MAN TURBO

TURBOMACHINERY FOR
AMMONIA PLANTS
The ammonia synthesis process has allowed the chemical industry since
the beginning of this century to supply agricultural producers with sufficient
quantities of nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
2
TURBOMACHINERY FOR AMMONIA PLANTS
3
Ammonia, NH
3
, has thus become the most important starting
material for the fertilizer industry.
Whilst NH
3
today is principally used as an intermediate in a
number of chemical processes, e.g., in the production of nitric
acid, it is also employed as a refrigerant in cooling cycles, or
as a nitrogen source when nitriding high alloy steels.
Two elements are needed for the synthetic production of
ammonia:
hydrogen
nitrogen.
Sources of hydrogen are natural gas, naphtha, refinery gases,
and even coal, whereas nitrogen is available in sufficient quanti-
ties in the atmosphere. Ammonia is produced by combining
nitrogen and hydrogen at high pressures and temperatures.
At the heart of an ammonia plant is the turbomachinery, i.e.,
compressors to raise the pressure of the process media
process air, synthesis gas and ammonia together with the
compressor drivers, which are normally steam turbines.
A natural-gas compressor is also necessary when the pressure
of the natural gas supply is below the pressure level required
for the process.
The large variety of turbomachinery required in ammonia plants
is reason enough for plant designers and operators to co-oper-
ate with a partner capable of supplying all the turbomachines
compressors as well as turbines to allow optimisation of the
machinery with the process requirements (and vice versa).
Supply from one source means, apart from clearly defined
responsibilities, that coordination is much simpler and develop-
ment of the contract runs more smoothly.
There are good reasons to choose MAN TURBO as the partner
for the supply of this equipment:
Experience
MAN TURBO stands for compressor and turbine supplies
since 1904 with the first turbomachines for ammonia plants
built by MAN TURBO in the early fifties.
With the supply of many thousands of MAN TURBO process
compressor and turbine casings, including 130 turbomachinery
trains installed in 60 ammonia plants worldwide (plant capaci-
ties range from 400 to 2000 t/day), the companys experience
and reliability is fully proven in the field.
Versatility
As a supplier of axial and centrifugal compressors as well
as steam turbines, gas turbines and tail-gas expanders,
MAN TURBO has the most comprehensive turbomachinery
programme in the world.
Besides turbomachines for ammonia plants, MAN TURBO
supplies compressors and turbines for a large number of
processes, including the production of nitric acid and urea.
Quality and Economy
The high quality of MAN TURBO turbomachines is based on:
intensive research and development activities,
modern CAD, calculation and manufacturing techniques,
high-speed balancing and overspeed testing equipment,
as well as
high-capacity mechanical and thermodynamic testing facilities.
The availability of a wide range of impeller designs (open/closed
design, cylindrical/twisted blades, etc.) and the possibility of
varying blade inlet and outlet angles, impeller diameters or
widths, allow optimum rating for the particular duty points
specified.
In this way the highest possible efficiencies from MAN TURBO
products are guaranteed.
4
When using natural gas, the
most important source of
hydrogen, as a feedstock,
the steam-reforming process
is applied.
In the primary reformer, H
2
is
cracked from natural gas with
the aid of steam.
This hydrogen is then com-
bined with nitrogen which
has itself been produced in
the secondary reformer from
compressed process air,
to form the synthesis gas
required for ammonia
production.
In the synthesis-gas circuit,
ammonia is condensed with
the aid of an NH
3
refrigeration
cycle and led to a storage
tank (via a separation system)
prior to further processing or
distribution.
THE PROCESS
Steam-Reform Process
ST
ST C C
C
Natural gas
Reformer gas
Steam
Primary
Reformer
Gas treatment:
- CO conversion
- CO
2
scrubbing
- Methanation
Natural gas compressor
Syngas compressor
5
C ST
ST C
NH
3
Process air
Syngas
Refrigeration cycle
Ammonia
synthesis
Secondary
Reformer
Process air compressor
Ammonia compressor
6
Single-shaft compressor
The basic concept pursued by MAN TURBO for single-shaft
compressors in process-air service provides separate instead
of integrated coolers; this yields advantages in cooler design
regarding type, materials, specification, and water separation.
This concept is characterised by the following features:
Two casings
Three to four coolers, which can be designed to meet all
specified requirements
High efficiency thanks to cooling below the dew point without
danger to the machine, as properly sized water separators
can be used
A gearbox between the two casings allows higher speeds
in the HP section and thus provides a solution enhancing
efficiency and reducing costs.
Multi-shaft integrally geared compressor
As an alternative to the single-shaft compressor, MAN TURBO
has developed the process service version of the multi-shaft
integrally geared compressor with six stages and three pinion
shafts. The design of this machine employs the same standard
design modules that MAN TURBO developed for their integrally
geared compressor with two pinion shafts (i.e. three to four
stages).
