Training Services

Heater Instrumentation

FH/9-1

Section Outline

Process Flow
Process Pressure
Process Temperature
Combustion Air Flow
Pilot Gas
Fuel Gas
Fuel Oil

FH/9-2

Section Outline
(continued)

Atomizing Steam
Fuel Input Control
Draft
Flue Gas Monitoring
Flue Gas Temperature
Fan Controls

FH/9-3

Section Outline
(continued)

Oxygen Control
Combustible Control
Air Preheater Instruments
Steam System Instruments
Miscellaneous Controls
Burner Management Controls

FH/9-4

Process Instrumentation - Reboiler

FRC flow control to each pass

Low flow trips heater (FAL)

Each pass outlet has high temperature alarm

(TAH)

TRC control if vaporizing curve slope greater

than 0.2 (10F/50% vapor)

PDRC control if vaporizing curve slope less

than 0.2

FH/9-5

Process Instrumentation - Reactor

FRC flow control not required

Loss of recycle compressor trips heater (FAL)

Each pass outlet has high temperature alarm

(TAH)

FH/9-6

Firing Control - Fuel Gas

PIC pressure control of fuel to each burner

High and low pressure alarms (PAL/PAH)
HIC control and board-mounted high signal
selector act as minimum stop to keep control
valve from closing
HIC minimum firing set around 2 psig

FH/9-7

Firing Control - Fuel Oil

PIC pressure control of fuel to each burner

High and low pressure alarms (PAL/PAH)
HIC control and board-mounted high signal
selector act as minimum stop to keep control
valve from closing
HIC minimum firing set around 30 psig
Atomizing steam flow set by differential
pressure control (DPIC)
DPIC minimum set around 25-30 psig
Loss of steam stops oil flow
FH/9-8

Firing Control - Pilot Gas

PCV pressure regulation of gas pressure at

10-12 psig
Low pressure (<10 psig) trips pilots and main
fuel

FH/9-9

Flue Gas

TI provided at radiant section exit

(bridgewall) and convection section outlet
(stack) to measure heater efficiency
Oxygen analyzer (AI) provided at bridgewall
to monitor excess air
UOP specifies Thermox analyzer by Amtek
(zirconium oxide-type sensing element)

FH/9-10

Forced Draft

Two fans specified

Manual variable inlet vanes provide
turndown ratio for startup
FIC venturi meters measure air flow;
transmitter range 25 mm H2O minimum
Opposed blade dampers control air flow
Burner air side pressure drop is 25-50 mm
H2O

FH/9-11

Forced Draft
(continued)

No natural draft drop out doors

PIC pressure control at bridgewall to
maintain 3 mm H2O draft
Time delay used on high firebox pressure
shutdown
Self-checking flame scanner used for each
pilot for forced draft burners

FH/9-12

Process Flow

Flow control to each pass in

vaporizing service

Low flow stops heater firing

Minimum stop on valve

prevents no flow

Total flow rate used for heat

balance

Flow control not required for

all vapor applications

HTR-R00- 74

FH/9-13

Process Pressure

Measured on individual passes

to check flow distribution

Measured on individual passes

to check for coking and/or
fouling

HTR-R00- 75

PD

FH/9-14

Process Temperature
T
T

Inlet temperature used for

heat balance

Outlet temperature on each

pass for flow distribution

Total flow outlet

temperature
used for fuel control

T
T

HTR-R00-76

FH/9-15

Combustion Air Flow

HTR-R00- 77

Used in forced draft systems

to assist combustion safety

Differential pressure across

burners can be used

Accuracy of measurement
is difficult

Venturi meters, air foils,

mass flow meters used

FH/9-16

Pilot Gas

Monitor pressure

Low pressure leads to

automatic shutdown

Pall

PCV

Strainers

UV

HTR-R00- 78

FH/9-17

Fuel Gas

PIC
PV

HTR-R00- 79

From Heater
Outlet
Controller

Monitor flow for heat balance

Monitor pressure

May monitor heating value may use gas density

Automatic shutdown possible

Safety
Shutdown

PALL

UV
F

FH/9-18

Fuel Oil

From Heater
Outlet
Controller
PDC

PSV

Monitor flow for heat balance

(F for oil return)

