New KBR Process for Coal to Ammonia

The KBR Transport Reactor Integrated Gasifier, also known as TRIGTM, is an advanced coal
gasification technology that provides clean, particulate-free syngas. The TRIG is a compact, high
pressure, circulating fluidized bed reactor, with no internals or moving parts. Its operation and
mechanical design are derived from KBR’s fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) technology, which has
over 60 years of successful commercial operating experience. In this paper, we describe the new KBR
coal to ammonia process, in which the TRIG is integrated into the process flow sheet of a KBR
ammonia plant, supplying hydrogen for a typical 1500 MTPD ammonia synthesis loop. The paper
further discusses overall process integration and optimization elements that build on the unique
attributes of the TRIG to produce an efficient and robust coal based ammonia plant design.

Kamal Gursahani, Siva Ariyapadi, Meghji Shah and Richard Strait

KBR

gasification can be an economically viable

alternative route.
Introduction
This paper presents a new KBR process

T
he recent high prices of oil and natural gas
are leading to an increased interest in technology for converting coal to ammonia.
technologies such as coal gasification,
which convert lower value hydrocarbon Coal Gasification
feedstocks into higher value end products. In the
past, before oil and natural gas were widely Coal, like other fossil fuels, is basically a mixture
available as energy sources, coal was used to of compounds of carbon and hydrogen, but also
make coal gas, which was piped, to customers in containing appreciable amounts of oxygen, nitro-
towns and cities for lighting, heating and cooking gen, sulfur, and mineral matter. Coal gasification
needs. Even today, South Africa still uses coal breaks down coal into its constituents by subject-
gasification as a technology to meet much of its ing it to high pressure and temperature, in the
petrochemical needs. Likewise, in China, much of presence of steam, and a limited amount of oxy-
the ammonia production is based on synthesis gas gen. By limiting the amount of oxygen, the feed
obtained via coal gasification. coal does not burn and produce combustion prod-
ucts, but instead breaks down into more valuable
Ammonia, the most widely used intermediate for syngas, containing mainly carbon monoxide and
making fertilizers, is usually manufactured by the hydrogen. For the manufacture of ammonia, coal
catalytic steam reforming of natural gas. Natural needs to be converted into as much hydrogen as
gas has one of the highest proportions of hydrogen possible. The syngas from coal gasification can
among all fossil fuel feedstocks. Hence, from an undergo a catalytic water-gas shift reaction with
efficiency standpoint, natural gas is an ideally the addition of more steam, to convert the carbon
suited feedstock for the manufacture of ammonia. monoxide to carbon dioxide and produce addi-
However, with increasing natural gas prices, coal tional hydrogen for ammonia synthesis.

2008 341 AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL

 The actual chemistry of coal gasification is quite the heat liberated by the exothermic reactions
complex. It is based on partial oxidation reactions must balance the heat consumed by the endother-
of coal. These reactions are essentially non- mic reactions, plus the heat required to bring the
catalytic and occur at a high temperature, typically feed streams to reaction temperature. Reaction
inside a refractory lined vessel. The following is a temperature is usually moderated by the addition
simplistic representation of the basic reactions of water or steam to the gasifier.
taking place during coal gasification:

Exothermic: KBR Transport Gasifier

• Partial Combustion of Carbon The KBR Transport Reactor Integrated Gasifier,
C + 0.5O2 ↔ CO also known as TRIGTM, is an advanced circulating
∆H0298 = -110.5 kJ/mol fluidized bed reactor. It has no internals or moving
• Complete Combustion of Carbon parts. It is designed to operate in both air-blown
C + O2 ↔ CO2 and oxygen-blown modes. The mechanical design
∆H0298 = -393.5 kJ/mol and operation of the TRIG are based on KBR’s
• Water Gas Shift Reaction fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) technology,
CO + H2O ↔ CO2 + H2 which has more than 60 years of successful com-
∆H0298 = -283.0 kJ/mol mercial operating experience. The TRIG operates
• Methanation at considerably higher solids circulation rates, gas
C + 2H2 ↔ CH4 velocities, and riser densities, as compared to con-
∆H0298 = -74.5 kJ/mol ventional circulating fluidized beds. These result
CO + 3H2 ↔ CH4 + H2O in higher throughput, higher carbon conversion,
∆H0298 = -205.8 kJ/mol better mixing, and increased heat and mass trans-
fer rates.
Endothermic:
• Boudard Reaction
C + CO2 ↔ 2CO
∆H0298 = +172.5 kJ/mol
• Steam Reforming Reaction
C + H2O ↔ CO + H2
∆H0298 = +131.3 kJ/mol
• Liberation of Bound Hydrogen
2H ↔ H2
∆H0298 = +431.0 kJ/mol

