Sulfur Dioxide Production via Oxygen Submerged and Vapor Phase Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing sulfuric acid production processes face challenges in efficiently handling large volumes of sulfur vapor and energy recovery due to the use of ambient air, which results in oversized and expensive equipment, and the complexity of sulfur condensation, especially when dealing with various sulfur allotropes.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a vapor phase combustion step in conjunction with submerged combustion using pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air, taking advantage of the properties of different sulfur allotropes to reduce sulfur vapor condensation and enhance energy recovery, by converting larger sulfur molecules into smaller ones, thereby reducing the amount of sulfur that needs to be condensed and improving energy recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ambient air is used as the oxygen source for sulfur combustion, then the process is simpler and cheaper, but large volumes of inert gas must be handled requiring oversized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the inert nitrogen component from the combustion atmosphere by using pure oxygen instead of ambient air. This extraction of the harmful inert gas eliminates the need for oversized equipment to handle large volumes of nitrogen, directly resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and equipment size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies strong oxidants (pure oxygen) to accelerate and intensify the sulfur combustion process. This substitution of ambient air with pure oxygen eliminates inert gas handling requirements, allowing for compact equipment design while maintaining combustion efficiency.
2Temperature
If submerged combustion is used to manage heat, then heat generation is controlled, but large amounts of sulfur vapor are evaporated requiring complex condensation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the combustion parameters by using pure oxygen instead of ambient air, which fundamentally alters the combustion chemistry and heat transfer characteristics. This parameter change reduces sulfur vapor evolution while maintaining effective heat control, simplifying the condensation system requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite approach combining submerged combustion with pure oxygen injection and specific condenser design elements. This composite system manages heat generation effectively while minimizing sulfur vapor condensation complexity through the synergistic combination of combustion and condensation subsystems.
3Manufacturing precision
If sulfur condensation is performed to remove sulfur vapor, then sulfur dioxide purity is improved, but large volumes of sulfur vapor must be condensed requiring large condensers
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the source problem by using pure oxygen combustion, which significantly reduces the formation of sulfur vapor in the first place. This preventive extraction eliminates the need for large condensation capacity, directly resolving the contradiction between purity achievement and condenser size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by optimizing the combustion process with pure oxygen to minimize sulfur vapor generation before condensation is even required. This preliminary control of vapor formation reduces the burden on the condensation system, allowing for compact condenser design while achieving high sulfur dioxide purity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for a significant reduction in the size of sulfur condensers, improved energy recovery at higher temperatures, and more efficient sulfur dioxide production, making the process more economical and scalable for larger capacities.
Implementation Method 1
a submerged combustion reactor for the combustion of molten sulfur to sulfur dioxide
Implementation Method 2
a vapour phase combustion chamber for the combustion of sulfur vapour to sulfur dioxide
Implementation Method 3
apparatus for cooling a gas and for condensing sulfur vapour into liquid sulfur
Implementation Method 4
condensing sulfur vapor into liquid sulfur
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b~1c
Figure 2
AI summary
Improved systems and methods are disclosed for producing sulfur dioxide using oxygen and submerged combustion. By incorporating a vapour phase combusting step in addition to the submerged combusting step, the downstream sulfur condenser may be made substantially smaller with reduced complexity and cost. Further, energy recovery is simplified and improved.