Propane Dehydrogenation

Air Heater
Shanghai China
November 2019

Adam Bader – John Zink Hamworthy Combustion

PDH Description
PDH - Propane DeHydrogenation
Heat
C3H8 C3H6 + H2
Propane Propylene Hydrogen

By-
Feed Product
Product


Dehydrogenation Reaction is highly Endothermic
- Significant Heat input required to achieve economic conversion

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 SK Advanced Business Scheme
SK Advanced is joint venture with APC in Saudi Arabia and PIC in Kuwait.

Underground
cavern
Ulsan
terminal PDH Domestic

Propane
Pipeline
700KMT/yr

Utility
(DW,SW,N2)
Propylene: 600KMT/yr
HP Steam: 300KMT/yr
Hydrogen: 30 KMT/yr

SK affiliates Berth

Utility

H2 demand Export
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PDH Process Scheme
Hydrocarbon Process Scheme

Air Offgas as Fuel

CATOFIN Product Gas

Propane Compression Deethanizer
Reactor Dryers & Chiller

Tail gas as Fuel

PSA
H2 Byproduct
Deoiler C4 as Fuel
Debutanizer
C5 Byproduct

Propane Recycle Product Splitter Propylene

Product

Air Process Scheme RAH

Regen Air Regen Air CATOFIN

Air Heater
Waste Heat Boiler To Atmosphere
Compressor Reactor

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 Purpose of RAH
Why Regeneration Air is important?

 The regeneration air serves to restore the temperature profile of the bed to its initial on-
stream condition in addition to burning the coke off the catalyst.

 Regeneration Air flow to the reactors is defined as a ratio to the Hydrocarbon (feed) flow to
the reactors. (Air to HC Ratio : 5.8)

 If ratio is higher than minimum required (during plant turndown) the catalyst is heated up
even more uniform which will enhance the performance and life time.

 So more Air is Better

 SK Gas Example – have extra capacity of regeneration compressor is enough so increasing capacity
of air heater is very important to increase yield.

2017 2019
Description Design 2016. 03 2018
(2weeks TA) Expected
Production (MT) 600,000 550,000 668,000 700,000 700,000

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Typical RAH Heater
Outlet

Spin vanes

Main
combustion
Duct burners chamber –
refractory lined
Air mixing system

Spin vanes
Inlet
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Chamber Design Elements

Internals Zoom In
Duct Burners

Baffle Mixing
Design

Inlet
baffles or
swirler

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Key Process Design Elements
 Critical Items:
 Air Temperature: Heat air for downstream catalyst beds and reactors
 Even mixing: +/- 15° C temperature requirement at exit
 Consistent pressure drop: 0.08 barg (1.2 psig) maximum allowable ΔP
 Mainly dependent on inlet and outlet duct sizes
 Small diameters yield high velocities which yield high Δ P
 Minimize Vibration:
 The high velocity and pressure drop creates an environment that can produce vibration
 Potential sources
 Structural bound noise
 Burner related operation
 Vibration across mixing devices

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Burner Design Elements
 Burners are designed to heat large volumes of air
 Typical Design Rates
 Air flow: 500,000 kg/hr – 1,500,000 kg/hr
 Inlet temperature: 150°C - 475 °C (300°F – 890°F)
 Outlet Temperature: 550°C - 625°C (1,020°F – 1,160°F)

 Typical Materials:
 Combustion Chamber Shell: carbon steel, refractory lined
 Burners: stainless steel
 Inlet Mixer: carbon steel
 Mixing plate: carbons steel or stainless steel, as required
 Outlet mixer: stainless steel

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Burner Design Elements – Duct Burners

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Burner Design – Typical Capacity Curve

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Burner Design – Temperature Uniformity
 +/- 15° C temperature requirement at exit
 Must ensure good mixing
 CFD is a key tool

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Burner Design – Mixing Components
 There are several key mixing components,
from upstream to downstream they are:

 Outlet mixer
 To help mix hot flue gas in order to get a uniform
outlet temperature and improve overall outlet
temperature uniformity
 Requirement is job specific
 Air baffle:
 Straighten and even flow from swirler before
reaching the duct burners to allow for even mixing
and heating of the air
 Always required
 Inlet mixer:
 To help correct incoming skewed flow due to inlet
elbow turn
 Requirement is job specific
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Burner Design – Mixing Components
 Air Baffle
 To help straighten and even flow from swirler before coming to duct burners
 Various designs depending on pressures and sizing
 Pressure drop and velocity across this zone greatly impact burner performance
Perforated Plate Design Pipe Grid Array Design