Carbon and hydrogen are molecularly bonded in

the coal. There are several other side reactions that
take place, resulting in the formation of numerous
by-products from coal gasification. Most of the
sulfur in the coal gets converted to hydrogen sul-
fide and carbonyl sulfide, while the nitrogen gets
converted to ammonia and hydrogen cyanide. The
extent of combustion of the coal depends on the
amount of oxygen fed to the gasifier. As coal gasi- Figure 1: Picture of the Demonstration TRIG Unit
fiers are normally operated in an adiabatic mode, at Wilsonville, Alabama, USA

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 342 2008

 An engineering scale, 50 MTPD demonstration compared to other commercially available gasifi-
unit of the TRIG (see Figure 1), has been in opera- ers.
tion since the mid-1990’s, at the Power Systems
Development Facility (PSDF) in Wilsonville, Ala-
bama, USA [1]. It has run successfully on a wide
range of coals, including bituminous, sub-
bituminous, and various lignites. A unique advan-
tage of the TRIG is its ability to operate in both
air-blown and oxygen-blown modes. While the
air-blown mode is ideally suited for IGCC power
generation applications, the oxygen-blown mode
provides syngas for a variety of chemicals and fu-
els applications. Engineering is currently under-
way for a 600 MWe KBR TRIG-based IGCC
power plant to be built for Mississippi Power in
Mississippi, USA. The project is based on the
gasification of lignite and will employ two KBR
TRIG gasifiers operating in an air-blown mode.

Coal gasifiers are classified as either slagging or

non-slagging types. Coal contains inorganic ash
components. In slagging type gasifiers, high tem-
peratures are employed for gasification. At these
high temperatures, ash fuses forming a molten
slag, which must be removed from the gasifier.
The slag coats the inner walls of the gasifier and
flows downward into a separate chamber where it Figure 2: Sketch of the KBR Transport Gasifier
is quenched and solidified using recycled water. (TRIG)
The slag must be periodically removed and dis-
posed off as non-leachable solid waste stream. In As shown in Figure 2, the TRIG gasifier consists
contrast, the TRIG operates at moderate tempera- of a mixing zone, riser, disengager cyclones, loop-
tures and is a non-slagging gasifier. This makes seal, standpipe and a J-leg. Steam and oxygen (or
the TRIG well suited to low rank coals i.e. coals air) are routed separately and mixed together in
with high ash and moisture contents. The moder- the mixing zone, along with the solids returning
ate temperatures employed in the TRIG, reduces from the standpipe. In the mixing zone, the un-
the specific oxygen consumption, resulting in re- converted carbon (char) in the returning solids
duced cost and auxiliary power consumption as- from the J-leg is combusted to generate heat for
sociated with the air separation unit (ASU). the gasification reactions. Coal is fed above the
Moreover, for low rank coals, the moderate tem- mixing zone to avoid premature combustion with
peratures in the TRIG are sufficient to provide the oxygen in the mixing zone. Coal gasification
high carbon conversions, while ensuring that tar reactions take place primarily in the riser above
formation does not occur. In addition, the dry ash the coal feed injection point. The produced syngas
handling system eliminates the technical difficul- and solids, move up the riser together, and enter
ties associated with slag handling and removal. the disengager (cyclone) via a crossover or bend.
Thus, the TRIG offers several advantages when The disengager removes majority of the particles

