Abstract: A reformer for reacting a raw material gas to be reformed, with an oxidizing agent gas and a reforming agent gas in the presence of an oxidation catalyst and a reforming catalyst to obtain a hydrogen-containing gas, including: a set of catalyst layers consisting of an oxidation catalyst layer and a reforming catalyst layer, and two or more inlets for feeding the oxidizing agent gas to the oxidation catalyst and/or the reforming catalyst in plural stages. The reformer can produce a hydrogen-containing gas without forming a combustion region of a temperature of as high as one thousand and several hundreds centigrade and can be manufactured at a low cost.

Abstract: A fuel reforming method includes the step of supplying carbon-containing fuel and steam to a reactor filled with a fuel reforming catalyst and a CO2 absorbent and discharging CO2, and setting the absorbent at an absorption temperature, thereby converting the carbon-containing fuel into reformed fuel, and separating CO2 from the reformed fuel, the step of obtaining a product gas by oxidizing a portion of the reformed fuel and/or the carbon-containing fuel with an oxidizer, and heating the absorbent with this product gas to a regeneration temperature, thereby regenerating the absorbent and storing heat in this absorbent, and the step of supplying the carbon-containing fuel and steam to the reactor, thereby cooling, to the absorption temperature, the absorbent heated to the regeneration temperature, and converting the carbon-containing fuel into reformed fuel by heat energy stored in the CO2 absorbent. An apparatus for the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A reformer for reacting a raw material gas to be reformed, with an oxidizing agent gas and a reforming agent gas in the presence of an oxidation catalyst and a reforming catalyst to obtain a hydrogen-containing gas, including: a set of catalyst layers consisting of an oxidation catalyst layer and a reforming catalyst layer, and two or more inlets for feeding the oxidizing agent gas to the oxidation catalyst and/or the reforming catalyst in plural stages. The reformer can produce a hydrogen-containing gas without forming a combustion region of a temperature of as high as one thousand and several hundreds centigrade and can be manufactured at a low cost.

Abstract: A fuel reforming method includes the step of supplying carbon-containing fuel and steam to a reactor filled with a fuel reforming catalyst and a CO2 absorbent and discharging CO2, and setting the absorbent at an absorption temperature, thereby converting the carbon-containing fuel into reformed fuel, and separating CO2 from the reformed fuel, the step of obtaining a product gas by oxidizing a portion of the reformed fuel and/or the carbon-containing fuel with an oxidizer, and heating the absorbent with this product gas to a regeneration temperature, thereby regenerating the absorbent and storing heat in this absorbent, and the step of supplying the carbon-containing fuel and steam to the reactor, thereby cooling, to the absorption temperature, the absorbent heated to the regeneration temperature, and converting the carbon-containing fuel into reformed fuel by heat energy stored in the CO2 absorbent. An apparatus for the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved, energy-saving granulation method, wherein use is made of a granulator (1) having a bottom floor (9) of a granulation section whose bottom is a perforated plate, an upper air feed pipe (23) for feeding air for fluidization to the bottom floor of the granulation section, a lower air feed pipe (2), air feed pipes (3, 4, 5) branched from the lower air feed pipe for jetting air into the granulation section, and jetting nozzles (6, 7, 8) provided at the centers of the air outlets for jetting a molten raw material; which involves the steps of jetting a molten raw material from the jetting nozzles to approximately spherical nuclei in the granulation section, which have been fed after the particle diameter has been caused to be an average particle diameter of 0.4 to 3.0 mm, to form granules. There is also disclosed an improved granulator.

Abstract: A vertical condenser is installed on or above a urea synthesis column to condense the mixed gas from the stripper by bringing it into contact with an absorption medium under cooling. A first down pipe for making the top part of the condenser communicate with the bottom part of the synthesis column is provided to allow the resultant condensate to flow down to the bottom part of the synthesis column by gravity. The condensate is subjected to urea synthesis together with feed ammonia or a part of feed carbon dioxide supplied thereto. The urea synthesis solution thus formed is introduced into the stripper by gravity through a second down pipe having an opening in the top part of the synthesis column. Unreacted ammonia and carbon dioxide are separated as the aforesaid mixed gas by the rest of the feed carbon dioxide and introduced into the bottom part of the aforesaid condenser so as to be condensed.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved process for synthesizing urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide while preventing corrosion of sites, that are to be in contact with a condensate, of the joints of a tube plate and cooling tubes in a condenser installed vertically or horizontally. According to this process, the sites, that are to be in contact with the condensate, of the joints of the tube plate and the cooling tubes in the condenser are prevented from corrosion by enveloping the sites with liquid ammonia or a solution rich in ammonia in the synthesis of urea comprising separating unreacted ammonia and carbon dioxide as a gaseous mixture thereof from a urea synthesis solution at a pressure substantially equal to the urea synthesis pressure, bringing the gaseous mixture into contact with an absorption medium in the condenser to form a condensate, and recirculating the condensate to the synthesis column.