The first four stages of the three-shaft process machine are pro-
vided with impellers of the open three-D type, whilst the fifth and
sixth stages have closed impellers.
Direct drive by steam or gas turbine via a fourth pinion shaft (i.e.
without an additional gearbox) is provided.
Where the driver is an electric motor, drive is effected via the
bull-gear shaft similar to the two-shaft machine.
Depending on the desired process air outlet temperature, three-
or four-cooler options are available for MAN TURBO multi-shaft
integrally geared compressors.
Advantages:
High efficiency thanks to optimum speed selection for all
stages and cooling below the dew point
No limitation with respect to cooler rating
Virtually free selection of the driving speed so that also a gas
turbine driver can be used without a problem.
AIR COMPRESSOR
The air compressor takes atmospheric air and delivers it to the secondary
reformer at a pressure of approx. 35-40 bar, before separation of the nitro-
gen. MAN TURBO has built about 60 such compressors for this application
using different design concepts.
7
8
The ammonia compressor is part of a refrigeration cycle used
for condensing the gaseous ammonia from the synthesis gas.
Depending on the number of refrigeration stages, this machine
consists of several stage groups and is built with one, two or
three casings. The discharge pressure is approx. 17 bar.
The compressor is a single-shaft machine with up to eight
impellers per casing (horizontally split). Ammonia sidestream
feeding at various refrigeration stages can take place outside
the compressor, in the piping system, or in order to avoid
pressure loss by direct admission to the return channel
between two compressor impellers.
The necessary cooling between the stage groups is achieved
either by evaporation of liquid ammonia or by water-cooled shell
and tube exchangers.
The impellers and internal stator parts are of similar design as for
the single-shaft air compressor. The casing is generally made of
nodular cast iron, because of the high pressure load, or of cast
steel, if required by the customer.
It is essential that any escape of ammonia from the compressor
is prevented, even the smallest of quantities, therefore casing
shaft seals require particular attention.
In most cases a tandem dry gas seal or a double mechanical
seal design is chosen. This also performs the function of a
standstill seal after a shutdown of the machine set.
AMMONIA COMPRESSOR
9
10
Single-shaft compressor
The function of this machine is to raise the pressure of the natu-
ral gas to around 45 bar as required at the inlet of the primary
reformer.
As natural gas is available at different pressures at the various
sites of installation, the natural-gas compressors can be built
with varying numbers of stages and casings.
Depending on the required pressure, the cast steel casing can
either be designed with a horizontal or vertical joint.
In rating and designing the impellers, the gas analysis has to be
taken into account. If the H
2
S content of the gas exceeds the
limits set out in the NACE rules, the impeller heat treatment is to
be restricted in order to avoid stress corrosion cracking to
an allowable stress of 90,000 psi (621 N/mm
2
).
Shaft sealing at the casing is achieved by a tandem dry gas seal
as the prefered solution.
NATURAL GAS COMPRESSOR
11
Multi-shaft integrally geared compressor
Integrally geared compressors have been utilized for natural gas
many years. Where these turbocompressors are employed in the
fertilizer industry, it is appropriate to have the two stage com-
pressor driven by an electric motor, with natural gas compressed
from 24 to 45 bar.
For extending the operating range and the part load behaviour
of the compressor, in the first stage inlet guide vane assemblies
can be provided for controlling the natural gas mass flow and
pressure required.
The whole unit is designed as a single lift skid comprising the
compressor, electric driver, lube oil system as well as dry gas
seal panel and the rack with the local instruments. This arrange-
ment allows a fully pre-assembled compressor package com-
pletely piped and wired up to the junction boxes.
Lower investment costs and reduced civil engineering costs
resulting from smaller facility dimensions have opened the
application for integrally geared turbomachines.
12
Large quantities of heat are released in the process, which is
used for the generation of steam. The steam is partly employed
in cracking the natural gas and partly expanded in the steam
turbines driving the compressors.
MAN TURBO builds condensing and back-pressure steam
turbines of the reaction type with and without extraction/side-
stream admission using a modular design system.
The MAN TURBO modular system
For the most important sub-assemblies of MAN TURBO steam
turbines, such as the bearing housings, control-valve/nozzle
casing, control-stage casing and exhaust casing, as well as for
the connecting elements, a modular system of geometrically
graded component sizes has been developed. Combining the
various modules in an optimal manner permits the flexible
adaptation of the machine to the specific duty.
To ensure that the blading is free from vibration resonance
throughout the speed range, a thick cylindrical, drop-shaped
profile with an integral shroud segment was developed for the
rotor blades in the reaction part of the turbine. This is a very
rugged profile; it can be used within a wide stagger angle and
blade spacing range. The availability of this range of blading in
different chord lengths allows the staging to be optimised to
ensure trouble-free operation under all operating conditions.
