Description
The Vinci Technologies e-Ammonia Pilot Plant is a modular platform for ammonia synthesis. It enables research into ammonia production from green hydrogen and nitrogen. The synthesis section follows the Haber–Bosch process, converting nitrogen and hydrogen into ammonia over an iron-based catalyst. The proposed design targets an ammonia production capacity of 0.5 kg/h, subject to catalyst performance and operating conditions. Typical synthesis conditions range from 400 to 450°C and from 150 to 200 barg. Dedicated hydrogen and nitrogen feed lines incorporate thermal mass flow controllers for accurate feed composition adjustment. A gas recirculation loop equipped with a compressor and Coriolis flow controller returns unreacted gases to the reactor. Fresh and recycled gases are homogenized through a static mixer and heated before entering the catalytic section. The synthesis reactor comprises two Inconel 625 tubes, providing a combined internal volume of approximately 2.6 litres. The proposed catalyst loading ranges from 0.7 to 1.3 litres, depending on the selected bed configuration. Five independently controlled electrical heating zones support pseudo-isothermal operation and minimize axial temperature gradients. Radial thermocouples and a multipoint thermowell provide detailed monitoring of the catalyst bed temperature profile. Reactor effluents are cooled through successive air-cooled and chilled-fluid heat exchangers before ammonia separation. A three-stage high-pressure separator and a medium-pressure separator with nitrogen stripping manage liquid product recovery. Liquid ammonia is transferred by a dedicated pump and measured using a Coriolis mass flow meter. A PLC control and computer supervision are provided for process monitoring, data acquisition, alarms and automated operation. Mounted on a modular skid the plant is designed for installation in a non-hazardous area.
The Ammonia pilot plant features a flexible, modular design that can be customized to meet specific end-user requirements. In particular, the catalyst loading capacity, catalytic bed volume, reactor dimensions, and total reactor volume can be adapted to accommodate different catalyst formulations, operating conditions, and research objectives. The unit can also be configured for either once-through operation (without gas recirculation) or with an adjustable gas recycle loop, allowing the investigation of different operating strategies, conversion rates, and process efficiencies.
Features
Target NH₃ production capacity: 0.5 kg/h, subject to catalyst performance and operating conditions.
Typical synthesis conditions: 400–450°C at 150–200 barg.
Design conditions: 550°C and 220 barg for the synthesis reactor.
Single-pass conversion basis: 10% of the hydrogen and nitrogen entering the reactor.
Gas recycling: Up to 100% of unreacted gases following ammonia separation.
Fresh hydrogen flow control: Up to 20 NL/min.
Fresh nitrogen flow control: Up to 10 NL/min.
Gas feed pressure: Up to 200 barg at the battery limit.
Gas feed controller accuracy: ±1% of full scale.
Catalyst loading: Approximately 0.7–1.3 L.
Catalyst-to-inert volume ratio: 1:1.
Total reactor volume: Approximately 2.6 L, divided between 2 tubes of 1.3 L each.
Reactor tube dimensions: Approximately 41 mm internal diameter and 1,000 mm height per tube.
Specified GHSV range: 10,000–20,000 h⁻¹.
Reactor heating: 5 electrical heating zones, each 200 mm long.
Temperature monitoring: 5 radial thermocouples and a thermowell with 5 measurement points.
Gas preheater: Approximately 2.5–3 kW, with an outlet temperature up to 450°C.
High-pressure separation: 3-stage separator operating up to 200 barg.
Medium-pressure separation: Up to 25 barg, with nitrogen stripping.
Liquid ammonia measurement: 0.2–2.0 kg/h, with ±0.6% of reading accuracy.
Vent gas measurement: Up to 2 kg/h, with ±0.5% of reading accuracy.
Vent protection: Separate high- and low-pressure headers, each with a 1 L knock-out pot.
Benefits
* Evaluate the complete ammonia: hydrogen cycle: Combine ammonia synthesis with optional cracking to investigate ammonia as a hydrogen carrier.
* Accelerate catalyst development: Compare catalyst formulations under controlled conditions and monitor their performance over extended test campaigns.
* Improve reactant utilization: Recycle unreacted hydrogen and nitrogen to increase overall conversion and reduce fresh gas consumption.
* Achieve reliable process control: Multizone heating, accurate flow control and detailed temperature monitoring support stable, reproducible experiments.
* Increase testing productivity: Integrated PLC control, automated safety functions and continuous data logging enable extended operation with reduced operator intervention.