Abstract: Dispensing apparatus including a dispensing gun having a gun body and a valve mechanism disposed in the gun body. The valve mechanism is operatively coupled to a piston mounted for reciprocating movement and the valve mechanism is operable between opened and closed positions for selectively dispensing liquid from the dispensing gun. A hydraulic actuator is operatively coupled to the piston for moving the piston by way of an output of hydraulic pressure. A flow control device is operatively coupled to the hydraulic actuator for regulating liquid flow from the hydraulic actuator and thereby controlling at least one of the opening speed and closing speed of the valve mechanism. A method of dispensing liquid in accordance with the disclosure includes holding a supply of pressurized liquid in a liquid passage of the dispensing gun, moving the piston under the force of hydraulic pressure to move the valve mechanism from the closed position to the opened position, and dispensing pressurized liquid from the gun.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing granular urea, which solves the problem of removing moisture in a prilling tower method and the problem of concentrating diluted formaldehyde in granulation by a fluidized, spouted bed method when urea is granulated in the presence of formaldehyde. That is, the present invention provides a process for preparing granular urea from liquid drops or sprayed drops of a urea solution, wherein the urea solution is divided into two portions of a urea solution A and a urea solution B, and a urea solution prepared by mixing an aqueous formaldehyde solution with the urea solution A, concentrating the above mixed solution and then mixing it with the urea solution B is used.

Abstract: A vertical condenser is installed on or above a urea synthesis column to condense the mixed gas from the stripper by bringing it into contact with an absorption medium under cooling. A first down pipe for making the top part of the condenser communicate with the bottom part of the synthesis column is provided to allow the resultant condensate to flow down to the bottom part of the synthesis column by gravity. The condensate is subjected to urea synthesis together with feed ammonia or a part of feed carbon dioxide supplied thereto. The urea synthesis solution thus formed is introduced into the stripper by gravity through a second down pipe having an opening in the top part of the synthesis column. Unreacted ammonia and carbon dioxide are separated as the aforesaid mixed gas by the rest of the feed carbon dioxide and introduced into the bottom part of the aforesaid condenser so as to be condensed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of utilizing inert gases, which are introduced as impurities in the feed raw materials for the synthesis of urea and also as an anti-corrosion agent into a urea process, as a stripping agent of unreacted materials in one or more of the below-mentioned separation steps, in a urea process in which: urea is synthesized from ammonia and carbon dioxide in the presence of an excess ammonia; unreacted materials including the excess ammonia are separated from the resulting urea synthesis solution as gaseous mixtures of ammonia and carbon dioxide successively at a plurality of pressure levels; the gaseous mixtures thus-separated are absorbed in solvents or condensed at the corresponding pressure levels; and the solutions or condensates thus-formed are circulated to the urea synthesis step.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process of synthesizing urea including reacting ammonia and carbon dioxide at a urea synthesis pressure and temperature in a urea synthesis zone, separating excess ammonia and unreacted ammonium carbamate from the thus-obtained urea synthesis melt as a gaseous mixture containing ammonia and carbon dioxide, recirculating the gaseous mixture to the urea synthesis zone, and, on the other hand, obtaining urea from an aqueous urea solution which has been obtained by separating the excess ammonia and unreacted ammonium carbamate. The above process features ingeniously combined conditions of various process steps. It produces urea using less high-pressure steam and recovers less low-pressure steam. A stripping operation making use of carbon dioxide can be effectively incorporated in the above process. The above process permits to cut the construction cost of a urea synthesis plant.

Abstract: The specification describes a process for synthesizing urea. The process comprises reacting ammonia and carbon dioxide in a molar ratio of 3:1-5:1 and at a pressure of 150-250 Kg/cm.sup.2 G, subjecting the resultant reaction mixture to a stripping step using gaseous carbon dioxide at a pressure substantially equal to the urea synthesis pressure and a temperature of 195.degree.-210.degree. C. to remove unreacted ammonia and unreacted carbon dioxide contained in the reaction mixture so that the content of unreacted ammonia is lowered to 10-15% by weight. This invention ensures a high conversion ratio from carbon dioxide to urea, considerably little formation of biuret during the stripping step, and reduced consumption of high pressure steam.

Abstract: In a synthesis of urea using ammonia in a highly excessive molar ratio, unreacted materials are decomposed and separated by subjecting the urea synthesis effluent to a stripping step using carbon dioxide at a pressure equal to the urea synthesis pressure. The thus-separated gaseous mixture of ammonia and carbon dioxide is condensed through an indirect heat exchange with an effluent stream discharged from the stripping step and lowered to a predetermined pressure level. Resulting condensation heat is used for the decomposition and separation of unreacted materials still remaining in said effluent stream. By choosing suitable operation conditions for each step of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the amount of high pressure steam to be required and to minimize the amount of low pressure steam to be recovered.

Abstract: In a process in which a urea synthesis effluent obtained by reacting ammonia with carbon dioxide is subjected to a stripping step of bringing the urea synthesis effluent into countercurrent contact with carbon dioxide under heating to obtain an aqueous urea solution containing a small amount of ammonia and ammonium carbamate, the improvement comprises first bringing the urea synthesis effluent is into contact with a separated gas evolved in the stripping step under adiabatic conditions or with a little cooling. The use of the above process enables a reduction in size of the stripper and a recovery of the high pressure steam without keeping the ammonia to carbon dioxide molar ratio lower than that of the conventional method.