Small and Micro Capacity SRU

Changing domestic crude feedstocks and increasingly stringent state and federal environmental regulations have raised the demand for smaller-capacity Sulfur Recovery Units in a broader range of plants.

PTI specializes in modular units from under 2 to 50 LTPD, affording us unique experience and capabilities to address specific issues of small-capacity sulfur recovery, including Heat Conservation, Temperature Management, and Equipment Design to meet the particular needs of small-capacity operations while reducing overall cost.

low and micro capacity sulfur recovery unit

Talk with one of our engineers

469-629-7232

Process gas streams containing very Low to small quantities of sulfur can pose an interesting challenge to small refiners, topping units, and specialty processors. In general, plants can use scavengers, iron sponge, or biological technologies to remove H2S from streams with an equivalent sulfur content of less than 1 LTPD. These types of units provide low to medium capital costs but incur ongoing operating expenses to replenish the spent reagent and produce low-quality sulfur products that have to landfilled.

Above 10-20 LTPD, a traditional modified-Claus Sulfur Recovery Unit easily accomplishes efficient sulfur recovery with nominal ongoing operating costs.

In between is a 1-10 LTPD sulfur “donut hole” where traditional process technologies can suffer from high capital costs, poor operability, and long-term reliability because they operate outside their “sweet spot.”

There are several industry leaders that offer a variety of licensed solutions, from scrubbers to liquid redox systems, that help fill this void. Depending on your processing needs (e.g. clean acid gas, ammonia-bearing sour water acid gas, or lean feed), a micro-capacity Modified-Claus SRU may be the right technology for your plant.

PTI began developing micro-capacity SRUs using the Modified-Claus process in 2001. These units offer small-capacity sulfur recovery (1-10 LTPD) with wide turn-down ratios, can accommodate ammonia-bearing sour water gases, and provide significant capital cost savings over traditional SRUs.

Our sulfur technology experts have optimized specialty design features to reduce capital costs and simplify operations for processors dealing with small and moderate quantities of sulfur. Our innovations include: