Top 8 Benefits of Enhanced Ammonia Plant Control

There are many disturbances that can affect efficiency and stability at a modern ammonia plant. For example, a feed gas rate may be changed several times a day to manage a daily quota of gas.  Changes in primary reformer operation can affect methane leakage into the synthesis loop, which in turn requires changes in purge rate to hold loop pressure or inert levels at the desired value. Certain energy efficiency methods also have the potential to cause disturbances throughout the entire plant.

The impact of these disturbances can be managed with a control strategy that focuses on these primary objectives:

• Increase throughput
• Reduce loss of hydrogen and nitrogen to purge
• Reduce utility consumption, both steam and fuel gas
• Provide improved operating information

Pushing unit processes to their optimal conditions increases plant efficiency and profitability. Enhanced, progressive controls are often employed to drive the operation of an ammonia plant to its most profitable running condition.  There are 8 great benefits for enhanced control at ammonia plants.

Top 8 Control Benefits

1. More consistent product quality
2. Energy (fuel and steam) conservation
3. Greater operating efficiency
4. Improved operating stability
5. Faster line-out following feed changes
6. Reduction in constraint violations (metallurgical, catalyst bed, etc.)
7. Elimination of off-specification products
8. Better operating information & operator understanding