CENG 124A

Ammonia Synthesis Loop

Ammonia is typically manufactured by reacting nitrogen and hydrogen in stoichiometric mixtures. The reaction is
exothermic, but per-pass conversion through an ammonia synthesis reaction is low and is limited by equilibrium.
Therefore, ammonia synthesis takes place at high temperatures and pressures and with a substantial recycle.

The ammonia synthesis reaction is

N2 + 3H2 = 2NH3

As an exothermic reaction (you of course can find the heat of reaction), lower temperatures favor higher conversion.
However, the reaction rates are faster at higher temperatures. (And of course we knew all that.)

Prepare a process flow diagram with a material balance for the system. This system is part of a process to
produce 500 tons per day of ammonia from refinery fuel gas (primarily propane). Prepare the material balance and
process flow diagram using a computer process simulator. This process involves a significant recycle, so be sure that
you have convergence and closure of the material balance. The following sketch is a common scheme for ammonia
synthesis. The synthesis loop will be referred to as the “synloop” from here on.

Synloop Purge Gas

K-3
Recycle
Compressor

V-7
R-7 Synloop
H-1 Synthesis Separator
Startup Converter E-15
Heater CW Converter Anhydrous Ammonia
E-17
Synloop Feed/ Effluent Cooler
Effluent Exchanger
Synthesis Gas

Simulation Information

Synthesis gas lbmol/h

H2 4,263.6 Temperature = 100 °F
N2 1,421.2 Pressure = 5020 psia
Ar 17.5
H2O 1.1
CH4 65.8

Synthesis Reactor
• Assume adiabatic operation with no heat loss.
• Assume a reactor feed temperature of 750 °F.
• Assume a 50 °F approach to equilibrium. (This means that the reaction equilibrium is calculated based on a
temperature 50° above the actual outlet temperature. The adiabatic temperature is based on the actual outlet
temperature, not 50° above. Assuming a 50° approach approximates process conditions near the end of the
catalyst life.)
• Assume a 100 psi pressure drop through the reactor.

Greg Lorton
Heat Exchangers
• Assume a 30 psi pressure drop through each exchanger (on both the shell side and the tube side).
• Assume that the synthesis reactor effluent can be cooled to no cooler than 95 °F in the converter effluent cooler.

Synloop Separator
• Condensed ammonia is separated from the synthesis loop gases in this drum. This is a vertical cylindrical vessel.
• Assume no pressure drop in this vessel.

Synloop Compressor
• The inlet pressure of the synloop compressor is the same as the pressure in the synloop separator.
• Assume that the discharge pressure of the synloop compressor is equal to the inlet pressure plus the sum of all of
the pressure drops through the exchangers in the synloop and the synthesis reactor.

Start-Up Heater
• This fired heater is used only during start-up to heat the reactants to a temperature high enough to start the
reaction.
• Assume no pressure drop across the valve in the synthesis loop that is used to divert gas to the heater.

Include the following information:

Material balance
• Show the flow rates in lbmol/h for the five constituents for each stream. (Chapter 3 reminder: A series of streams
through equipment with no change in the number of moles of constituents is one stream. For example, the reactor
effluent is one stream from the reactor through the two exchangers to the synloop separator.)
• Show total flow rate in lbmol/h and lb/h for each stream.

On the flow diagram, show temperature and pressure before and after each piece of equipment. Show mode of control
on the flow diagram.

For the heat exchangers, show the duty in Btu/h and the quantities of cooling water (if applicable). For the
compressor, determine the brake horsepower.

You will need to select an appropriate thermodynamic model for this process. When doing so, consider that the
process operates at pressures around 5000 psia, and at temperatures above 750 °F.

Greg Lorton