Monitor pressure

Monitor temperature for

viscosity control

Differential pressure to
atomizing steam

Safety
Shutdown

PIC

PV

PD

Safety
Shutdown
UV

To Atomizing
Steam

UV

Return

HTR-R00-80

FH/9-19

Atomizing Steam

Pressure of supply

Differential pressure to fuel oil

(25 psi higher than oil typical)

To Fuel Oil PIC

PDIC

To Fuel Oil
PD

HTR-R00- 81

PDV

FH/9-20

10

Fuel Input Control

Measure heater outlet
temperature to control fuel
flow valve
Split signal for multiple fuels

TIC

PIC
PV

PV PIC
HTR-R00- 82

FH/9-21

Fuel Input Control

Lead-lag system for

combustion air

TIC
T

<

PIC

FIC

PV

>

FIC
F

HTR-R00- 83

H
FH/9-22

11

Draft
P
P
PIC

Measure draft at burners,

bridgewall, top convection,
below damper and stack

Use stack damper to control

draft at bridgewall

HTR-R00- 84

FH/9-23

Flue Gas Monitoring

O2

SO2

NO2

Depends on local requirements

Manual vs. automatic monitoring

Oxygen monitoring at bridgewall

for control, stack for emission
monitoring

Combustibles monitoring
at bridgewall

Emissions monitoring in stack

Oxygen/CO reset of fuel control

can be done but analyzers are not
reliable enough

O2
CO

HTR-R00-85

FH/9-24

12

Flue Gas Temperature

T

TAH

Bridgewall temperature velocity thermocouple better

accuracy but costly and not
normally used

Stack temperature

HTR-R00-86

FH/9-25

Fan Controls
Air
Preheater

Forced draft fan inlet damper oxygen control

Induced draft fan inlet damper

- draft control

Speed monitoring - detects

fan trip

Vibration monitoring preventative maintenance

Spare fan - auto start on trip

P
VIB

Air
Preheater
F

H
VIB

HTR-R00-87

FH/9-26

13

Oxygen Control

AIC

Oxygen analyzer trims fuel input

by regulating fuel flow valves

Oxygen feedback to
stack damper

O2

FIC

VIB

HTR-R00-88

FH/9-27

Combustible Control

AIC
O2
SP
CO

FIC

HTR-R00-89

VIB

Carbon monoxide trims fuel by

minimizing oxygen set point.
Typically used only on large
boilers but few heaters

FH/9-28

14

Air Preheater Instruments

Cold end temperature

measurement

Cold air bypass controls

Air
Preheater

P
Metal
T

T
Steam Air
Preheater
H

HTR-R00-90

FH/9-29

Steam System Instruments

Steam
A

Steam drum level controls - 3

element control (drum level,
steam flow rate, feedwater
flow rate)

Auto start of circulating water

pumps

Blowdown controls conductivity for dissolved solids

Steam purity measurements

Na
L

LIC

A
Blowdown

To Convection
Coils

HTR-R00-91

F
Feedwater

FH/9-30

15

Miscellaneous Instruments/Controls

Sootblowers
Automatic sequencing panel

Tube metal temperature

measurement

HTR-R00-92

FH/9-31

Burner Management Controls

Safety of Operations

Flame Scanners

Automatic start up sequencing

Prefer manual control during
startups
Automatic trip systems possible

BE

HTR-R00-93

UV

FH/9-32

16

This is a hidden slide

This is to indicate which 11x17 drawings
are requested at the back of this section
11 x 17 Fired Heater piping &
Instrument Diagram #1018010
11 x 17 Fired Heater piping &
Instrument Diagram #1018015

FH/9-33

17