Sulfur Tail Gas Thermal Oxidizer Waste Characterization/Emissions

Systems The primary waste stream from an SRU

By Peter Pickard is the sulfur tail gas stream. There are
other waste streams variously called “pit
Introduction vent”, “sweep air”, etc. These other
SRU’s (Sulfur Recovery Units) are waste streams have very low mass flow
critical pieces of equipment in refineries compared to the tail gas stream and are
and gas plants. SRUs remove sulfur not a major design consideration. These
compounds from certain fuel gases waste streams can be injected into the
produced during crude oil refining and oxidizing chamber somewhere
from natural gas. SRUs produce downstream of the burner.
elemental sulfur and various gas waste
streams. These waste streams must be H2S, sulfur vapor, SO2, COS and CS2 in
destroyed to prevent environmental and the waste is oxidized (or burned) in the
health risks. Thermal oxidizers, or thermal oxidizer to form SO2 and a small
“incinerators” as they are also known, amount of SO3 in the flue gas. SOx in
have been used for many years to the flue gas is an environmental and a
oxidize remaining H2S, CO and other corrosion design concern. Unless the
minor combustibles in these waste flue gas is treated with a downstream
streams. This article discusses various scrubber, which is very rare, all the SOx
particular design features of sulfur tail will exit the stack. Therefore, it is
gas oxidizers. important to note that while a thermal
oxidizer can control the amount of sulfur
compounds mentioned above, it cannot
control SOx emissions. The SOx
emissions are completely determined by
the sulfur content in the incoming waste.

The primary purpose of a sulfur tail gas

oxidizer is to destroy H2S because it is a
highly toxic gas, even in low
concentrations. The specified H2S
emission limit from an oxidizer typically
varies from 5 to 10 ppmv.

In many cases, CO emissions limits are

also specified. H2S is much easier to
burn than CO. H2S autoignition
temperature is 529 ºF (276 ºC). CO
autoignition temperature is 1166 ºF (630
ºC). Emissions of CO are typically not
guaranteed by an oxidizer manufacturer
unless the operating temperature is
above 1400 ºF (760 ºC). As with any
combustion system, the higher the
Figure 1. Typical sulfur tail gas thermal operating temperature, the lower the CO
oxidizer (base ring supported)

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emissions. However, a higher operating NOx reduction in a thermal oxidizer
temperature can result in higher NOx external to the burner and oxidizer
emissions. chamber. This is commonly known as,
“external flue gas recirculation”. A slip
Low NOx fired heater burner technology stream of the flue gas downstream of the
is frequently confused with the boiler can be recirculated back to the
capability of a thermal oxidizer burner. burner via a recycle fan. However, the
Ultra-low NOx burner technology used ducting, electrical power usage, larger
for fired heaters can not be applied to plot space required and more
burners for thermal oxidizers. The complicated burner make this approach
widely varying applications encountered quite expensive and therefore rare.
in the supply of thermal oxidizers
require a different design approach than The NOx emissions from a thermal
that used for fired heater burners. oxidizer will depend on various factors
such as the allowable CO emission limit,
For example, the use of flue gas the CO content in the tail gas, the fuel
recirculation for NOx reduction is vastly gas composition, the waste gas
different for fired heater burners than for composition and burner design.
thermal oxidizer burners. Flue gas Typically, the NOx emissions will range
recirculation associated with fired heater from 0.06 to 0.1 pound of NOx per
burners is internal to the heater. 1,000,000 Btu of heat released.
However, flue gas recirculation
associated with a thermal oxidizer would Although flue gas recirculation cannot
have to be external to the combustion be used to lower NOx emissions,
chamber. The reason for external Callidus has developed a “tool kit” of
recirculation is due to the fact that the thermal oxidizer burner design
thermal oxidizer combustion chamber is techniques over the years. All these
lined with refractory (without a heat methods involve a way to lower the
sink) eliminating the availability of flame temperature and may include such
cooled flue gas for internal flue gas things as staged fuel gas combustion,
recirculation. water injection and steam injection.
These techniques have been used for
many years by several companies.
Callidus also has several other
proprietary techniques to reduce NOx
levels. These designs involve the
various ways tail gas can be used to cool
the flame. Care must be taken in how
tail gas is used to cool the flame. If the
flame is cooled too much, CO emissions
may increase. Experience, coupled with
Figure 2. Comparison of fired heater computational fluid dynamic modeling
burner and thermal oxidizer burner
can result in designs that can lower NOx
Only in thermal oxidizer applications by 10 to 20%
utilizing a waste heat boiler downstream
can one employ flue gas recirculation for

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 aluminum or galvanized carbon steel and
stands off from the shell by 3 to 6 inches
(75 to 150 mm). This shroud also called
a “rain shield” maintains a warm layer of
slow-moving air between the shroud and
the shell that keeps the steel hot but not
as hot as external insulation. External
insulation would result in temperatures
beyond the oxidizing temperature of
carbon steel.

