Furnace Operations

Tutorial
Ken Beasley
Consultant
Ethylene Global Consulting Services
Introduction to Ethylene Cracking
Furnace Operation Fundamentals
The modern cracking furnace is the heart and soul
of any ethylene plant.
When operated and maintained properly it can have
a long life and provide consistent production of
product. Conversely improperly operated and/or
maintained, it can be unreliable and very expensive
to keep running.
Today we will offer some fundamentals in the proper
operation of modern cracking furnaces.
Disclaimer
Always follow your licensor design
recommendations for your furnace.
Since all modern furnace designs are tailor made for
each application, the best general guidelines will not
work for every furnace, even ones that are the most
typical.
Any values provided today, while they may be
typical of many furnaces, are only used to illustrate
general trends and tendencies and are not to be
used without consulting your operations manual.
If anything presented here conflicts with your
furnaces design and operation manual, follow your
manual.
Parameters for Controlling the
Pyrolysis Reaction
Conversion/Severity disappearance of feed-
stock on a once through basis
Selectivity a measure of olefins production at a
set conversion/severity
Coil geometry - fixed by design
Coil pressure - limited by design
Maintaining Proper Furnace
Balance
Dilution steam rate well controlled
Homogenous feed composition and steady
composition will result in best operation
Balanced Feed Flow to each pass
Adjust Feed flow +/- five percent maximum to
balance Coil Outlet Temperatures
Critical Flow Elements to divide flows equally
Adequate and Controlled Draft
Sufficient Excess Air - 2 to 3% oxygen minimum
leaving the radiant section
Balanced Coil Outlet Temperatures: for equal
severities (assuming equal feed and dilution steam
flows and even heat flux) +/- 2 degrees C (~4 deg F)
Coking
A naturally occurring byproduct of steam cracking
that results in
Heater radiant coil inlet or outlet pressure
increase
Coil tube wall temperature increase
Increase in arch (bridgewall) temperature
Transfer Line Exchanger fouling gradual
increase in outlet temperature and/or increase in
pressure drop
Sulfur Content in Feed
Sulfur reduces catalytic effect of the metals in the
radiant coils, producing less CO/CO2
Gaseous feedstock: 80 to 100 PPM (typical)
Liquid feedstock: 100 PPM + (typical)
Typical Conversion Levels
Ethane: 65 to 68 percent (majority of ethane
furnaces)
Up to 75 percent & higher for some
Propane: 80 to 95 percent
Butane: 80 to 95 percent
Liquid Feed: Composition and desired distribution
of products often measured by the
ratio of Ethylene to Propylene or
Methane to Propylene
Dilution Steam
Controls the partial pressure for reacting
hydrocarbons
Increases yield of olefinic product components
and reduces coking at the same severity
Typical dilution steam mass ratio to feed:
Ethane 0.30-0.35
Propane 0.30-0.40
Butane 0.40-0.45
Dilution steam is also used for final vaporization
of liquid feeds
Minimize contaminants such as Sodium
Naphtha 0.50-0.80
Gas oil 0.60-1.2
HGO;HVGO 0.75-1.2
Typical Operating Temperature
Limitations for Radiant Coils
Knowing your specific design metallurgical limits is
the key
HK-40: 1040 degrees C (1905 degrees F)
HP-40 modified: 1125 degrees C (2055 degrees F)
XTM: 1150 degrees C (2100 degrees F)
These are only typical examples of radiant coil
metallurgy
Typical Operating Temperature
Limitations (Contd)
Typicals for many modern designs:
Crossover process: 815 deg C (1500 deg F)
[decoking maximum]
Radiant coil process: 900 deg C (1650 deg F)
[decoking maximum]
TLE (Carbon Steel): less than 343 deg C
(650 deg F)
TLE(Carbon Steel with MO): less than 400 deg C
(750 deg F)
Typical Operating Temperature
Limitations (Contd)
Typicals for many modern designs (Continued):
Convection section tube support: 1155 deg C
(2110 deg F) (maximum)
Insulating Fire Brick: >1370 deg C (2500 deg F)
Ceramic Fiber Blanket/Modules: >1370 deg C
(2500 deg F)
Castable Refractory: 1100 to 1370 deg C
(2010 to 2500 deg F)
Coil Movement
All furnace coils but particularly the radiant coils
must be able to move freely.