2008 343 AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL

 in the mixture by gravity and/or centrifugal forces. In this case, oxygen, instead of air, is used as the
The gas and remaining solids then move to a sec- oxidant in the TRIG. This reduces the volume of
ond stage cyclone, which removes most of the the process gas to be handled by the downstream
particles not collected by the disengager. The syn- processing units.
gas leaves the unit at the top of the second stage
cyclone and goes to waste heat recovery. The sol- For this paper, the capacity of the ammonia plant
ids collected by the cyclones are recycled back to is assumed to be 1500 MTPD (1650 STPD). This
the gasifier-mixing zone through the loop seal, capacity makes the back-end of the ammonia plant
standpipe and J-leg arrangement. A blowdown of (viz. the ammonia synthesis, ammonia recovery,
coarse ash is provided to prevent the accumulation ammonia refrigeration sections), identical to an-
of solids in the gasifier. other 1500 MTPD natural gas based ammonia
plant designed by KBR a few years ago. This plant
has operated successfully at Hainan Island, China
Process Description of New KBR since 2003. The 1500 MTPD ammonia plant ca-
Coal to Ammonia Process pacity is also a good fit with the same size TRIG
as that being used in the Mississippi Power IGCC
In the new KBR coal to ammonia process, the pro-
plant project.
prietary TRIG technology is integrated with a con-
ventional KBR ammonia synthesis loop. Figure 3
The TRIG unit is compatible with a wide range of
shows a block flow diagram of the KBR coal to
coal feedstocks, particularly low rank coals. For
ammonia process.
this paper, it is assumed that the TRIG unit is fed
AIR

CO 2
SULFUR (TO UREA)
ASU N 2 TO SYNGAS
COMPRESSION

RECYCLE SYN GAS WASTE HEAT CONDENSATE SULFUR SULFUR

RECOVERY RECOVERY POLISHING

O2 SUPERHEATED
STEAM
HP STEAM
STEAM H2 S CO 2

KBR TRANSPORT PARTICULATE SOUR GAS WASTE

SYNGAS MERCURY ACID GAS
GASIFIER CONTROL SATURATOR SHIFT HEAT
COOLER REMOVAL REMOVAL UNIT
(TRIG TM) DEVICE (2 STAGES) RECOVERY

TO CONDENSATE CONDENSATE
BFW TREATMENT

COARSE ASH FINE ASH AMMONIA

REFRIGERATION N 2 FROM
ASU
COAL
PREPARATION
& MILLING
AMMONIA SYNGAS H2 PSA
SYNTHESIS COMPRESSION

COAL FEED
ASH SYNLOOP PURGE
COOLING REJECT
AMMONIA GAS
PRODUCT

ASH FUEL
DISPOSAL
FIGURE 3: Block Flow Diagram of the KBR Coal to Ammonia Process

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 344 2008

 with Powder River Basin (PRB) coal, which is the Utility Section
single largest mined coal in USA. PRB coal is • Steam System
classified as a sub-bituminous coal. It is a low • Cooling Water System
rank coal and has a relatively low heating value
and sulfur content as compared to other bitumi- Each of the steps above is described in detail be-
nous or anthracite coals. The lower heating value low.
(LHV) of PRB coal (as received) is about 19,000
kJ/kg (8170 Btu/lb). Table 1 gives the typical Coal Preparation & Ash Handling
composition of PRB coal (as received).
Coal is first crushed to the required size and fed to
Table 1: Typical Composition of PRB Coal (as re- the coal dryers. Because the TRIG can accept lar-
ceived) ger size coal particles than other gasifiers, crush-
ing energy required is less. Dried, pulverized coal
Component Wt% is transferred to the gasifier coal storage bin. Coal
C 51.74 is then fed to the pressurized TRIG unit through a
O 11.52 system of lock hoppers and conveyed using recy-
H 3.41 cled syngas as a carrier fluid. The coal feed is in-
N 0.71 troduced slightly above the gasifier-mixing zone,
S 0.26 and it fluidizes as it enters the gasifier. For a
TRIG unit fed with PRB coal, the coal feed rate to
Cl 0.01
the plant on moisture and ash free (MAF) basis is
F 0.01
about 1.45 tons of coal per ton of ammonia pro-
Moisture 27.21
duced.
Ash 5.13
Air Separation
The main process steps in the new KBR coal to
ammonia process are as follows: The KBR coal to ammonia process uses oxygen as
the oxidant in the TRIG. Oxygen is provided by a
Syngas Generation cryogenic air separation unit (ASU) supplied by a
• Coal Preparation & Ash Handling suitable process licensor. To maintain a reason-
• Air Separation able size and energy consumption of the ASU,
• Coal Gasification oxygen purity of about 98 mol% is selected. This
• Waste Heat Recovery oxygen purity represents a reasonable trade-off be-
• Particulate Control tween the size and cost of the ASU, and the size
• Syngas Saturation and cost of downstream processing equipment and
• Sour Gas Shift plant capacity. The main impurities in the oxygen
Syngas Purification stream are argon and nitrogen. Oxygen is supplied
• Mercury Removal to the gasifier at about 4100 kPaa (600 psia) and
• Acid Gas Removal ambient temperature. The ASU also supplies pure
• PSA gaseous nitrogen (>99.999 mol%), at about 2400
Ammonia Synthesis kPaa (350 psia) and ambient temperature to the
synthesis loop for ammonia synthesis. Because of
• Syngas Compression
the low specific oxygen consumption of the TRIG,
• Ammonia Synthesis
the size and power requirements of the ASU are
• Ammonia Refrigeration
relatively less compared to other gasifiers. For a
• Ammonia Recovery 1500 MTPD ammonia plant, the oxygen require-

