CLAUS SULFUR RECOVERY TAIL GAS APPLYING 100 MILLION HOURS OF OPERATIONAL TIME TO THE NEXT GENERATION ANALYZER

摘要

The measurement of H_2S/SO_2 in Claus sulfur recovery unit (SRU) tail gas has been adequately addressed by UV spectroscopy for over 40 years. Reliability of the analytical principle was established in the first generation of analyzers and in the second generation sample handling was improved to the point where automatic control if not universal is at least considered the norm. With a deep understanding of the process and a population of 1,100 second generation analyzers it was possible in the third generation to address failure modes external to the analyzer. Reliability is not limited to the analyzer / sample system; it extends to the process and contains elements of health and safety. Analyzer professionals are compelled to look beyond what we consider our "deliverables", to address abnormal operations and bad piping design. The paper combines extensive feedback from analyzer professionals and a survey of sulfur recovery operators to address the external failure modes. Looking back on 100 million hours of operational time and one year of field testing the third generation analyzer the paper discusses reliability as viewed by the real end use customer; Operations.