MESPON 2015

Temperature Measurement in the Modified Claus Sulfur Reactor

David Ducharme
©2015 by LumaSense Technologies, Inc.
All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without the expressed written consent of LumaSense Technologies, Inc.
LumaSense
Introduction
Brands
Product competence
Petrochemical – E2T LumaSense
New Pulsar 4
Guest Speaker
Critical Temperatures
Refractory Temperature
• High Temperature Alarms
• Automated Shutdown Systems
Refractory temperature represents the
infrastructure temperature and is specified by
the engineering design and refractory.
Gas Temperature
(AKA) Combustion, Flame or Reaction Temperatures)
• Process Temperature for Operators
• Early warning of a temperature event
• Higher O2 Enrichment Gas Temperatures
Gas temperature represents the process
temperature and provide operators with
confirmation of destruction temperatures and
early warnings of a High Temperature event

Critical Temperatures Summary

1. Gas Temperature = Provides process knowledge for “Operators”
2. Refractory Temperature = Provides infrastructure Temps for Engineering design

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High Temperature Thermal Event Process

Thermal Event Timeline

High Refractory High

Temperature absorbs the Temperature
Thermal Event flame energy Alarm

Event detection by
Event detection by
Gas Temperatures
Refractory Temperatures

Gas Temperatures leads Refractory Temperatures

Early Warning Detection

Gas Temperatures indicate early warnings of a thermal event
Refractory temperatures indicates High Temp alarms

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 Overview of Critical Furnace Temperatures

Gas (Flame) Primary Secondary

Temperatures Combustion Zone Reaction Zone
(Operations Control)

Refractory Checker Wall Tube Sheet

Temperatures Choke Ring
(Engineering Design)

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How to Measure Temperature in the Claus Furnace
1. “Eyeball”
1. Experienced operator simply looks into a viewport and tells the
temperature by color

Untrained operators have large errors and

color blindness excludes this method of
measurement

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How to Measure Temperature in the Claus Furnace
2. Thermocouples
1. Dual Thermowell with sweep air
2. Refractory temperatures only

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 How to Measure Temperature in the Claus Furnace

3. IR Thermometers
1. Single wavelength measurement
1. Separate installations required for Gas and refractory measurements
2. 2 Color Ratio use similar complimentary wavelengths and can see thru dirty lenses
(Susceptible to wavelength ratio imbalances)
3. Flame transparency errors

2. Dual Temperature measurement system with advanced real-time flame

transparency compensation
(LumaSense Pulsar 4 with FMA - flame measurement algorithm)
1. Single installation measures both Gas and refractory temperatures and has separate independent
outputs for both
2. Flame transparency is calculated and compensated for in real-time

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Application Information
Applications:
Primary: Claus Reaction Furnace (Sulphur Reactor) – Refineries & Gas Plants
Secondary: Thermal Oxidizers - Emissions Control Furnace
Sulphur Burner- Sulphuric Acid Plant

The Situation
Acid Furnace temperatures have two major temperatures critical
to its safe operation. Furnace design requires the refractory
temperature be monitored and a high level alarm set point be
maintained for furnace emergency shutdown. Operators on the
other hand need the gas (flame) or combustion temperatures to
assure proper reaction temperature to achieved for maximum
processing capacity and waste destruction temperatures such as
ammonia that requires a min. 1250°C (2280°F) for destruction.

The Problem
Conventional thermocouples only provide only slow response
refractory temperatures and are incapable of providing real
combustion flame temperatures that are critical to optimum
operation of the Furnace.

Variable feeds create Flame Transparency errors to Gas

measurements

The Solution
LumaSense Pulsar 4 infrared pyrometer system
- Simultaneous monitoring of Gas/Flame temperatures for Process control and Refractory temperatures for safety high
temperature shutdown control systems
- Incorporates the LumaSense FMA Flame Measurement Algorithm TM to remove flame transparency errors in real time.

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Flame Transparency Issue (simplified)

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Standard Pyrometer and Smart (FMA)

SMART (FMA) OPERATING MODE

FLAME AND HOT GAS CHANNEL (GT)

STANDARD OPERATING MODE

FLAME AND HOT GAS CHANNEL (GT)
SMART (FMA) OPERATING MODE
REFRACTORY TEMPERATURE (RT)
STANDARD OPERATING MODE
REFRACTORY TEMPERATURE (RT)

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 Deg C
1:
27
1: :40
28 P

1050
1100
1150
1200
1250
1300
1: :43 M
29 P
1: :32 M
30 P
1: :21 M
31 P
1: :10 M
31 P
1: :59 M
32 P
1: :48 M

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33 P

causing flame out.

1: :37 M
34 P
1: :27 M

shut off combustion air

35 P
1: :16 M

SRU operator accidentally

36 P
1: :05 M
36 P
1: :54 M
37 P
1: :43 M
38 P
1: :32 M
39 P
1: :21 M
40 P
1: :10 M
40 P
1: :59 M
41 P
1: :48 M
42 P

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1: :38 M
43 P

Time 11/6/08 PM
1: :27 M
44 P
1: :16 M
45 P
1: :05 M
45 P
No flame here. GT and RT

1: :54 M
Behavior during “Flame Out”

match and track as expected.

46 P
Pulsar 3 (sun30.txt) 11/6/08 (Day 3)

1: :43 M
47 P
1: :32 M
48 P
1: :21 M
49 P
1: :10 M
49 P
1: :59 M
t90=1s, Sample interval ~5.4s, fuel=Acid Gas, then flame out

50 P
1: :48 M
51 P
1: :37 M
52 P
:2 M
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PM
1922
1972
2022
2072
2122
2172
2272
2322
2372

2222 Deg F

RT
GT
RT-F
GT-F
Single and Dual channel + Smart FMA
PULSAR 4 (Single Channel)
• Can only select one measurement choice and that choice is applied to both mA channels
Note: A product key program is planned that can be purchased to release the “Advanced” features

PULSAR 4 Advanced (Dual Channel + Smart FMA TM)

• Gas and Refractory temperature measurement (two separately filtered detectors)
• Single instrument reports both readings simultaneously thru two mA output channels

GT = Gas Temperature
RT – Refractory Temperature
Note: Field changeable parameters
FF = Average Temperature
(Note: “FF” is old 2.15u wavelength that is
no longer recommended by LumaSense)
Ref: E2T O2 Enrichment Paper (BOC Testing Data)

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Installation Basics
Mounting and Viewpath Purging
Two Purges (Prevent process gases reach viewport)
Swing Out Fixture 1. Downstream Purge = 10SCFM
2. Viewport Purge = 1 SCFM

Note: In event of purge failure the design

allows for viewport removal for cleaning
during furnace operation.
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Optical alignement
Maintenance

In operation viewport blockage method

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 Questions
What is the current method of monitoring the temperature of the furnace?
t/c’s limited to refractory temps
Single channel IR system does not compensate for Flame Transparency

Are you using refractory temperatures for furnace operation as well as for your
over temperature alarm and safety shutdown?
Using refractory temperatures for high limit alarms and shutdown systems, it is not good practice using
refractory temperatures for furnace operation.

Are you destroying any added component in the furnace, like ammonia?
Accurate Gas (flame) temperatures is required for targeted component destruction.
Example: waste destruction temperature for ammonia requires a min. 1250°C (2280°F) for destruction

Are you sure that the gas (flame) temperature your reading is correct?
Accurate Gas (flame) temperatures is required for targeted component destruction. Is you current
system compensating for varying flame transparency?

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