2008 345 AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL

 ment from the ASU is about 1800 MTPD or about Table 2: Typical Composition of Syngas Produced
0.82 tons of oxygen per ton of coal on a moisture by TRIG using PRB Coal and Oxygen
and ash free basis. The nitrogen requirement is
about 1300 MTPD. The power consumption of the Component Mol% (dry basis)
ASU is in the range of 35-40 MW (46,900-53,620 CO 45.0-50.0
hp). H2 30.0-35.0
CO2 13.0-18.0
Coal Gasification CH4 1.0-5.0
NH3 0.1-1.0
Partially dried, pulverized coal, oxygen and steam
N2 0.1-0.5
are fed to the TRIG gasifier near the mixing zone
where they contact the circulating solids. Coal Ar 0.1-0.5
gasification reactions take place in the resulting H2S 500-1000 ppmv
fluidized bed operating in the high velocity, HCN 50-300 ppmv
‘transport regime’. The flow of oxygen is carefully COS 10-100 ppmv
controlled to limit carbon combustion within the HF 10-50 ppmv
gasifier. Steam is added to the gasifier, both as a HCl 10-50 ppmv
reactant and as a moderator to control the reaction
temperature at about 980 0C (1800 F). The syngas Waste Heat Recovery
produced along with the remaining ungasified sol-
Syngas exits the TRIG at a temperature of about
ids move up the riser to the disengager. The larger
980 0C (1800 F). This temperature is in line with
solid particles in the syngas are removed in the
secondary reformer outlet temperatures in conven-
primary disengager. Syngas along with the re-
tional ammonia plants. The gas is passed through
maining smaller solid particles enter a second
a specially designed high pressure (HP) steam
stage cyclone separator, where most of the re-
waste heat boiler and HP steam superheater. Thus,
maining particles are removed and returned to the
the high-grade process heat is recovered as super-
standpipe. Here, they are mixed with the larger,
heated HP steam. Final HP steam superheating is
previously removed particles, and circulated back
done in a superheat coil located in the offsite
to the gasifier mixing zone. A small continuous
package boiler. The split of duties between HP
blowdown of coarse ash is provided from the bot-
steam generation and HP steam superheating can
tom of the standpipe to prevent the accumulation
be optimized depending on the overall plant steam
of solids in the gasifier.
system. The syngas is cooled to about 370 0C (700
F) at the exit of the HP steam superheater.
Syngas free of most solid particles leaves the gasi-
fier from the top of the second stage cyclone sepa-
Particulate Control
rator to the primary syngas cooler at about 980 0C
(1800 F) and 3585 kPa (520 psia). A small portion After waste heat recovery, syngas flows through a
of the cooled syngas from downstream of the PCD KBR proprietary particulate control device (PCD)
is recycled back to the gasifier, for coal conveying that removes any particulate matter remaining in
and as fluidizing gas within the gasifier. The com- the syngas as fine ash. Removing fine particulate
position of the syngas leaving the gasifier depends matter is an important part of any gasifier system
on the type of coal used. For a PRB coal with as fine particles in the syngas can foul or corrode
oxygen as the oxidant, the typical composition of downstream equipment, reducing performance or
the syngas leaving the TRIG is shown in Table 2. even leading to equipment failure.

