SUMMER INTERN -

2014
Rashtriya Chemicals
and Fertilizers Ltd. (RCF)

REHAN KHATRI
Department of Chemical
Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology
Summary
Location: RCF Ltd., Trombay Unit,
Mumbai

Duration: 15th May 2014 15th July

2014

Plant: Methanol Production Plant

Plant visit and Process Study 4 weeks

Project 4 weeks
Introduction
Established in 1959 named FCI then
converted to RCF Ltd. in 1978.

GOI undertaking company with 80%

equity holdings

4th largest Urea manufacturer in

India

Mini-Ratna status by GOI

CSR Activties
Schooling

Village
Farmers
Developmen
Education
t

Drinking
Mid Day
water
Meal
Supply

Promotion
of Livelihood
Methanol Plant
The plant is designed to operate on
LNG

Capacity: 220 MTPD

Revamping of Reformer in 2010 in

order to increase the capacity from
150 MTPD to 220 MTPD

CH3OH Federal Grade AA with a

purity of 99.85% (by wt.)
PHASE
-I

Methanol Plant :
Process & Equipment
Study
Raw Materials
LNG Gas : ONGC, Uran
Carbon dioxide : Ammonia I plant
Superheated steam : In-house
DM water : Sujala plant
Electric power : TATA power
Instrument Air : Instrument air
compressor ( In-House)
MP Steam : 12 ATA Header
Process Flow Diagram
 Process Block Diagram
CO2
Process BFW
Reform
LNG FDS er
Gas Preheat DM Water
(pre Boiler er Preheater
Heat) MP
Stea
m
Feed Reacto Make-up Make-
effluent r Process
Gas up gas
exchang (3 Gas
Compres Separat
er No.s) Cooler
sor or

H.P LP Scrubb Extractio

Wax
Separ Separat er n Column
Filter
ator or Tower

Methan
ol
Methanol
Column
Chemical Reactions

De-sulphurisation unit :

R-SH + H2 R-H + H2S

R1-S-R2 + 3 H2 R1H + R2-H
+ H2S
COS + H2 CO + H2S

ZnO + H2S ZnS + H2O

ZnO + COS ZnS + CO2
Chemical Reactions
Reformer :

CnHm + 2H2O Cn-1Hm-2 + CO2

+ 3H2 -Heat
CH4 + 2H2O CO2 + 4H2 -
Heat
CO2 + H2 CO + H2O -
Heat
(water-gas shift reaction)

Converter :
Catalyst Details
Desulphurisation unit : COMOX
catalyst

Reformer : Nickel based catalyst

Converter : MK-121 from

Halder Topse ( Copper oxide, Zinc oxide
and aluminium oxide )
Equipment Details

Reformer :
Type : Side Fire
MOC of tubes : Manurite alloy
No. of Burners : 72
No. of tubes : 52
In/Out Gas temp. :
515 C / 930 C
Type: Side
Fuel: LNG Fired
Side Fired Reformer
Fuel: LNG Tube: Manurite Alloy Reformer : CS with
Refractory lining
Furnace Pressure is kept sufficient negative i.e.,
around -1.5 mbar
Induced Draft (ID) Fan
Phase - II

Material Energy
Balance across
Reactor,
Distillation Column
Reactor Material Balance

Assumptions:

100% separation of all feed gases (CO, H2,

CO2) and products (CH3OH, H2O)
Purge Concentrations are controllable
No Nitrogen or methane in feed synthesis gas
Other side reactions are ignored
Material Balance
Calculations
Reaction 1: CO +H2 CH3OH Hrxn =
-38559 Btu/lbmol
Reaction 2: CO2 +3H2 CH3OH + H20 Hrxn =
-21324.1 Btu/lbmol

Reaction 1 Conversion = 0.80

Reaction 2 Conversion = 0.08

Material Balance:
CO out = COfeed + COrec 0.8(COfeed + COrec) COpurge
CO2 out = (CO2 feed + CO2rec) 0.08 (CO2 feed + CO2rec)
CO2 purge
CH3OH out = 0.8(COout + COfeed) + .08(CO2out + CO2 feed)
Material Balance
Material Balance across the Synthesis unit
Compo Unit Compos Feed to Purge Recycle Product M Tons
nent ition Reactor from out per day
IN Recyle
CO lb .299 728.65 19.0279 158.23 0 0
mol/hr
H2 lb 0.68 1655.80 25.7261 18838.3 0 0
mol/hr 2

CO2 lb 0.021 51.135 46.9982 1056.83 0 0

mol/hr 3

CH3OH lb 0 0 0 0 709.037 246.98

mol/hr 9

H2O lb 0 0 0 0 84.2158 16.49

Energy Balance
calculations
Energy Balance

Enthalpy in (BTU) : H = Href + Cpdt

for each component

Cp used for gases: Cp = A + BT + CT2

+DT3

Enthalpy of reaction = 0.8(Hrxn1)COin + .

08(Hrxn2)CO2in
Energy Balance across the
Synthesis unit
Energy Balance
Component Temperatur Enthalpy in Enthalpy Temperature
e in (K) (Btu/lb mol) out out (K)
(Btu/lb mol)
CO 523 1.52E+07 6.36E+06 573
H2 523 8.25E+07 6.97 E+07 573
CO2 523 3.62E+06 5.59E+06 573
CH3OH 0 0 5.09E+07 573
H2O 0 0 5.66E+05 573
Reaction 1 523 27339792.7 0
7
Reaction 2 523 259943.142 0
2
Total 1.29E+08 1.38E+08
Material Balance across
Distillation Column
Assumptions :

Feed composition: 89.3% Methanol,

10.7% H20
Feed Pressure is 14.7psia
99.85% Methanol in Distillate

Material Balance :
F=B+D
Fz = BxB + DxD
Material Balance across Distillation Column

Componen Feed Amount Distillat Amount Bottoms Amount

t comp in Feed e in compositio in
n
ositio (lb- compositio distillate bottoms
n
n mol/hr) (lb- (lb-
mol/hr) mol/hr)
Methanol 0.893 709.037 0.9985 707.974 0.012 1.0636
9 3

Water 0.107 84.2158 0.0015 0.1263 0.988 84.0895

Total 1.00 793.253 1.00 708.106 1.00 85.1531

7
 Questions
1. Is Methane formation from CO and CO 2 an
exothermic or endothermic process?
2. Why purge gas is drawn from the recycle
gas in the synthesis section?
3. Why negative pressure need to be
maintained inside reformer chamber ?
4. What is the significance of wax formation?
5. What is the percentage of Methanol in
Crude Methanol?
 Answers
1. Methane formation from CO and CO2 is an
exothermic process.
2. Purge gas is drawn in order to keep down the
level of inerts, viz CH4 and N2 in the synthesis
loop.
3. To ensure that no high temp flue gas comes out of
the chamber.
4. If the converter temperature falls below 210 C,
there is wax formation. During normal run, there
is no wax formation.
5. Crude methanol has 84-88% of methanol.