Furnaces
How Cr compounds discolor refractory brick walls of an ethylene cracking furnace
Unusual pink coloration was noticed on the entire refractory brick wall in the radiant section of an ethylene cracking furnace of a petrochemical plant. The problem was investigated by evaluating the ..
How caustic stress leads to failures of incinerator caustic spray nozzles
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 ..
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