Krupp Koppers Gmbh

Rainer Dittmer

Peter Diemer

Manfred Gross

Ulrich Meisl

Werner Brake

The method of performing the Claus process includes the steps of connecting in parallel two combustion furnaces with waste heat boilers, further reacting, after the partial combusting in the combusion furnaces, in a single Claus reactor which is connected to both of the waste heat boilers of the combustion furnaces so as to receive partially combusted gas from the combustion furnaces, and partially combusting the reactant gas in only one of the combustion furnaces, when a hydrogen sulfide mass flow rate of the hydrogen sulfide fed with the reactant gas is below a certain threshold, and partially combusting of the reactant gas in both of the combustion furnaces, when the hydrogen sulfide mass flow rate of the hydrogen sulfide is greater than the threshold value. The production capacity of the single Claus reactor is designed for a maximum expected hydrogen sulfide mass flow rate in the inflowing reactant gas. The fluctuations or variations of the hydrogen sulfide mass flow rates in the reactant gas can be handles, while minimizing investment and operating costs. Savings of 10 to 15% inoperating and investment costs can result from using this Claus-plant operating process.

Method of operating a Claus-plant

A process is disclosed for the elimination of waste water falling out with the desulfurization of coking oven gas by means of an organic oxygen carrier--containing washing solution with simultaneous recovery of elemental sulfur. The waste water is decomposed in a combustion chamber in a reducing atmosphere at temperatures between about 1000.degree. and 1100.degree. C. under such conditions that the mole ratio of H.sub.2 S:SO.sub.2 in the exhaust gas of the combustion chamber amounts to at least 2:1. Sulfur falling out is separated and the sensible heat of the exhaust gas is utilized for steam generation. The cooled and desulfurized exhaust gas is added to the coking oven gas before the pre-cooling. Sulfur falling out from the washing solution in the oxidizer is separated out and lead into the combustion chamber together with the part of the washing solution discharged as waste water from the washing solution circulation. Preferred embodiments include that the sulfur loading of the waste water can amount to up to about 370 kg sulfur per m.sup.3 waste water; having the cooling of sulfur--containing exhaust gas leaving the combustion chamber follow in a waste heat boiler and a sulfur condenser heated by pre-heated boiler feed water, from which condenser sulfur is discharged in liquid state.

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Essen, Germany

Rainer Dittmer