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 346 2008

 Figure 4 shows a sketch of the proprietary PCD. maximize heat and condensate recovery. These
The PCD employs rigid, barrier type, filter ele- novel features are incorporated in the present coal
ments to remove essentially all of the fine particu- to ammonia process scheme.
lates in the syngas stream. Recycled syngas is
used to pulse clean the filters as they accumulate Syngas Saturator
particles from the unfiltered syngas. Downstream
of each filter element, a safeguard (fail safe) de- Using PRB coal, syngas produced by the TRIG
vice is installed to protect the downstream equip- contains 45-50 dry mol% carbon monoxide. The
ment from particulate-related damage in the event production of hydrogen needs to be maximized for
of a filter element failure. The particulate stream making ammonia. To accomplish this, carbon
(fine ash) is depressurized to atmospheric pressure monoxide is reacted with steam catalytically in a
and removed via a proprietary continuous fine ash water gas shift reactor, where most of the carbon
removal system, after heat recovery. monoxide is converted to carbon dioxide and hy-
drogen. A catalyst that is resistant to sulfur com-
ponents present in the syngas is used, typically
CLEAN called a sour gas shift catalyst. The raw gas from
GAS OUT
the TRIG does not contain sufficient steam to
support the conversion needed for the sour gas
shift catalyst. Therefore, the syngas saturator takes
recycled process condensate and heat available in
DIRTY the syngas, and medium to low grade heat avail-
GAS IN able elsewhere in the process, for generating the
TOP VIEW
required steam. A small amount of fresh deminer-
alized water (DMW) is supplied to the saturator to
maintain the water balance. A small blowdown is
provided from the bottom of the saturator to re-
move accumulated dissolved impurities. This
blowdown is sent to the process condensate strip-
SHROUD per.

FINE ASH Sour Gas Shift

The overhead gas from the saturator is mixed with
Figure 4: Sketch of the proprietary Particulate
a small amount of live medium pressure (MP)
Control Device (PCD)
process steam to get the desired steam to gas ratio
for the downstream sour gas shift reactors. The
process gas goes through a two-stage sour gas
The PCD is a critical component of the TRIG
shift process. The steam to gas molar ratio inlet to
gasifier development as it ensures that the syngas
the sour gas shift system is about 1.0 to 1.3. Over
produced is particulate-free, thus eliminating the
the sour gas shift catalyst, more than 95% of the
dirty water or grey water systems that are a feature
carbon monoxide in the syngas is converted to
of most other commercially available gasification
produce carbon dioxide and an equivalent amount
processes. The elimination of grey water systems
of hydrogen via the water gas shift reaction. More-
also implies unique heat integration and water re-
over, carbonyl sulfide in the syngas is almost com-
covery possibilities. KBR has developed proprie-
pletely hydrolyzed to hydrogen sulfide. As the wa-
tary technologies around the core TRIG unit to
ter gas shift reaction is exothermic, cooling of the

