Application Overview

In a petrochemical refinery or natural gas processing plant, sulfur is extracted from the crude oil or natural gas product stream as amine gas, sour water stripper, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid. The sulfur is then recovered in the sulfur plant using a thermal reactor called a Sulfur Recovery Unit (SRU), also known as a Claus reactor. Sulfur is recovered more efficiently at high temperatures that approach the operational limit of the refractory material, and variations in process and oxygen injection flow rates introduce variable process control demands. As a result, temperature control is critically important for operational effectiveness, reactor longevity and for human safety.