Specialty Sulfur Plant Equipment

The typical sulfur plant is a harsh environment for much of the equipment. Based on years of experience, Ortloff Engineers, Ltd. has designed two pieces of equipment that can make sulfur plant operation much more reliable.

Steam-jacketed sulfur vapor valve assemblies.
Specially designed sulfur drain seal assemblies.

Sulfur Vapor Valve Assemblies

Where switching valves are used in sulfur vapor service, sticking and leaking can become constant problems due to solid sulfur forming inside the valve. Ortloff Engineers has solved the problem with a unique steam tracing design. The use of sulfur vapor valves is recommended in the following applications:

Claus SRU Warmup Vent Valves
CBA SRU Process Switching Valves
Claus SRU Tailgas Block Valves
MCRC SRU Process Switching Valves
Tailgas Cleanup Unit Block Valves
SULFREEN Process Switching Valves

Ortloff's sulfur vapor valve assembly designs were developed over a period of 35 years in the design of over 75 sulfur recovery and tailgas cleanup systems. They provide trouble-free operation, are tested to pass a bubble tight shut-off test or better, and can withstand the harsh operating conditions of sulfur vapor service. An assembly consists of a standard high performance metal-seated trunnion valve modified and jacketed per Ortloff's proprietary design, special steam-jacketed spool pieces, and interconnecting steam lines ready for installation into the piping system. The valves can be equipped with either manual gear or pneumatic actuators, limit switches, and solenoid valves. The steam connections on the assembly are designed to allow all threaded connections to be located outside the user-supplied external insulation.

These standard valve assemblies are available from 6" through 36" pipe sizes. Larger sizes are available as a special order. The standard assemblies can be designed for installation in either horizontal or vertical piping configurations, and can be provided with corrosion resistant materials for higher temperature services.

Sulfur Drain Seal Assemblies

Ortloff's sulfur drain seal assemblies were developed over a period of 35 years in the design of over 75 sulfur recovery plants to address the problems experienced in the draining of produced sulfur from sulfur recovery units. Their unique design provides the following important qualities:

Designed to eliminate cold spots and minimize sulfur plugging.
Equipped with a hatch and look-box for flow observation and flow measurement.
Liquid sulfur free-fall is minimized to avoid build-up of static electricity.
Generous "trash collection" cavity in sump bottom to extend time between cleanouts.
Rod-out connections are provided for diptube and inlet piping.
Eliminates the need for sulfur rundown piping expansion loops by allowing lateral movement of the diptube within the seal.
A combination of generous corrosion allowance and aluminum/stainless steel parts are used to combat sulfur tank vapor space corrosion.
Pre-designed and available in various styles to fit project requirements.