2008 347 AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL

 shift effluent is provided. The sour gas shift efflu- through successive flash drums to recover the ab-
ent provides heat for pre-heating feed to the sour sorbed carbon dioxide. After final sulfur polish-
gas shift reactors, the upstream syngas saturator ing, the recovered carbon dioxide can be sent to a
reboilers, condensate and fresh water pre-heating urea plant. Hydrogen sulfide is recovered from the
to the syngas saturator, acid gas removal unit re- overhead of the solvent stripper. Elemental sulfur
boilers, and boiler feed water (BFW) pre-heating. can be recovered from this hydrogen sulfide
The shift effluent is finally cooled against cooling stream by a suitable catalytic sulfur removal proc-
water. Process condensate is knocked out from the ess.
cooled syngas, heated, flashed, and recycled back
to the syngas saturator. The flashed gases from the Thus, the acid gas removal unit removes most of
process condensate contain significant amounts of the hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide present in
ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. the entering syngas. Refrigeration load for the acid
These are returned to the gasifier for destruction. gas removal unit is provided by the ammonia re-
The final carbon monoxide concentration leaving frigeration compressor. The carbon dioxide level
the sour gas shift system is about 2.0-4.0 dry in the syngas leaving the acid gas removal unit is
mol%. about 2.0-5.0 dry mol%, while the hydrogen sul-
fide is removed to ppb levels.
Mercury Removal
PSA
Syngas free of condensate is passed through a
mercury removal guard bed. It consists of an acti- Syngas leaving the acid gas removal unit under-
vated carbon bed that adsorbs any mercury present goes final purification by pressure swing adsorp-
in the syngas. The carbon bed is replaced periodi- tion (PSA). Syngas from the acid gas removal unit
cally and the carbon with adsorbed mercury sent is sent to a PSA unit which recovers hydrogen,
for disposal. The mercury free syngas in then sent >99.5+ mol% purity (balance nitrogen, methane,
to the acid gas removal unit. and argon), from the syngas for ammonia synthe-
sis. The hydrogen recovery in the PSA unit is
Acid Gas Removal about 85-90%. The remaining components in the
syngas, along with the unrecovered hydrogen,
For PRB coal, the sour gas shift effluent contains concentrate in the tail gas leaving the PSA unit
about 35-45 dry mol% of carbon dioxide, and and are sent to the fuel header.
about 500-1000 ppmv of hydrogen sulfide. Car-
bon dioxide is produced in the gasifier and in the A PSA purification system has been selected in
sour gas shift reactors. Hydrogen sulfide is pro- preference over a conventional nitrogen wash sys-
duced from the sulfur present in the coal in the tem, as it is been shown to have lower capital and
gasifier and from carbonyl sulfide hydrolysis in operating costs. A similar system has been suc-
the sour gas shift reactors. The bulk of these acid cessfully demonstrated in the Coffeyville Re-
gases are removed in the acid gas removal unit, sources Nitrogen Fertilizers ammonia plant in
supplied by a suitable process licensor. In this Kansas, USA. [2]
unit, a solvent selectively removes carbon dioxide
and hydrogen sulfide from the syngas. The feed Syngas Compression
gas first flows through a hydrogen sulfide ab-
sorber followed by a carbon dioxide absorber. The hydrogen from the PSA unit is mixed with
Lean solvent enters the top of the carbon dioxide high purity nitrogen from the ASU in a 3:1 molar
absorber and then flows to the hydrogen sulfide ratio. The mixed synthesis gas is then compressed
absorber, counter-currently. Solvent is flashed to a pressure of about 15500 kPaa (2250 psia) in

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 348 2008

 the syngas compressor. The syngas compressor is
a two case centrifugal compressor with an inter-
stage cooler. Recycle gas from synthesis loop pri-
mary separator mixes with the make-up syngas be-
fore the last wheel in the syngas compressor. The BED 3B BED 3A BED 2 BED 1

mixed gas then goes to the ammonia converter.

