Ammonium Nitrate
Designing fiber bed mist eliminator systems for AN prill towers requires an acute knowledge of salt formation and the effects they have on the efficiency and operation of the system and plant. With tightening regulation governing particulate emissions at the stack, mist eliminators must balance emissions control with pressure drop, service life and capital costs in order to fulfil their target requirements.
To wash the AN salts and control their formation on and in the fiber beds, an irrigation system is a must. However, particle size distribution in ammonium nitrate solids presents mist eliminators with a challenge. Impaction devices are frequently unable to remove submicron-sized mist produced in upset conditions. To get around this issue, we have designed and successfully deployed irrigation systems that use spray-wetted mesh pads for pre-filtration and humidification. Additional element throat sprays are also used for effective fiber bed irrigation and wash down. This AN prill “scrubber” arrangement has resulted in very high efficiency, zero opacity and long fiber bed life. The heart of this AN prill tower “scrubber” system is the Brink® Fiber Bed Mist Eliminator, which employs three special design features for AN service.
Brink® mist eliminators have been used in ammonium nitrate prill towers for over 40 years to help control soluble particulate emissions at AN plants throughout the world. We have a long history of success with over 20 operating ammonium nitrate emission abatement systems worldwide. With the Brink® Fiber Bed Mist Eliminator, we can offer a long-term AN prill emissions reduction solution for safe, reliable and environmentally responsible AN prill tower operation solution that is proven in the field, widely valued by customers around the world and respected in the industry.
For a comparison of mist elimination options in AN prill operations, read the World Fertilizer July-August 2017 article on AN prill abatement systems.