Radiant coils have a short life if not allowed to
move freely due to high stresses and deformation
that results in
bowed tubes
uneven heat flux
Preoperational Inspection
Spring hanger/counterweight
Proper setting
Proper weight
No interference
Coil guides and anchors
Proper clearance
Seal installed
Proper anchor installed
Preoperational Inspection (Contd)
Coil (inside heater)
Free to move as they expand or contract
All clearances meet tolerance
No tubes bowed
Coil (outside heater)
Proper crossover pipe support with sufficient
clearance
Crossover insulation installed
Proper spring hanger/counterweight installed
Preoperational Inspection (Contd)
Burner and piping
Burner properly installed and clean
Fuel gas piping cleaned (Initial Commissioning)
Check if all burner block valves are accessible from
platform (Initial Commissioning)
Instrumentation
Thermocouple/thermowell properly installed in the
Coil outlet, crossover, firebox, TLE outlet
Verify calibration
Preoperational Inspection (Contd)
Structure
Casing stiffening installed (Initial Commissioning)
Convection section tube support bolting tightened
(Initial Commissioning)
No bolts/nuts missing (Initial Commissioning)
Refractory/expansion joints
Check if all brick, castable, and ceramic fiber
insulation are in place
Check setting drawings for expansion joint size and
location (Initial Commissioning)
Make sure all debris has been removed
Preoperational Inspection (Contd)
Platform and ladders (Initial Commissioning)
Check accessibility to instruments
No interference with piping or instruments/electrical
Unobstructed emergency exit available in two
directions
Peep and access doors
Can be opened easily and closed tightly
Internal insulation installed fills peep door
Access openings closed with brick/ceramic fiber
blocks
Preoperational Inspection (Contd)
Convection section tubes (Initial Commissioning)
Check for cleanliness
Check for damaged fins
Check crossover piping for proper setting and
guides
Check manifold/jumpover anchor points
Preoperational Inspection (Contd)
TLEs and steam drum (Initial Commissioning)
Check TLE support beams for level and square
Check top guides for proper length and
clearance
Check risers/downcomers are free to expand
vertically and laterally
Check if steam drum supports have clearance
to expand
Preoperational Inspection (Contd)
Stack damper/induce draft fan
Check for construction materials left (Initial
Commissioning)
Check insulation for damage
Expansion clearance between damper plate and
insulation (Initial Commissioning)
Damper shaft alignment
Check linkage, minimum stop, and air failure
position
Check instruments for proper location
Verify ID fan rotation (Initial Commissioning)
Furnace Operation
Furnace Strategy (Startup)
Check instrumentation and interlocks
Check blind installation
Decoking air is blinded or disconnected
Check stack damper for proper operation
Open steam drum and super heater vent valve
Check all fuel gas block valves are closed
Check transfer line valves in proper position
Open decoking valve
Fill steam drum to 50 percent, open blowdown to
keep flow through Boiler Feed Water coil
Furnace Operation (Contd)
Furnace Strategy (Startup) (Contd)
Adjust burner dampers for start
Start I.D. fan, check draft, and purge box for fifteen
minutes
Check combustibles with portable analyzer
Light pilots with portable torch or igniters
When permissives are satisfied, begin to light
burners
Use an even pattern to keep firebox uniform
temperature
Follow furnace vendor recommendation
Furnace Operation (Contd)
Hydrocarbon injection
Coil outlet temperature should be below target
temperature - 15 to 20 deg C (60 to 70 deg F)
typical
Dilution steam flow above normal (around 160% of
design is typical)
Make sure furnace effluent is lined up to gasoline
fractionation or quench tower
Light as many burners as possible and still have