Figure 3. Typical tail gas incinerator burner Physical Orientation

Oxidizers are usually vertical with
Corrosion horizontally fired burners. Due to the
Due to the presence of SOx in the flue potential presence of liquid sulfur in the
gas, care must be taken to prevent the tail gas, the burner orientation is
steel shell of the oxidizer from getting horizontal to allow the sulfur to drain
below the dew point of the acid gas. into the bottom of the incinerator vessel.
Sulfuric acid can condense at very high Vertical, up-fired burners are never
temperature in flue gas. The acid gas recommended since the liquid sulfur
dew point in the flue gas from a sulfur could pool at the bottom of the chamber
tail gas incinerator is typically between and fall into the combustion air plenum
300 and 350 ºF (177º C). Since thermal of the burner.
oxidizers furnaces are typically carbon
steel with a castable or brick refractory Due to the presence of SOx in the flue
lining, care must be taken to keep the gas, the stack outlet on sulfur tail gas
steel temperature about 50 ºF (28 ºC) oxidizers is typically 150 feet (46
above the dew point in order to avoid meters) or more above grade. The
corrosion from dew point condensation. height of the stack is dictated by a
If it is not possible to keep the above the dispersion analysis for ground level
dew point, a coal tar mastic lining or concentration of SOx. Environmental
other high temperature acid resistant regulations dictate acceptable ground
paint can be applied to the internal level concentrations. In order to perform
surface of the carbon steel shell before an accurate dispersion model analysis,
the refractory is installed. Although knowledge of the surrounding terrain
coatings are helpful, it only takes a small and adjacent structures is necessary.
imperfection in the coating to allow acid
to penetrate and cause corrosion. The stack and thermal oxidizer chamber
Therefore, maintaining the temperature are in many instances the same vessel.
of the steel above the dew point is the Stacks are typically self-supported by
most reliable approach to prevent the base ring but in some cases are
corrosion. derrick supported. Some of the derrick
supported designs will be less expensive
To maintain steel shell temperature but will require larger plot space and
above SOx dew point, a thermal shroud more time to assemble in the field.
is generally installed around the shell of
the oxidizer. This shroud is typically

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For large capacity systems, the oxidizer natural draft unit is lower than in a
chamber is horizontal. If a vertical forced draft system. Combustion air
design were used, it would result in fuel turndown limits fuel gas burner
gas flame impingement on the refractory turndown which limits tail gas turndown.
wall opposite the horizontally fired Combustion air turndown in a natural
burner. This is especially true if the draft unit is between 2:1 and 3:1
burner is natural draft since the flame depending on the stack height.
will be longer than in a forced draft
system. HI (High Intensity) Burners
High intensity burners require high
combustion air pressure drop, typically
around 1.5 psig (10.3 kPa). The design
causes the combustion air to swirl
increasing turbulence downstream. This
type of burner, although rarely used by
tail gas incineration, is frequently used
in applications in which it is important to
have a short flame and excellent mixing
such as in sulfur reaction furnaces and
reheat burners.

At least 50% of the sulfur tail gas

incinerators that Callidus has provided
over the last 20 years are natural draft.
Both medium intensity burners
(moderately high pressure drop) and
natural draft burners (very low pressure
drop) have been used in tail gas service
over the years with much success.

While a typical forced draft system with

a waste heat boiler might require a
Figure 4. Tail gas incinerator with a flare
combustion air fan discharge pressure of
8” w.c. (2 kPa), the same system with an
Forced Draft vs. Natural Draft HI burner would require 60” w.c (15
Burners can be natural draft or forced
kPa). 7.5 times the electrical power is
draft depending on turndown
needed to utilize a 400 HP (300 KW)
requirements and whether or not waste
motor instead of a 50 HP (38 KW)
heat recovery equipment is located
motor. Although most oxidizer
downstream. It is generally not
manufacturers have the capability of
acceptable to supply a natural draft
providing both types of burners, the
burner for a system with heat recovery.
companies that promote HI burners for
The pressure drop of the flue gas
tail gas service only manufacture HI
through a superheater or waste heat
burners. In today’s search for cost
recovery boiler is usually too great for
effective, low energy solutions, the HI
natural draft alone to overcome. The
combustion air turndown available in a