Ammonia Synthesis
As shown in Figure 5, the feed to the ammonia Figure 6: Sketch of Typical KBR 3-Bed Horizon-
converter is pre-heated in a feed-effluent ex- tal Converter
changer. The ammonia synthesis converter is a
KBR horizontal converter with three equilibrium Ammonia Refrigeration
beds and inter-stage cooling. The third equilib-
rium stage is divided into two beds in series, so Ammonia converter effluent is chilled and ammo-
the converter contains a total of four beds. Each nia condensed out in a proprietary KBR ammonia
bed is filled with 1.5-3.0 mm promoted iron cata- unitized chiller. This specially designed exchanger
lyst. provides cooling of the converter effluent through
interchange of heat with synthesis gas returning
Synloop Purge from the primary separator, and boiling ammonia
Make-up
Syngas
refrigerant at two different temperature levels. By
Refrigeration
Compressor
its unitized design, this exchanger replaces sepa-
HP
rate exchangers and flash drums. Mechanically, it
Steam consists of concentric tubes running through boil-
ing ammonia compartments. The ammonia vapors
BFW
from the refrigerant compartments are routed to
Unitized
0C the ammonia refrigeration compressor, which is a
Chiller two stage centrifugal compressor. The ammonia
Horizontal CW vapors from the refrigerant drums are compressed
Magnetite and condensed in a water-cooled ammonia con-
Converter Ammonia Product
denser. The condensed ammonia then goes to an
ammonia accumulator. Warm ammonia product is
drawn from the bottom of the accumulator and
Figure 5: Sketch of a KBR Conventional Ammo-
sent to the urea plant via the warm ammonia
nia Synthesis Loop
product pump. The accumulator also supplies
ammonia refrigerant for the refrigeration system.
Figure 6 shows a sketch of a typical 3-bed hori-
The ammonia refrigeration system is also de-
zontal magnetite converter. In the converter, hy-
signed to produce all cold ammonia product to be
drogen and nitrogen react over the iron catalyst to
sent to a storage tank.
form ammonia. Converter effluent is cooled by
generating HP steam, pre-heating boiler feed wa-
Ammonia Recovery
ter, pre-heating feed to the converter, and against
cooling water before refrigeration. A small purge The high-pressure purge gas from the synthesis
flow is provided from the synthesis loop to pre- loop is used as a driving stream for an ejector,
vent build up of inert components viz. methane which pulls up inerts from the ammonia accumu-
and argon, in the synthesis loop. lator and the flash vapor from the ammonia let-

2008 349 AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL

 down drum. The ejector discharge is fed to an Advantages of the KBR Coal to
ammonia scrubber where the ammonia in the Ammonia Process
purge streams is recovered as an aqueous ammo-
nia solution. The solution is then distilled to re- The KBR coal to ammonia process offers several
cover pure ammonia, which is combined with the advantages, which are summarized below:
ammonia going to the ammonia refrigeration con-
denser. The overhead vapors from the ammonia 1. Flexibility of Feedstock
scrubber are recycled back to the PSA unit to re- • The TRIG is compatible with a wide
cover the hydrogen present in the purge gases. range of coals. It is especially suited to
low rank coals, which are abundant
Steam System and cheaper than other coals.
• The TRIG can handle coal feeds with
The ammonia plant uses three steam levels – HP
a wide particle size distribution. Ex-
steam at 12170 kPaa (1765 psia), MP steam at
cessive fines in the feed do not pose
4650 kPaa (675 psia) and LP steam at 415 kPaa
problems.
(60 psia). The ammonia plant generates super-
2. Increased Gasifier Reliability
heated HP steam. HP steam generation is accom-
• Operation at moderate temperatures
plished by recovering heat in the gasifier effluent
with no internals or moving parts, im-
and from the synthesis loop converter effluent.
proves the reliability of the gasifier.
The flow sheet is flexible in terms of driver selec-
3. Lower Capital Cost
tion for major rotating equipment, depending on
• Highly compact design operating at
project particulars. In this case, steam turbines
moderate temperatures saves plot
supplied with superheated HP steam are used to
space and lowers capital cost.
drive the syngas compressor, the ammonia refrig-
eration compressor, and the compressors in the • Low specific oxygen consumption re-
ASU. Deficits of HP steam during normal opera- duces the size and cost of the ASU.
tion, and during start-up and shutdown are met by • Non-slagging type of gasifier elimi-
imported HP steam from a coal fired offsite pack- nates additional equipment associated
age boiler. MP steam extracted from the steam with slag handling and removal.
turbines is used as process steam in the gasifier • The proprietary unitized chiller offers
and inlet to the sour gas shift reactors. MP steam a compact design and eliminates sepa-
can also be exported to the urea plant for driving rate exchangers and flash drums, re-
the carbon dioxide compressor. LP steam is used ducing capital cost and saving plot
for de-aeration of BFW and to drive the ejectors space.
for the steam surface condensers. • The PSA unit used for syngas purifica-
tion has a lower capital cost as com-
Cooling Water System pared to conventional nitrogen wash
units.
The ammonia plant is supplied with cooling water 4. Increased Energy Efficiency
from an offsite-cooling tower. Cooling water re- • The moderate temperatures employed
turn is sent back to the cooling tower. Depending in the TRIG, combined with its dry
on site location and availability of fresh water, feed injection system, reduce the spe-
seawater or air can also be used as cooling media cific oxygen consumption while main-
instead of cooling water. taining high carbon conversions. This
reduces the size and energy consump-
tion of the ASU.