The tapered/twisted rotor blades of the final stages and the
tapered non-twisted stator blades are again selected from a
standard blade range. The rotors are forged from the solid and
the fully bladed rotor is balanced at full operating speed under
vacuum conditions in several planes.
STEAM TURBINE
13
14
Baseframe/steel foundation
If allowed by the local conditions at site, the entire machine
train can be shop-mounted on a common baseframe or a steel
foundation; this offers the following advantages:
all installation and assembly work, including piping and
cabling, carried out in the manufacturer's works
easy handling during testing and transport
less time for erection
simplification of other local work.
Oil supply
For the supply of oil to the machine bearings and the hydraulic
control devices, oil supply units designed by MAN TURBO are
used. They can be constructed either to MAN TURBO standard
or API Standard 614; customer specifications are taken into
account when applicable.
Gearboxes, couplings
If gearboxes are needed to optimize the machines for the pro-
cess requirements, they are normally of the single-stage parallel-
shaft type.
The rotors within the machine train are connected by toothed or
diaphragm couplings, and each individual casing has its own
thrust bearing.
This flexible separation has the following advantages:
little influence from adjacent machine rotors at different
operating conditions
optimal clearance between stator and rotor leading to better
overall efficiency
more angular displacement allowed, e.g., after a long period
of operation.
Coolers
The intercoolers of the air compressor are mounted separately.
This arrangement allows all requirements with respect to design
and construction, material selection, fouling factors, etc. to
be met.
The water separators can generally be integrated into the cooler
shell, and, as there are no space restrictions, optimum separa-
tion of the water droplets can be guaranteed.
This is very important for the service life and operating behaviour
particularly in NH
3
plants, as in many cases these plants operate
in very warm, humid climates. This means that the atmospheric
air has a very high content of water, which precipitates in the
coolers.
COMPONENTS
15
A complex machine train makes very great demands on the
control and protection systems in terms of quality and flexibility.
Such systems must consider the requirements of the process
and provide all functions from start-up to emergency shutdown
of the machine train and process. MAN TURBO has developed
electronic control and protection systems.
Anti-surge control (turbolog ASC)
In the performance characteristic of a turbocompressor the
surge line is the dividing line between ranges of stable and
unstable operation. Reduction of the volume flow rate beyond
this line causes separation of flow from the blading, causing the
gas to flow periodically from the discharge to the suction end
of the compressor a phenomenon referred to as compressor
surging. The resultant extreme load reversals and temperature
fluctuations in the gas-handling components of the machine
must be avoided. This is the task of the antisurge control, a
system which, by controlled opening of the blow-off or bypass
valves, always keeps the compressor flow rate in the stable
range of the performance characteristic. Specially developed
by MAN TURBO for this purpose is the electronic control and
protection system called turbolog ASC, which is available on
Simatic S7 hardware as MAN TURBO standard.
This system incorporates components which greatly improve the
dynamic response of the controller and thus allow the distance
between the blow-off line and the surge line to be minimized;
surging is safely prevented under all operating conditions.
In addition to anti-surge control, an independent surge detector
is provided on MAN TURBO compressors. During surging the
mass flow rate temporarily drops to zero and the temperature
suddenly rises. Both values are measured by the surge detection
system, and if one of them passes a limiting level the blow-off
valves are opened and, where necessary, the machine train is
shut down.
Speed control (turbolog STMFC)
To allow the speed of the train and thereby the pressures and
flow rates in the process to be controlled and the machine train
to be protected against overspeed, MAN TURBO has developed
the turbine control and protection system turbolog based on
Simatic S7 hardware.
This system provides control far superior to the requirements of
NEMA specification SM 23, class D. Depending on the specific
requirements, it is designed for any of the following functions:
turbine speed control
speed-controlled starting of the turbine from standstill
combined control of speed and extraction pressures limited to
controlled extraction turbines
back-pressure control
inlet pressure control
power output control.
Overspeed detection unit
The most important safety device of a steam turbine is a fully
testabel overspeed trip system. Applicable rules (API, German
VGB) require, that the overspeed detection unit is independent
from the speed governor. MAN TURBO provides a triple modular
redundant (TMR) overspeed trip system (Braun).
CONTROL AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT
16
To meet today's demands for high quality, economic production
and short delivery, advanced workshops qualified to the latest
standards are required.
The new fabrication shops and test facilities of MAN TURBO's
turbomachinery sector satisfy these requirements in every
respect. High-capacity working facilities have been combined
in fabrication isles for an optimum flow of materials, including
equipment for the machining of casings, blade fabrication,
impeller fabrication, rotor machining, and assembly.
The main machining operations are performed
by CNC machine tools. The machine tools
incorporate the latest technology.