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burner might not be the most economical Heat Recovery
solution. Oxidizer chambers with heat recovery
boilers are nearly always horizontal.
Stack Sample Ports
Environmental regulations require Combustion air pre-heaters and waste
sample ports be located after one second gas pre-heaters are not recommended in
residence volume of the flue gas. This is a sulfur tail gas oxidizer system. When
measured from the centerline of the combustion air or waste gas is heated
burner or the center line of the last waste with the flue gas from the incinerator,
gas nozzle to the center line of the the surfaces of the heat exchanger can
sample port nozzle. Ideally, the sample become too cold on the flue gas side and
ports should also be located in a straight can lead to acid gas condensation
run of stack, eight diameters downstream corrosion. Care must also be taken in
of last disturbance and at least 2 the design of a waste heat recovery
diameters from the exit or downstream boiler to avoid corrosion. The flue gas
disturbance. The “disturbance” is exit temperature should not be so low
typically a transition in diameter of the that the flue gas could begin to condense
stack. If this ideal arrangement is on the stack surface downstream.
possible, then only two sample ports, Typically, the boiler exit flue gas
located at 90 degrees around the temperature is maintained at 400 to 500
circumference of the stack are required. degrees F, depending on the boiler feed
In cases in which it is not possible to water temperature and the steam
have eight diameters upsteam and two temperature needed to avoid corrosion.
downstream, or in cases in which it is
not economically feasible, it is The stack downstream of a waste heat
acceptable to provide four sample ports boiler is generally unlined carbon steel
oriented at 90 degrees around the with external insulation. The external
circumference of the stack. Of course, insulation insures that the flue gas
in this case a 360 degree sample port remains hot enough to not condense out
access platform is required. If the ideal any SOx or H2O as it rises through the
eight and two diameters cannot be stack. Near the exit the flue gas will
provided, more samples are usually unavoidably be close to the dew point or
required during the stack test. below. To avoid corrosion at the exit,
the top 3 to 10 feet of the stack is
Refractory specified as stainless steel.
The refractory lining can be low iron
castable or brick. Brick refractory will Although occasionally considered, a flue
provide longer life than castable. Fiber gas bypass around the boiler is not
type refractory (ceramic fiber, board or recommended. The required bypass
modules) is not recommended. Acid gas valve would be very large, expensive,
will quickly destroy fiber type materials. prone to leak and could become a
In addition, fiber type refractory is too serious a maintenance problem.
effective an insulator and will result in
steel shell temperatures that are below Fabrication and Design Codes
the dew point, even with a rainshield. Sulfur tail gas incinerators are typically
designed to AISC or ASME code. The

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operating pressure ranges from 1 or 2 users with knowledge of design
inches water column vacuum to 8 to 10 considerations important to the design of
inches water column positive pressure these systems. It should, also, allow
(in the case of a system with a waste suppliers to avoid designs or design
heat boiler). ASME code design is not consideration parameters that might
necessary at these pressures. However, adversely affect the reliability of these
some customers prefer ASME code for a units.
sturdier design and higher quality
fabrication. A cost effective
compromise is to design per AISC but
specify ASME fabrication.

Some SRU licensors anticipate

deflagration potential in the oxidizer. In
such cases, the oxidizer chamber is
frequently designed for 50 psig per
ASME Code.

Combustion Air Flow Measurement

The best methods of measuring air flow
due to its typically low pressure and high
flow are: pitot tube array, thermal
dispersion or annubar. A pitot tube array
can be the most cost effective since it
requires very few up- and down-stream
diameters for a good measurement. If
the air flow is very large, the number of
duct diameters required by other devices
can result in very large plot space
requirement. Orifice plates are
definitely not practical due to the high
pressure drop required. A venturi meter
can be used, but they are expensive,
require more pressure drop (4” w.c. vs Figure 5. Tail gas incinerator with heat recovery boiler
less than 1” w.c.) and take up more
space compared to the recommended Peter Pickard
methods. Chief Applications Engineer - Incineration Division
Callidus Technologies by Honeywell
Conclusion 7130 South Lewis, #335
Tail Gas Incineration has been used as Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136 USA
Operator 918-496-7599
an effective means for disposal of waste Direct Line 918-523-2171
gases produced in Sulfur Recovery Mobile 918-809-7383
Units. Information provided in this [email protected]
article will be of interest and benefit to
both the user of this equipment and those
supplying it. The article should provide

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