Back-to-Basics: Maximizing Plant Performance through a Better Understanding of the Basics in Catalytic Reactor Operation and Problem Avoidance

摘要

Catalytic technologies are being further developed and enhanced for the ammonia production process to enable improved performance and better utilization of our natural resources. This goes in line with the need to minimize the costs of ammonia production in a competitive market, determined by volatile or increasing prices of the commonly used natural gas feedstock. Superior performing catalysts are a very important key to achieving this success. Despite the development of high performing and robust materials, it is still necessary to have a thorough understanding of the chemical and physical basic principles of the catalytic reactions involved. This allows the user to achieve maximum performance and to avoid consequences such as pre-mature change-out or poor catalyst efficiency caused by such circumstances as poisoning, improper flow distribution, or improper operation. This paper describes fundamentals of catalytic reactor operation and how their application can help to ensure that superior catalyst activity can be achieved in various catalytic services of an ammonia plant.