Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Furnaces

How caustic stress leads to failures of incinerator caustic spray nozzles

SABIC Technology Centre: Maity, M.  |  Al-Zahrani, E.  |  Al-Meshari, A.

Frequent failures of the waste spray nozzles in incinerators result in accelerated degradation of the refractory lining, requiring unscheduled shutdowns for repairs. A study was carried out to identify the factors that contributed to the nozzle failure and to prevent the reoccurrence of similar failures in the future.

Extend heat exchanger lifecycle with hyper-duplex stainless steel

Sandvik Materials Technology: Perea, E.

Intensifying performance demands in refineries, coupled with the ongoing decline in crude oil quality, require a new and improved duplex SS grade to withstand increasingly tough operating conditions. This need has led to the development of hyper-duplex stainless steels.

Improve the operation of fired heaters

S & B Engineers and Constructors Ltd.: Malhotra, K.

Fired heaters or “process furnaces” are used extensively by the refining and petrochemical industries. These heat transfer units generate the much needed process energy through the combustio..

HP Project Management: Energy efficiency: Getting in early pays off exponentially

There are many situations and circumstances when it makes good sense to pursue energy efficiency for industrial processes. But when is the best time for such action?Better operating practicesIn existi..

HP Petrochemicals: Update on ethylene tube coating technology

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: DuBose, Ben

Improving the efficiency of ethylene furnaces has been a long-time goal for olefin manufacturers. The steam cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbons to yield ethylene also coproduces unwanted coke that a..

Multi-faceted approach on energy efficiency methods

The hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) is a high-energy-consuming business. After cost for feedstocks, energy is the next largest operating expense for an HPI facility. Since the first oil embargo ..

Two approaches to sulfur management

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Sulfur is naturally present as an impurity in fossil fuels. When the fuels are burned, the sulfur is released as sulfur dioxide—an air pollutant that contributes to respiratory problems for human..

Choose the right metering technology for ethylene furnaces

Emerson Process Management: Lieberg, M.  |  Pihlaja, R.

An ethylene plant’s main purpose is to convert hydrocarbon feedstock, usually natural gas liquids or naphtha, into a “cracked gas” that contains ethylene and other higher value products..

Automate furnace controls to improve safety and energy efficiency

Phillips 66: Mickity, D.

Furnace firing is the biggest single operating expense in any refinery. Consider a medium-size refinery (250,000 bpd) that consumes 2,000 MMBtu/h. At a cost of $5/MMBtu, that’s $87.6 MM/yr being ..

Micro-alloyed steel: New standard for reformer tubes

Manoir Industries: Steckmeyer, A.  |  Chasselin, H.  |  Mougel, C.  |  Fournier, B.

Reformer furnace tubes are designed to operate under high temperature and pressure. Historically, these tubes exhibit improved creep resistance at higher temperatures. The improvements in creep resist..