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 350 2008

 • The TRIG offers very high carbon pollution caused by dirty water sys-
conversions for low rank goals, typi- tems.
cally greater than 97%. • The unique condensate-handling
• The syngas leaving the TRIG is not scheme in the flow sheet recycles most
water-quenched, and hence leaves at a of the water in the system, requiring a
fairly high temperature of about 980 very small make-up of fresh deminer-
0
C (1800 F). This allows for high- alized water, and a very small blow-
grade process heat recovery into the down of dirty condensate from the sys-
steam system. As result, a large tem.
amount of superheated HP steam is
generated from the gasifier effluent.
This makes the process more energy Economic Considerations
efficient. Depending on the overall plant configuration se-
• The syngas saturator in the flow sheet lected, a specific energy consumption as low as
uses relatively low-grade process heat 38.5-40.6 GJ/MT (9.2-9.7 Gcal/MT) of ammonia
available elsewhere in the process for produced, is achievable by the KBR coal to am-
generating a large amount of steam monia process. While this specific energy con-
from the recycled process condensate. sumption is about 40-47% more than the most ef-
This improves the energy efficiency. ficient natural gas based KBR Purifier® ammonia
• All large rotating equipment in the plants, the TRIG can process cheaper, low rank
ammonia plant is steam driven. Thus coals, which are frequently found for less than
the large amount of steam generated $1/MMBtu. Thus, the KBR coal to ammonia
by the process can be used efficiently. process is low in operating costs (OPEX). Also,
The ammonia plant can also export because of its simple design and moderate operat-
steam to a neighboring urea plant. ing conditions, the TRIG gasifier has a high on-
5. High Quality Syngas stream factor, which reduces maintenance costs.
• The syngas produced by the process is
particulate-free. The capital cost (CAPEX) of a conventional coal
• The syngas leaving the TRIG has a to ammonia plant is about double that of a natural
low concentration of methane. Low gas to ammonia plant [3]. However, a TRIG based
methane content is desirable for hy- coal to ammonia plant will cost less than a con-
drogen production for ammonia syn- ventional coal based ammonia plant because of a
thesis. simpler design, fewer pieces of equipment, and
• The syngas from the TRIG is free of less severe operating conditions.
any oils and tars. This makes gas clean
up relatively simple. Given the TRIG’s suitability to process cheaper,
• The make-up syngas inlet to the am- low rank coals, the KBR coal to ammonia process
monia synthesis loop is pure and very appears to have bridged the gaps of higher capital
low in inerts. This makes ammonia cost and higher specific energy consumptions as-
synthesis very efficient. sociated with coal based ammonia plants. The
6. Environmentally Friendly process is an economically viable route for the
• The proprietary Particulate Control manufacture of ammonia in places that do not
Device (PCD) eliminates water- have a source of low cost natural gas but have
scrubbing systems required to remove abundant low rank coals.
particulates in the syngas. This reduces

2008 351 AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL

 Conclusions
The new KBR coal to ammonia process is based
on the KBR TRIG gasification technology, inte-
grated with proven KBR ammonia synthesis tech-
nology. The process is well suited to a wide range
of coal feedstocks, particularly the low rank coals,
which are cheap and abundant. The process offers
a robust and energy efficient design, with several
advantages when compared to traditional coal to
ammonia processes. It is an economically attrac-
tive option for manufacturing ammonia, especially
in countries with large coal reserves and limited or
high cost natural gas deposits, such as USA,
China, and India.

References
1. Wallace F., Guan X., Leonard R., Nelson M.,
Vimalchand P., Smith P., Breault R.; “Opera-
tion of the PSDF Transport Gasifier”; Gasifi-
cation: The Technology of Choice, 2006
2. Mak Y., Heaven D., Kubek D., Sharp C.,
Clark M.; “Synthesis Gas Purification in Gasi-
fication to Ammonia/Urea Complex”; Gasifi-
cation Technologies Council, 2004
3. Appl M.; “Ammonia Principles and Industrial
Practice”; Wiley; Chapter 13.2, pg 238

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 352 2008