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Vibration
 Vibration is typically caused through external sources but presents itself within
the RAH
 Vessel acts as an amplifier, allowing external vibrations to become audible and shake the
entire structure
 Lower inlet and outlet velocities help to limit vibration
 Isolating the support structure of the combustion chamber often significantly reduces the
chances of externally induced vibration
 Other sources of potential vibration
 Too large of a pressure drop across the air baffle and burners
 Symmetry induce burner instability

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Vibration – Structural Induced
 Structurally induced vibration
 Typically
low frequency, higher amplitude
 Occurs once certain capacities have been achieved
1.2” (30 mm) of amplitude

70-85 hz dominating frequency

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Vibration – Structural Induced
 Dampening systems:
 Assist In isolating the combustion chamber form upstream and
downstream vibration sources

 SK Gas Case Study

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Vibration Isolation Study by SKA
Measurements in May 2018
- Moderate vibrations without concern for the piping system
- Higher frequency vibrations at the perforated plate level are dominating

peaks around 1.0 mm/s

- Red and Blue : upstream support(MP 2 and MP 3)

- Black : Heater rim to check the vibration of perorated level

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Vibration Reduction Simulation
- Time history simulations in Rohr2 with the use of viscous damper elements
- Two different approaches were checked

Case 2. Broad band noise on the entire piping

Case 1. Frequency band limited excitation structure(heater is an anchor point)
at the heater
→ leads to vibration reduction on RMS at the
→ leads to vibration reduction on RMS piping section of around 60%

at the piping section of around 15%

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Vibration Reduction result at support
Re-Measurements in September 2018, with and without the dampers installed:
• Generally different vibration behavior compared to May 2018 - vibration level at the
perforated plate significantly higher
• Good reductions (40% … 50%) were achieved in the resonances at the piping
section, but only moderate reductions on RMS of around 20%

Without dampers: peak around 1.2 mm/s Without dampers: peak around 1.5 mm/s
With dampers: peak around 0.6 mm/s With dampers: peak around 0.75 mm/s
at support 2 (example) at support 3 (example)
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Vibration Reduction Result at Heater
 No influence of the dampers on the vibration level at the perforated plate
 Still more to do.

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Upstream Vibration Isolation 2019

• MP11 – Black(before), Red(After)

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• MP12 – Black(before), Red(After)
Vibration – Symmetry Induced
 Symmetry Induced Vibration
 Typically higher frequency, lower amplitude
 Occurs near upper capacity of deign
 Vibrating occurs when the combustion flame is so perfectly
balanced that the flame is unable to anchor itself
 Some fuel cases may never see this issue while others do on
the same unit

 A challenge for PDH units as temperature uniformity is key for

overall catalysis conversion
 +/- 15° C temperature requirement at exit

 Must find a way to “unbalance” the flame to allow it to anchor

itself to one side
 While maintaining our required outlet temperature

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Vibration – Symmetry Induced
 Symmetry Induced Vibration
 Must find a way to “unbalance” the flame to allow the flame to anchor reliably
 Use various tip drilling patterns to control the flame
 Alter a portion of the air mixing baffles

Example of runners with three (3) different types of burner tip drillings

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Summary
 PDH Process can produce a highly sought after product in propylene
 The RAH air heater is a key component in producing enough heat to promote
efficient catalyst conversion
 Internal design, while simple in concept, contains several critical items to achieve
our goals

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Questions?

30
Thank You
 Important Notice
The information contained in these materials is for informational purposes only and is
provided “AS IS”, without warranties of any kind. Your use of the information contained
herein is at your sole risk. We expressly disclaim any express or implied representations,
warranties or guaranties, including without limitation, the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. We will have absolutely no liability
(whether direct, indirect or consequential) in connection with these materials (and/or the
information contained therein) including without limitation, any liability for damage to person
or property. We also reserve the right to make subsequent changes to the materials without
prior notice. For purposes of this notification, “We” includes John Zink Company LLC and its
affiliates and their respective employees, partners, principles, agents and representatives,
and any third-party providers or sources of information or data.

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