· 1 DOCUMENT CODE I NPP-WP-IIVlS-001

5.8 NP Solution Evaporation

Two thermosyphon natural recirculation evaporators are installed which operate in

parallel to each other. These evaporators concentrate neutralized f\IP solution
(mother liquor) from 75%wt to 99 .5%wt.
Evaporation
NP melt evaporators 6-40-2106/2107 (Heat body) and 6-40-2126/2127
(Separator) are installed to concentrate neutralized mother liquor. NP melt
evaporators operate under sub atmospheric pressure or vacuum (0.3 kg/cm2 abs)
and temperature 175°C. Evaporators operating pressure and temperature control
is very important to achieve natural circulation and required end product
concentration. High operating pressure or poor vacuum results in high moisture
content of product and on the other hand too low pressure or high vacuum causes
to overload the evaporators. Vacuum pumps 6-40-1112/88/92 are used to cre~
the required vacuum for evaporators. Exhaust gases from vacuum pumps cyeJ NCONTROLLEC
directed to atmosphere. Evaporator's pressure is controlled by self-controlli n~-------­
g
pressure control valve open to atmosphere installed at evaporators' outlet gases
common header to vacuum pumps. Oesuperheated steam (16 kg/cm2& 201 °C) is
supplied to NP melt evaporators for evaporation. Evaporator temperature is
controlled by regulating steam supply flow and pressure. Low pH increases
solution viscosity and also lowers its crystallization point. High pH decreases
solution viscosity, but at the same time increases the crystallization point.
Evaporator feed solution pH is controlled around 4.5 to 5.0 and at the outlet of NP
melt evaporators' pH declines to, 3.5 to 4.0. At low pH (lower than 3.0) the melt
becomes highly viscous.AN solution (62.5%wt) is added to decrease melt
viscosity. Ammonia gas and antifoam solution injection provision is incorporated
for troubleshooting purposes. Medium pressure steam coils are installed inside
NP melt tank to maintain temperature of NP melt. Steam supply to steam coils is
regulated by a control valve according to the prevailing melt temperature inside
NP melt tank. Agitator is also installed in the tank. Concentrated NP melt, from
evaporators flows to NP melt tank 6-40-2034 through seal pot 6-40-2033 under
gravity.NP melt is pumped (6-40-1113/1193) from NP melt tank to another melt
tank through steam jacketed line at the top of prilling tower for its prilling .
Evaporator Fouling
The performance of evaporator is highly dependent on degree of internal fouling
of heat exchangers (6-40-2106/2126) tubes. The capacity of evaporator decline
as this degree of fouling increases and finally falls below the design capacity. At
this stage evaporator is cleaned to remove the deposition the inner walls of the
)
heat exchangers. The fouling of evaporator is highly dependent on operating
conditions and increases rapidly when evaporator is operated on low load or is
taken out on hold for long intervals. Particularly during first startup period, risk of
rapid fouling prevails.
Evaporator Cleaning
Evaporator is cleaned with 30%wt (approx.) nitric acid solution for one hour at
101°C. To ensure effective liquid circulation through the whole evaporator, it is
filled up with cleaning solution up to its overflow level.

5.9 NP Melt Prilling

Prilling tower effective height is around 45 meters. Melt storage tank, 6-40-2040,
prilling machine 6-40-1407, prilling buckets 6-40-5201/5281, wash tank 6-40­
2046, and six induced draft fans 6-40-1003/13/23/33/43/53 are installed at its top
and product prills scraper 6-40-1209 at its bottom (floor). Tower diameter is 19
meters. Prilling tower maximum operating capacity is 1500 metric ton per day.
Concentrated (99.5%) NP melt is pumped from evaporation section melt tank 6­
IDOCUMENT CODE I NPP-WP-IMS-001 I REV. # I 00 IREV. DATE I 2508 .12 PAGE 9 of 20

40-2034 through N P melt pumps 6-40-1113/1193 to melt storage tank 6-40-2040

at the top of prilling tower. Melt tank is equipped with an agitator 6-40-1318 for
proper mixing of filler in melt and to increase the rate of heat transfer. For
pumping two independent SM2 steam (10 kg/cm 2 a and 184°C) jacketed melt lines
are installed for safety and flexibility in plant operation. Melt storage tank 6-40­
3
2034 with a storage capacity of 10m consists of medium pressure steam (10
2
kg/cm a and 184°C) coils to keep the melt warm at 175°C. A prilling machine with
two rotating prilling buckets is installed for prilling of NP melt. Each prilling bucket
consists of perforated conical shaped cone and scrapers. Average diameter of
hole on prilling bucket cone is 2.2 mm . Scrappers are mounted on hollow shaft
which is concentric with prilling bucket shaft and its speed exceeds that of bucket
shaft by 10%. Scrappers are used to clean the melt layer deposited on holes
inside the cone. Prilling bucket normal operating speed is 350 rpm. Too high
bucket speed produces more fine prills and too low speed yields more oversize
prills. Prilling bucket motor have variable speed control (VFD) system . Prilling
buckets speed may be varied from control room as well as from local panel
according to prevailing load and product sieve analysis. NP melt from melt head
tank 6-40-2040 is fed to prilling bucket for its prilling. Prilling bucket distributes

J
melt uniformly across the entire diameter of prilling tower in the form of droplets.

These droplets immediately come in contact with the ambient air rising upwards

drawn by six (06) induced draft fans (installed at the top of prilling tower). During

their fall the droplets solidify into prills and cool down from 175°C to 95°C. At the

bottom of prilling tower prills scrapper 6-40-1209 collects and transfers those prills

through its bottom cone, chute and lump catcher 6-40-1409 onto product

conveying belt conveyor 6-40-1210. Average diameter of r'\IP prills is 2.2 mm.

Undersize 5-7%wt and oversize 2-3%wt remai,n in total product st~eam from

prilling tower to product bulk flow cooler.

ORIGINAL
1 UNCONTROLLED I
5.10 Product Handling WHEN IN REO = .

Prill tower scrapper collect and pour N P prills to prill conveyor 6-40-1210 which
transfers NP prills either to prill elevator 6-40-1227 or bulk cooler bypass belt
conveyor 6-40-1228.
Screening
Product belt conveyor, 6-40-1210 transfer's rock phosphate to bucket elevator 6­
40-1227 which dumps NP product on vibrating distributor installed above product
vibrating screen. Vibrating distributor spreads product uniformly over vibrating
screen. Product coarser than 3.5 mm and finer than 1.0 mm is separated by
vibrating screen and is routed to product bypass belt conveyor 6-40-1228 for its
onwards dispatch to PH&S phase-II. Proper size «3.5 mm and >1.0 mm) product
is transferred directly to product bulk flow cooler.
Cooling
Product bulk flow cooler is installed to cool down NP prills from 95°C to 45°C.lts
capacity is 50 metric ton per hour. Demineralized water in close circulation with
bulk cooler, 6-40-2501 extracts product heat. In this close circuit plate & frame
heat exchanger 6-40-2104 with the help of circulation pumps 6-40-1172/1173
discards product heat to cooling water. Cooling water inlet temperature is 34°C
and outlet temperature is 43°C. Product end temperature varies according to
change in cooling water temperature and operating plant load . In summer, product
final temperature increases up to 53°C due to cooling water supply high
temperature. At high product flow rate other than normal flow rate, is another
reason of product high temperature. For maximum design operating load, 57
metric ton per hour product final temperature approaches up to 53°C instead of
45°C. Dehumidified air is supplied as purge air inside top chamber and bottom
cone of the product cooler to prevent moisture condensation at the interface of