control
The board operator observes the Coil Outlet
Temperatures and as soon as they begin
increasing, start feed flow to the furnace
Furnace Operation (Contd)
Hydrocarbon injection (Contd)
The feed rate can be increased at whatever rate is
required to keep Coil Outlet Temperatures
reasonably uniform
Maximum variation in Coil Outlet Temperatures in
the range of 10 to 30 deg C (20 to 55 deg F)
When feed rate reaches 50 percent of design start
reducing dilution steam so when you reach design
feed flow you have design steam to hydrocarbon
ratio
Place controllers on automatic
Check furnace for stable operation. If OK, increase
Coil Outlet Temperatures to target temperature
Furnace Operation (Contd)
Furnace alignment and adjustment
Draft and excess air
Burners firing pattern
Coil Outlet Temperature adjustment
Tube Metal Temperature pyrometer survey
Transfer Line Exchangers outlet temperature
Transfer Line Exchangers pressure drop
Check firebox oxygen, NOX, and CO
Furnace Operation (Contd)
Pyrometer Survey of the radiant coils once furnace
is in stable operation
Once experience with this furnace is established,
the intervals and locations should be adjusted
Furnace Decoking
Decoking is required:
Whenever the radiant Tube Metal
Temperatures reach their limit
Whenever there is a significant increase in the
coil inlet or outlet (10 psi typical)
When the Transfer Line Exchangers outlet
reaches the design temperature
When a furnace which has been in operation
for more than a few days and has a severe
upset that has caused spalling often indicated
by increased pressure differential across the
coils and/or TLEs
Furnace Decoking (Contd)
Methods of decoking
Steam
Steam and air
Furnace Decoking (Contd)
Typical decoking limitations
(follow licensor design)
COTs 830 - 900 deg C (1525 - 1650 deg F)
Crossover processes 750 to 815 deg C (1380 to
1500 deg F)
COTs 1000 - 1065 deg C (1830 - 1950 deg F)
(steam decoking only)
TMTs 950 deg C (1740 deg F) (steam/air
decoking)
Transfer Line Exchangers outlet 425 deg C
(800 deg F)
Furnace Decoking (Contd)
Decoking parameters
COTs should be balanced at end of run temperature
to insure maximum burn and complete decoke
Cross Over temperatures should start at the
maximum allowable to insure a good start of burn at
the inlet.
Using an on-line CO
2
analyzer is good measure of
the burn
Choke flow is required at all times for passes with
critical flow elements.
Furnace Decoking (Contd)
Elements of a Good Decoke Procedure
Firing
is operated on manual
is only increased
Dilution Steam Flow
is held constant or decreased
sufficient flow to ensure diffusion does not limit
burning and to fluidize spalled coke
not enough to cause erosion
Air Flow
Air is only added
Radiant tubes are visually inspected during decoke
Furnace Decoking (Contd)
Characteristics of a complete decoke
Coil passes have a clean coil pressure
drop
There are no hot spots on the coils
CO2 at the end of the decoke is < 1%
Furnace Decoking (Contd)
Steam-air decoking plugged tube
Restricted tube has a partial loss of flow
Will clear during decoking
Add time
Plugged tube has no flow
Will not clear during decoking
If a shutdown to replace the tube is not
possible, then operate with the tube
plugged, but monitor to make sure it
doesnt bow and touch adjacent tubes
Furnace Decoking (Contd)
Transfer Line Exchangers Cleaning
Typical experience is to have 3 to 4
decoke cycles between Transfer Line
Exchanger cleaning - furnace shutdown
and hydroblasting of the Transfer Line
Exchanger
Proprietary processes to steam/air
decoke Transfer Line Exchangers
Glossary of Terms
TLE (TLX) - Transfer Line Exchanger
COT - Coil Outlet Temperature
TMT - Tube Metal Temperature
HC - Hydrocarbon (usually as feed to the furnace)
DS - Dilution Steam
HGO - Heavy Gas Oil
HVGO - Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil