW is drawn for the BFW storage tank by BFW pumps and discharged to the steam
drum through the economizer. BFW enters economizer-4A where it’s heated from 105˚ to
140˚ C by the hot gases passing through the shell side. Water from the first economizer enters
the second economizer-3B then to the 3rd economiser-4C, where it’s heated to 258˚ c and then
it goes to the steam drum. Both the boilers are served by a common steam drum located
above the boiler. Water circulation is maintained by a thermosyphon system consisting of
riser and downcomer pipes. In a steam drum, the design steam pressure is 31.7kg/cm2. Steam
generated from the boilers enters the main steam header from where it is distributed to the
various sections of the plant.

The steam required for the steam turbine is drawn from the main header and passes through
the superheater where its temperature becomes 400˚c and then this at 31kg/cm2 is fed to the
steam turbine which runs the main air blower. Part of the steam drawn from the main header
is reduced to 7kg/cm2 by pressure pressure-reducing valve and then fed to the melting
compartment. Steam at 4.2kg/cm2 maintained for dirty and clean compartments. Also, to the
de-aerator, steam at 0.35kg/cm2 is maintained. The excess steam at both high pressure and
turbine exhaust pressure is exported and /or vented if there is no use in the complex.

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Schematic Process Flow Diagram Of SAP-2

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Reference

http://ionexchangeservices.com

https://www.watertechonline.com

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmcarticles/PMC8225055

https://www.sciencedirect.com

https://www.nubergepc.com

https://www.indorama.com

Heat Transfer Principles and Applications by B.K. Dutta

Conclusion

As a whole it was a very good experience and overall, quite a valuable amount of knowledge
is being earned. Through this training, a huge amount of knowledge is being gained about the
sulphuric acid plant, different unit operations involved, working condition of the equipment,
process parameters involved, field work experience, and conditions like temperature, and
pressure that is to be maintained for proper working conditions of the unit operations. In our
training weeks, we studied the process flow diagram of SAP-2 and also visited the plant to
show the equipment. Getting a chance to do the calculations of mass balance and energy
balance for the different components and equipment involved in the entire process of
production of Sulphuric Acid through DCDA (Double Contact Double Absorption) process,
really gave us a great insight regarding the calculations involved in the proceedings of an
industry and we are really grateful that we got a hands-on experience of the same.

As a chemical engineer, exposure to fieldwork is very much essential. Gaining practical

knowledge by working with industrial professionals will help us to develop our skills keeping
in mind the safety protocols. Hope this report will be helpful in understanding the industry.

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