UREA REACTOR AND

FACTORS EFFECTING ITS

EFFICIENCY
1
PRESENTED BY:
AHMED OMER
ICET PUNJAB UNIVERSITY
PRESENTED TO:
ASIM RASHEED QURESHI (GL)
MUHAMMAD IMRAN HAIDER (Mentor)

SYNOPSIS
2

o Urea Reactor
o Urea Reactor specification
o Parameter effecting on the Reactor efficiency

1. Loading Density
2. NH3/CO2 Ratio
3. H2O/CO2 Ratio
4. Temperature and Pressure
5. Residence Time
6. O2 Content
o Conclusion

Urea Reactor
3

This is the reactor in which ammonia and carbon

dioxide are reacting to one another forming urea.
Reactor Capcity=480m3
Urea Reactor
Shell
Outlet

Trays
Inlet

Holes

UREA REACTOR SPECIFICATION

4

Urea Reactor Specification

Height

47m

Holes in Tray
(Top)

1004

Diameter

2.25m

Mid

2008

Shell Material

Carbon Steel

Bottom

3012

Lining Material

Cr/Ni/Mo 25/22/2 Design Temp

218C

Weep Hole

135

Operating Temp

188C

Sieve Tray

18

Design Pressure

170kg/cm2

Hole Size

8mm

Operating
Pressure

155kg/cm2

Conversion

60%

Gap BTW the Tray

2.25m

PARAMETER EFFECTING ON UREA REACTOR

EFFICIENCY
5

1. Loading Density
2. NH3/CO2 Ratio
3. H2O/CO2 Ratio
4. Temperature and Pressure
5. Residence Time
6. O2 Content

LOADING DENSITY
6

Loading density:
It is the ratio of amount of total material
in the reactor and the total volume of the reactor.

Urea yield increase with the increase of loading

density.

Loading density (kg/liter)

NH4COONH2

% Yield of urea at 170 oC

0.07

0.08

10

0.11

20

0.14

30

0.2

34.5

0.4

42.9

0.6

46.5

0.8

48.3

1.0

48.9

EFFECT OF MOLAR RATIO OF NH3/CO2

8

Urea formation reaction is

2NH3 + CO2
NH2COONH4
2:1 Theoretical yield

(NH2)2CO+H2O

If NH3/CO2 Ratio in excess

Advantages:
NH3 will dilute the Urea solution
NH3 will reduce the biuret formation

2NH2CONH2

NH2CONHCONH2 + NH3
Give high Urea yield
Disadvantages:
Reaction space will be low
Recycle over load

10

If NH3/CO2 is low:

CO2 excess cause corrosion

Urea yield will be low

EFFECT OF H2O/CO2
11

Urea formation reaction is:

2NH3 + CO2
NH2COONH4

(NH2)2CO+H2O

Excess water will lead the reaction in the backward

direction
Occupy reactor volume
if NH3/CO2 increases H2O increase
If H2O amount is low carbamate solution will cause
clogging

CO2 CONVERSION AND H2O/CO2 GRAPH

12

TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE EFFECT

13

Pressure have direct relation with urea yield.

TEMPERATURE PROFILE IN THE

REACTOR:
14

NH3 Relationship with Temperature

15

Excess NH3 lower the temperature

Lesser NH3 higher the Temperature

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RESIDENCE TIME
17

High flow rate

Conversion decrease.
Unconverted reactants.
Recycle over load.
Biuret formation minimum.
Power consumption increase.

OXYGEN EFFECT
18

Air is injected with CO2 for the passivation.

O2 decrease the corrosion.
Excess O2 occupy reactor volume.
Excess O2 pressurise the MPD and LPD.
Excess O2 from an explosive mixture with H2 , CH4

and CO .

CONCLUSION
19

NH3/CO2 should kept at 3.3-3.5.

H2O/CO2 should kept at 0.6.
Loading density should kept moderate rate.
Residence time should kept at 45 min.
O2 % should be 0.32.

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Thank you