Material balance in sulphuric acid plant

Assumptions :

Basic reactions:
1. Conversion in furnace:
S + O2 → SO2
2. Conversion in convertor bed:
SO2 + ½ O2 → SO3
3. Absorption in intermediate absorption tower (IAT) & final absorption tower (FAT):
SO3 + H2O → H2SO4

Conversion efficiency = 99.8 %

Absorption efficiency = 99%
Purity of sulphur = 99.5 %
Acid strength = 98.5 %
Strength of acid at outlet of IAT & FAT = 98.8%

Conversion in beds:
I st bed 60%
IInd bed 84%
IIIrd bed 94%
IVth bed 99.8%

Air composition : 21% oxygen & 79% nitrogen by volume

Weight of air = 29 g/mol
Density of air = 1.294 kg /m3

Given:
Production of sulphuric acid = 100 TPD

Basis:
1 day

Calculations:
1) Sulphur requirement per day:
 98.079 Kgs of sulphuric acid requires → 32.065 Kgs of sulphur
Therefore, 1 T of sulphuric acid requires → 0.32693 T of sulphur

Sulphur requirement per T of acid after consideration of reaction efficiencies and

purity of sulphur = 0.32693 * 100/99.8 * 100/99.8 * 100/99 * 100/99.5 = 0.33322
Amount of 100% pure acid produced per day = 100* 98.5/100 = 98.5 T
Therefore, sulphur required per day = 0.33322 * 98.5 = 32.82249 T

2) Calculation for air requirement :

SO2 concentration is maintained at 10% by volume in the outlet of furnace

Amount of SO2 produced per day = 98.5 * 1000/98.079 = 1004.29246 kmols

SO2 produced taking into consideration reaction efficiencies = 1004.29246 * 100/99
*100/99.8 = 1016.46977 kmols
Therefore, kmols of gas at outlet = 1016.46977 * 100/10 = 10164.69768
Kmols of O2 & N2 at outlet = 10164.69768 - 1016.46977 = 9148.22791
Kmols of O2 consumed during reaction = 1016.46977
Kmols of air at inlet = 9148.22791 + 1016.46977 = 10164.69768
Kmols of O2 supplied = 0.21 * 10164.69768 = 2134.586513
Kmols of N2 supplied = 0.79 * 10164.69768 = 8030.11117

Kmols of SO2 at outlet = 1016.46977

Kmols of O2 at outlet = 10164.69768 - 8030.11117 - 1016.46977 = 1118.11674
Kmols of N2 at outlet = 8030.11117

Therefore, air required per day = 10164.69768 kmols

= 294776.2321 kg
= 227802.3432 m3

3) Material balance across converter beds:

​Ist bed :

Inlet:
Gases Kmols

SO2 1016.46977
O2 1118.11674

N2 8030.11117

Since, conversion in 1st bed is 60 %

Kmols of SO3 formed = 0.60 *1016.46977 = 609.88186
Kmols of SO2 consumed = 609.88186
Kmols of O2 consumed = 609.88186 * 0.5 = 304.940931

Outlet:

Gases Kmols

SO2 406.58791

O2 813.17581

N2 8030.11117

SO3 609.88186

IInd bed:
Inlet of IInd bed is same as outlet of Ist bed
Since, conversion in 2nd bed is 84%
Kmols of SO3 formed = 0.84 * 1016.46977 - 609.88186 = 243.95275
Kmols of SO2 consumed = 243.95275
Kmols of O2 consumed = 243.95275 * 0.5 = 121.97637

Outlet:

Gases Kmols

SO2 162.63516

O2 691.19944

N2 8030.11117
SO3 853.83461
IIIrd bed:
Inlet of IIIrd bed is same as outlet of IInd bed
Since, conversion in 2nd bed is 94%
Kmols of SO3 formed = 0.94 * 1016.46977 - 853.83461 = 101.64697
Kmols of SO2 consumed = 101.64697
Kmols of O2 consumed = 101.64697* 0.5 = 50.82349

Outlet:

Gases Kmols

SO2 60.98819

O2 640.37595

N2 8030.11117

SO3 955.48158

IVth bed:
99% of SO3 is absorbed in Intermediate absorption tower(IAT) after IIIrd bed.

Inlet:

Gases Kmols

SO2 60.98819

O2 640.37595

N2 8030.11117

SO3 9.55482

Since, conversion in 3rd bed is 99.8%

Kmols of SO3 formed = 0.998 * 1016.46977 - 955.48158 = 58.95525
 Kmols of SO2 consumed = 58.95525
Kmols of O2 consumed = 58.95525* 0.5 = 29.47763
Outlet:

Gases Kmols

SO2 2.03294

O2 610.89832

N2 8030.11117

SO3 68.51007

4) Material balance for IAT :

Kmols of SO3 absorbed per day = 945.92676
Kg of SO3 absorbed per day = 945.92676 * 80.066 = 75736.57197
Let acid flow rate per day = x kg

Applying material balance for sulphur trioxide:

Since, inlet & outlet acid strength is 98.5% & 98.8%
Weight of SO3 entering IAT with acid = x * 98.5/100 * 80.066/98.079 = 0.80410 x kg
Weight of SO3 entering IAT with gases = 75736.57197 kg
Weight of SO3 exiting IAT with acid = ( x + 75736.57197) * 98.8/100 * 80.066/98.079

Therefore ,
0.80410 x + 75736.57197 = ( x + 75736.57197) * 98.8/100 * 80.066/98.079
x = 5990434.395 kg/day
= 249601.4331 kg/hr
= 249.60143 T/hr

Since density of sulphuric acid = 1.84 T/m3

x = 135.65295 m3/hr

5) Material balance for FAT :

99% of SO3 is absorbed in final absorption tower (FAT) after IVth bed.

Kmols of SO3 absorbed per day = 68.51007 * 99/100 = 67.82497

Kg of SO3 absorbed per day = 67.82497 * 80.066 = 5430.47399
Let acid flow rate per day = y kg

Applying material balance for sulphur trioxide:

Since, inlet & outlet acid strength is 98.5% & 98.8%
Weight of SO3 entering IAT with acid = y * 98.5/100 * 80.066/98.079 = 0.80410 y kg
Weight of SO3 entering IAT with gases = 5430.47399 kg
Weight of SO3 exiting IAT with acid = ( y + 5430.47399) * 98.8/100 * 80.066/98.079

Therefore ,
0.80410 y + 5430.47399 = ( y + 5430.47399) * 98.8/100 * 80.066/98.079
y = 429526.9422 kg/day
= 17896.95592 kg/hr
= 17.89696 T/hr

Since density of sulphuric acid = 1.84 T/m3

y = 9.94275 m3/hr