Electrical igniter for fast and safe initiation of the ammonia conversion reaction
Electrical igniter for fast and safe initiation of the ammonia conversion reaction
The electrical igniter (EI) is designed for vertical catalytic reactors with downward axial gas flow. At present, EI’s are used in Nitric Acid Units UKL-7 and UKL-72, however, they can be adapted to other units as well.
EI consists of a complex electrical heating element, power feed unit, and control system. The heating element is made from a high-resistance wire with corundum tubes used as insulator. EI is placed on top of platinum catalyst grids.
When used, EI reduces conversion initiation time to 1 minute.
In addition, EI offers the following advantages compared to routine start-up procedures:
• No hydrogen is used for ammonia oxidation initiation. The risk of explosion and catalyst grid burn-through is reduced.
• The hydrogenless method delivers savings.
• The grids are not contaminated with impurities from the fuel gas fed to the burners.
• There are no side reactions involving recombinations of atoms and radicals, and hydrogen oxidation that block active sites in particular spots of catalyst grids.