IP Library Granted Patent US 8,987,513
Granted Patent B2
US 8,987,513 · App. 14/352,199 · Granted Mar 24, 2015

Operation method of urea production plant including multiple systems

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,987,513
App. No.
14/352,199
Granted
Mar 24, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An operation method of a urea production plant including multiple systems that can prevent a considerable decrease in urea production even when an ammonia synthesis facility is shut down. At a time of producing urea from CO 2 and ammonia, in a case where urea production plants including at least two systems are arranged in parallel, when an ammonia production facility ( 10 A) of one of the systems is shut down, liquefied ammonia stored in the shut down system is used, and a CO 2 recovery amount in a CO 2 recovery facility ( 23 ) in an ammonia synthesis facility ( 10 B) of the other system is increased. Synthesis of urea can be then continued by a urea synthesis unit ( 30 A 1 ) in the shut down system by using the increased recovered CO 2 and the liquefied ammonia.

Claims (12)

1. An operation method of at least two urea synthesis plants, each of the at least two urea synthesis plants including:

an ammonia synthesis facility including a reforming device having a reforming furnace that reforms natural gas to hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) by using water vapor, a CO-shift converter that converts carbon monoxide (CO) in reformed gas to carbon dioxide, a carbon-dioxide removal device that removes obtained carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the reformed gas, a synthesis gas compressor that compresses synthesis material gas containing hydrogen and nitrogen, from which carbon dioxide has been removed by the carbon-dioxide removal device, and an ammonia synthesis reactor that synthesizes ammonia from compressed synthesis material gas;

a liquefied ammonia storage facility that branches ammonia obtained by the ammonia synthesis reactor from an ammonia supply line for supplying ammonia to a urea synthesis unit and stores a part of synthesized ammonia in a liquefied state;

a carbon-dioxide recovery facility that recovers carbon dioxide in fuel flue gas from the reforming furnace; and

a carbon-dioxide supply line for supplying the removed carbon dioxide (removed CO 2 ) and the recovered carbon dioxide (recovered CO 2 ) to a urea synthesis unit,

the operation method comprising:

providing the at least two urea synthesis plants;

storing a predetermined amount of obtained ammonia in a liquefied state in each of the liquefied ammonia storage facilities;

when production of ammonia is stopped in the ammonia synthesis facility of one of the at least two urea synthesis plants,

temporarily supplying carbon dioxide (recovered CO 2 ) recovered by another of the at least two urea synthesis plants to the carbon-dioxide supply line of the one of the at least two urea synthesis plants via an emergency CO 2 supply line in order to supply the temporarily supplied CO 2 to the urea synthesis unit;

supplying a predetermined amount of liquefied ammonia stored in the one of the at least two urea synthesis plants from an ammonia supply line to the urea synthesis unit;

producing urea by using the temporarily supplied CO 2 and stored liquefied ammonia even in the one of the at least two urea synthesis plants, thereby enabling to perform a continuous operation when the ammonia synthesis facility of one of the at least two urea synthesis plants is shut down.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2018
From: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINEERING, LTD.
Reel/Frame 047054/0898 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 17, 2014
From: IIJIMA, MASAKI
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 032712/0098 →