ChemProCal • Separation & Distillation • Cryogenic Mercury Removal Unit (MRU) Fixed-Bed Adsorber Sizer
SEPARATION & DISTILLATION
Cryogenic Mercury Removal Unit (MRU) Fixed-Bed Adsorber Sizer
Sizes sulfur-impregnated carbon or metal sulfide chemisorbent fixed-beds to remove trace elemental and organo-mercury down to <0.01 ug/Nm3 to protect cryogenic brazed aluminum heat exchangers.
Cryogenic Feed Gas Flow & Operating Conditions
MMSCFD
barg
°C
Air = 1.00
parallel vessels
Mercury Concentrations & Adsorbent Media
$\mu\text{g/Sm}^3$
$\mu\text{g/Sm}^3$ (10 ng/Sm³)
years
Cryogenic Mercury Removal Unit (MRU) Design Theory
Mercury guard beds are non-regenerative chemisorption vessels installed upstream of cryogenic liquefaction units to prevent catastrophic failure of aluminum cold boxes.
1. Chemisorption Kinetics & Sorbent Mass Sizing
Sorbent mass is sized by integrating annual mercury influx over the design service life (typically 3 to 5 years):
$$M_{\text{sorbent}} = \frac{Q_{\text{std}} \cdot t_{\text{life}} \cdot (C_{\text{in}} - C_{\text{out}})}{L_{\text{cap}}} \cdot (1 + \text{MTZ}_{\text{margin}})$$
2. Ergun Pressure Drop Equation
Gas pressure drop through the packed sorbent bed is computed via the classical Ergun correlation combining laminar viscous drag and turbulent kinetic losses:
$$\frac{\Delta P}{H} = 150 \frac{(1-\epsilon)^2}{\epsilon^3} \frac{\mu v_s}{d_p^2} + 1.75 \frac{1-\epsilon}{\epsilon^3} \frac{\rho_g v_s^2}{d_p}$$
Tool Units
Input / Output Units
Configure global unit system preset or individual parameter dimensions.