PREHEATER - C

EFFICIENCY
IMPROVEMENT
Name : Ashfaq Panchbhaiya Employee Code : G00372

Amit Pandey G00515

Department: Aliq & Carbonation Location: Soda Ash-Sutrapada

1
 What is Preheater ?
• Pre-heater is a part of ammonia recovery section.
• Pre-heater is used to preheat the Mother Liq. from ambient temperature to 70Deg C by
exchanging heat from distillation gases coming from free ammonia still at 80 Deg C.
Mother liquor NH4CL is heated and ammonia gas is cooled. The below Rxn take place
at 65Deg C.

• NaHCO3+NH4Cl  NaCl + NH4HCO3

2NH4HCO3  (NH4)2CO3+CO2+H2O
(NH4)2CO3  NH3+CO2+H2O
 In the existing plant there are two different types of Pre-
heater.

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 PROBLEM STATEMENT
• Currently in pre-heater Gas
entering at 80deg C and Cooled
to 70 deg C.
• For the better process efficiency,
gas coming out of pre-heater to
absorber temp should be approx
60 deg C.
• As of now pre-heater C is not that
efficient to cool down the gas to
60 Deg C as a result brine purity
is affected resulting in overall
decrease in production efficiency.
 What is Happening ??

If we feed 70 deg C gas in absorber following problems are being faced

1. The decrease in solubility of sodium chloride

2. The increase in the volume of the resulting ammoniated brine

3. The unavoidable dilution of the saturated brine by steam ammonia gas

4. The generation of a large quantity of heat of solution of ammonia in the

dilution in brine.

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 EXISTING GAS FLOW ROUTE

BRINE
80 Deg C Gas

70 Deg C Gas

27-30 Deg C
Mother Liq

A-Liq 70 Deg C
PREHEATER
Mother Liq

ABSORBER FREE AMMONIA STILL

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 PROPOSED SOLUTION
• If we decrease gas outlet temperature from 70deg C to 60 deg C by adding
heat exchanger between pre-heater and absorber , we can save dilution in
absorber

• Due to less dilution of sodium choloride in absorber we can get more

production at same brine rate
 PROPOSED GAS FLOW ROUTE

BRINE
60 Deg C Gas 80 Deg C Gas
PHE
Mother 70
Liq Deg C
Gas

Condensate

PREHEATER

ABSORBER FREE AMMONIA STILL

 COMPARISON
Before Modification After Modification

BRINE
80 Deg C Gas BRINE
60 Deg C Gas 80 Deg C Gas
70 Deg C Gas
PHE
Mother 70
27-30 Deg C Liq Deg C
Mother Liq
Gas

Condensate

A-Liq 70 Deg C
PREHEATER
Mother Liq
PREHEATER
ABSORBER FREE AMMONIA STILL
ABSORBER FREE AMMONIA STILL
 CALCULATIONS
• Water content in preheater outlet gas at 70Deg C =7099 Kg/hr

• Water content in preheater outlet gas at 60Deg C (TARGET) =2094 Kg/hr

• Difference in water content(for 185 m3/hr Mother liquor) =5005 Kg/hr

• From above calculations it is visible that approx 5.05 m3/hr water can be condensed out
of preheater outlet gas to absorber if we can reduce its temp from 70Deg C to targeted
60 Deg C
Resulting we can reduce 3.33% of chloride dilution in absorber
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 CALCULATION
• To reduce the outlet gas temp we need to install a heat exchanger preferably plate
type heat exchanger.
• Heat required to cool gas from 70deg C to 60deg is 5262 kw

Calculations for heat load for PHE

• Cooling water required(for PHE) for 300 m3/hr

• Gas inlet flow - 35417 kg/hr
• Gas outlet flow out - 25187kg/hr
• Temp difference for cooling water = 15 DegC (48-33)
• Heat load = mCpdt= 300 x4186x 15/3600= 5262 KW
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 SAVINGS
• After applying PHE we can feed gas at low temperature resulting we can save 3.33%
chloride dilution in absorber

• This 3.33% dilution of chloride is equivalent to 20MT/day soda ash production

• Yearly production increase = 20 x 355=7100MT

• Annual savings = 7100 x 3800=Rs 2,69,80,000

• INR 2.69 CRORES

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 INVESTMENT

• Expenditure approximately for installation of PHE and its relevant equipment = INR
1.5 Cr

• Cost of sea water processing in PHE - 2628000 x 2 = 5256000 Rs.

• Cost of steam to heat 5m3/hr water - 8865x 2200 = 19504979 Rs.
• Total cost = Cost of PHE + Cost of s.w. processing + cost of steam
• Total cost = 1.5 Cr. + 0.52Cr.+1.95Cr.
= 3.97 Cr.

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 NET SAVING

• Total saving – 2.69 Cr.

• Total investment - 3.97 Cr.

Payback time= 17 Months

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