WORKSHOPS
17
1 Materials receiving
2 Diaphragms
2a Small parts stores
3 Shipment
4 Rotor
4a Materials / toolshop
5 Small parts & blade fabrication
6 Casing fabrication
6a High-bay warehouse
7 Assembly
8 Balancing
9 Stores
10 Gas turbine service shop
11 Large machinery test stand
12 Development test stands
13 Training Shop
14 Screw compressor service shop
15 Turbomachinery service shop
16 Free-field test stand
17 Gas turbine test stand
18 Piping shop
18
MAN TURBO owns and operates different testbeds for turbo-
machinery in order to execute factory acceptance tests. One
test centre for compressors, steam, process-gas and indus-
trial-gas turbines as well as for individual components has
been integrated into the production shops.
Machines/machine trains are completely assembled in the
assembly bay and subsequently transferred to the adjacent test
stand by two 80 t cranes.
After erection on the 44 m long steel foundation and connection
to the permanent piping systems (steam, air, water, oil), all kinds
of tests to DIN/VDI/ASME/API can be conducted:
mechanical testing of the individual machines
mechanical testing of a complete machine train
thermodynamic testing with air and other gases in open or
closed loop systems.
The drivers used during testing are either those supplied under a
particular contract or the various test stand drivers which are
available, i.e.:
an 18 MW condensing steam turbine
one 6.5 MW and two 2.5 MW variable-speed motors which
can, if necessary, be coupled ogether.
In 2004 an additional packaging and test centre for large strings
was commissioned.
It is now possible if necessary to work on up to three machine
trains at the same time, on an area of over 4400 square meter.
Modules up to 600 tonnes are by no means an exception.
Two cranes, each capable of lifting 150/180 tonnes, and with a
crane hook height of over 17 metres, will guarantee the neces-
sary flexibilty in the machine assembly and testing in the future.
This test bed includes a cooling water circuit with three cooling
towers, and a 20 MW electrical power supply in addition to the
steam supply (50 bar, 500 C, 55 t/h).
MAN TURBO's Quality System complies with ISO 9001 and is
the basis for the reliability of the company's high-quality products.
The QA division, which reports to the Chairman of the Executive
Board, initiates, coordinates, and monitors all activities affecting
quality, while also issuing, and controlling the compli-ance with,
QA Manuals and Procedures, such as:
Design
Material procurement
Production planning
Fabrication
Functional tests
Procedural qualifications
Calibration of gauges and test equipment.
Main points of an inspection plan for a machine train in an
ammonia plant:
Testing of specimens taken from workpieces of machine
components
Ultrasonic examination after rough machining and finish-
machining
Magnetic-particle testing
Dye-penetrant examination
Radiography
Dimensional and visual examination
Heat stability testing
Hydrostatic testing
Overspeed testing
Run-out measurement on rotors
Clearance measurements
TEST FACILITY QUALITY ASSURANCE
19
ERECTION AND SERVICE
All erection and service activities for MAN TURBO machine trains
are carried out by MAN TURBO's centralized machinery service
sector.
Service activities ensure the greatest possible availability and
operational reliability of MAN TURBO turbomachinery even after
many years of operation.
This objective is pursued through
the use of meticulous erection procedures,
thorough commissioning/trial operation,
regular inspection,
preventive maintenance,
fast repairs,
readily available spare parts and intensive advisory services.
The company's service consultancy team further ensures expert
feedback on a regular basis to promote the consistent develop-
ment of MAN TURBO's products and services. The following
provisions have been made to ensure comprehensive service to
our cus-tomers:
a close-knit network of representatives in many countries
of the world
service outlets at strategic points
an independent service workshop at the company's
Sterkrade works.
An emergency service is available at Sterkrade outside normal
working hours.
1+2_Test centres in
Oberhausen/Germany
3+4_Control and monitoring
systems of a test stand
1
3 4
2
NAh T0880 A6
Ste|nbr|nkstrasse 1
46145 Oberhausen / Germany
Phone +49. 208. 6 92-01
Fax +49. 208. 6 92-20 19
www.maot0rbo.com
NAh T0880 A6 S0hw|I
Hardstrasse 319
8005 Zur|oh / Sw|tzer|and
Phone +41. 44. 278-22 11
Fax +41. 44. 278-29 89
NAh T0880 A6
Ege||sstrasse 21
13507 Ber||n / Germany
Phone +49. 30. 440 402-0
Fax +49. 30. 440 402-2000
NAh T0880 S.r.|. 0 P8TT0
v|a Dan|e|e Man|n 16/18
36015 Soh|o vl} / lta|y
Phone +39. 0445. 6 91-5 11
Fax +39. 0445. 5 11-1 38
ln the |nterests of teohn|oa| progress,
subjeot to ohange w|thout not|oe.
Pr|nted |n Germany.
May 2006
TRBO 593 e 0506 1,5 ba
NAh T0880 - a member
oI the NAh 6ro0p