Superheating process

The output from the turbine might be superheated or partially condensed, as is the case in Fig. 6.32. If the exhaust steam is to be used for process heating, ideally it should be close to saturated conditions. If the exhaust steam is significantly superheated, it can be desuperheated by direct injection of boiler feedwater, which vaporizes and cools the steam. However, if saturated steam is fed to a steam main, with significant potential for heat losses from the main, then it is desirable to retain some superheat rather than desuperheat the steam to saturated conditions. If saturated steam is fed to the main, then heat losses will cause excessive condensation in the main, which is not desirable. On the other hand, if the exhaust steam from the turbine is partially condensed, the condensate is separated and the steam used for heating. 

From steam tables, the outlet temperature is 251°C, which is superheated by 67°C. Although steam for process heating is preferred at saturated conditions, it is not desirable in this case to desuperheat by boiler feedwater injection to bring to saturated conditions. If saturated steam is fed to the main, then the heat losses from the main will cause a large amount of condensation in the main, which is undesirable. Hence it is better to feed steam to the main with some superheat to avoid condensation in the main. 

Frasch process A process for obtaining sulphur by passing superheated water down a shaft to liquefy sulphur which is blown to the surface with compressed air. 

Appreciable quantities are also obtained as a by-product in the manufacture of hydrogen from naphtha-gaseous hydrocarbons. In this process the gaseous hydrocarbon and superheated steam under a pressure of about 10 atmospheres and at a temperature of 1000 K are passed over a nickel-chromium catalyst. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen are produced ... 

In America, the sulphur deposits (mostly in Louisiana and Texas) are dome-shaped layers about 30 cm thick, between limestone above and anhydrite below. From these, the sulphur is extracted by the Frasch process. A metal tube, about 15 cm diameter and containing two concentric inner tubes (Figure 10.1) is sunk into the top of the deposit. Water, superheated to 450 K, is forced... 

The unit Kureha operated at Nakoso to process 120,000 metric tons per year of naphtha produces a mix of acetylene and ethylene at a 1 1 ratio. Kureha s development work was directed toward producing ethylene from cmde oil. Their work showed that at extreme operating conditions, 2000°C and short residence time, appreciable acetylene production was possible. In the process, cmde oil or naphtha is sprayed with superheated steam into the specially designed reactor. The steam is superheated to 2000°C in refractory lined, pebble bed regenerative-type heaters. A pair of the heaters are used with countercurrent flows of combustion gas and steam to alternately heat the refractory and produce the superheated steam. In addition to the acetylene and ethylene products, the process produces a variety of by-products including pitch, tars, and oils rich in naphthalene. One of the important attributes of this type of reactor is its abiUty to produce variable quantities of ethylene as a coproduct by dropping the reaction temperature (20—22). 

Air is compressed to modest pressures, typically 100 to 200 kPa ( 15-30 psig) with either a centrifugal or radial compressor, and mixed with superheated vaporized butane. Static mixers are normally employed to ensure good mixing. Butane concentrations are often limited to less than 1.7 mol 1 to stay below the lower flammable limit of butane (144). Operation of the reactor at butane concentrations below the flammable limit does not eliminate the requirement for combustion venting, and consequendy most processes use mpture disks on both the inlet and exit reactor heads. A dow diagram of the Huntsman fixed-bed maleic anhydride process is shown in Figure 1. 

Superheated steam results when steam is heated to a temperature higher than that which would produce saturated steam. The equiUbrium between hquid and vapor is destroyed, and the steam behaves as a gas. It loses its abiUty to condense into moisture when in contact with the cooler surface of the article to be sterilized. This process resembles dry-heat sterilization more than steam sterilization and, under ordinary time—temperature conditions for steam sterilization, does not produce stetihty. 

A further enhancement to the HRS process whereby the exhaust from a gas fired turbine is used to superheat steam from the HRS process is also possible (129). The superheated steam is then fed through a turbogenerator to produce additional electricity. This increases the efficiency of heat recovery of the turbine exhaust gas. With this arrangement, electric power generation of over 13.6 kW for 1 t/d (15 kW/STPD) is possible. Good general discussions on the sources of heat and the energy balance within a sulfuric acid plant are available (130,131). 

For equation 26, starting with methane and soHd sulfur at 25°C, and ending with gaseous products at 600°C, the reaction is endothermic and requires 2.95 MJ /kg (705 kcal/kg) of CS2. The reaction of methane and sulfur vapor in the diatomic form is actually exothermic (23,78). Superheating of the sulfur is claimed to be preferable (79), and series operation of reactors offers a means of reducing process temperatures at which the sulfur dissociates (80). 

In most existing styrene processes, the catalyst is loaded into large, radial flow reactors, which are operated adiabaticaHy at low pressure and temperatures near 600°C. Heat is suppHed by superheated steam. During start-up, dehydrogenation begins slowly and accelerates as the Fe (HI) is reduced to Fe (II,III). The catalyst, which was red in color when fresh, turns to the characteristic black color of Fe O. ... 

The feedstocks to the styrene process are ethylbenzene and superheated steam, and a typical unit produces hydrogen, small amounts of light hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide as gaseous products, and a Hquid product stream containing 95% + styrene and minor amounts of toluene, benzene, and other aromatics. In an integrated plant, the benzene can be recycled to the ethylbenzene unit, while the other by-products usually are consumed as fuel for the highly endothermic process. 

Advanced Cracking Reactor. The selectivity to olefins is increased by reducing the residence time. This requires high temperature or reduction of the hydrocarbon partial pressure. An advanced cracking reactor (ACR) was developed jointly by Union Carbide with Kureha Chemical Industry and Chiyoda Chemical Constmction Co. (72). A schematic of this reactor is shown in Figure 6. The key to this process is high temperature, short residence time, and low hydrocarbon partial pressure. Superheated steam is used as the heat carrier to provide the heat of reaction. The burning of fuel... 

For most chemical plants, process steam is used at pressures of 1.825 MN/m" (250 psig), saturated or lower. When combined heat and power generation is economically justified, the steam may be generated at about 5.96 MN/m" (850 psig) appropriately superheated and used to drive back-pressure steam turbines passing out process steam at the required pressure level. 

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