Sultrap™
(Patented and Proprietary Technology of SOS, Inc.)
Sulfur Operations Support, Inc. is the industry’s exclusive supplier of SulTrap™, a patented float trap designed to replace conventional Seal legs in a Claus Sulfur Recovery Unit. The SulTraps™ are tailored per client’s needs, with many options and accessories to choose from.
Easy of Maintenance
safety
Installation
Easy of Maintenance
- The traditional seal legs have been around for a long time. These hydraulic tubes can extend down into the ground for up to 10 meters.
- When one of these tubes experience a plug, a leak or any other problem, it becomes a major undertaking to repair. This undertaking will probably include bringing in a crane and pulling the entire tube out of its casing. Before this can be done, the Sulfur Recovery Unit must be shut down, causing curtailment of gas and/or refinery production. The resulting loss of production from a single curtailment would pay for SulTraps™ multiple times over.
- The SulTraps™ can be maintained without being removed from the piping. The maintenance is so easy that closing the inlet valve will allow operations personnel to clean the internal basket strainer within five minutes.
- The entire unit is above ground, making it user friendly.
safety
- As described above, the operator can close the inlet valve, de-pressure the SulTrap™, then open and clean the internal basket safely.
- The old seal design would require closing the inlet valve, removing the top flange, and then rodding out the long dip tube that the sulfur drains through.
- There is a potential for injury (burn) by hot trapped sulfur spurting out and burning the maintenance crew. In fact, this is the reason for inventing and patenting the SulTrap™.
- The SulTrap™ has three patents which will include an internal flow meter, so operators can properly gauge the operation of the Claus unit.
Installation
- The SulTrap™ is designed for easy installation. Installing large, deep seal-legs requires the digging of a deep hole in the ground, installing a casing, and then installation of the actual seal leg system. It is a definite advantage to install an above ground system without having to dig and install in-ground casing and piping. In fact, we have worked with some plants to completely eliminate their in-ground sulfur storage systems. This is a major change in the future for plants in the US.
- Installing large concrete structures in the ground is costly and is inviting future problems from water ingression and other issues.
- When all the cost is included, the SulTrap™ costs as much as the seal legs with casing, etc. They provide a long term solution to maintenance problems and safety.
- The SulTraps™ equipped with Sulview and other options can provide dependable information to the operators, so they may control the plant functions easier.
- Every plant (refinery) that has installed SulTraps™, have continued to come back time and again to use these devices on their new plants and when retro-fitting their old plants.
- ExxonMobil, QATAR Gas, and many large companies continue to use SulTrap™. It is proven to be the safest and most cost-effective solution to all problems associated with traditional hydraulic seal legs.
- Designed and fabricated as per ASME, CRN or PED (CE) standards. ISO 9001 soon to be completed.