Effective Sulfur Recovery For Small Capacity Refining

Faced with more stringent state and federal environmental regulations, a growing number of small capacity natural gas plants, petroleum and petrochemical refiners are seeking sulfur recovery options. Principal Technology Inc., a provider of total system solutions for natural gas, refining, chemical, process and manufacturing facilities, offers sulfur recovery units specifically designed for small capacity plants. Featuring the latest technology for sulfur recovery and pollution reduction, these SRUs provide the same results as larger systems while addressing the specific issues of small capacity sulfur recovery units.

Principal Technology’s small capacity SRUs apply the best technological solution for each individual gas treating or refining operation, accounting for capacity and the relatively small amount of sulfur generated. With particular emphasis on heat conservation and temperature management, Principal Technology designs systems with high turndown ratios that can accommodate fluctuations in feeds for more flexible operation. Principal Technology carefully sizes equipment to maintain optimum process efficiency and meet the capacity demands of any refinery or natural gas plant while retaining operator access to all components for successful operation and easy maintenance.

“Principal Technology has been engineering SRU systems for major refining and gas treating operations since 1997,” said Matthew S. Hodson, P.E., president and CEO of Principal Technology. “We have applied what we learned and scaled it down to create effective, affordable SRUs to meet the needs of small capacity plants. Our turn-key systems provide cost savings and, with our modular designs, faster installation to reduce down-time at the owner’s plant.”

According to Hodson, by applying its expertise in SRU design, Principal Technology has created a modular platform for its small capacity SRUs. Fabricating modular components in the controlled environment of an off-site fabrication shop assures quality control and testing during the manufacturing phase. Completion of the units at a client’s facility involves connecting components and final testing, reducing installation time by as much as 75 percent and minimizing disruptions to ongoing plant operations.

“Over the years, we have built a unique expertise in this area, and have delivered total engineering, procurement and construction services for SRUs of any capacity: from 2 to 50 LTPD range and larger,” added Hodson. “Principal Technology applies industry best practices, combined with exclusive features to meet each client’s exacting sulfur recovery requirements.” Hodson says this means Principal Technology works with industry-leading equipment, yet adds its own proprietary designs to deliver the highest reliability and operability available in the market today. “Our SRUs include superior application and utilization of analyzers, instrumentation, and control schemes to enhance reliability and plant operations,” said Hodson.