Combustion Technology

Burner Design, Operation and
Maintenance on Ammonia Plants

 Brief History
 Reformer Burner Types/Design
 Types of Reformers
 Combustion Characteristics
 Excess Air/Heater Efficiency
 Maintenance, Good Practice
 Low Nox Equipment
 Summary
WWW.GBHENTERPRISES.COM
Usage of Fuels on Ammonia Plants
Worldwide
450
Num ber of Operating Plants
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Total No Natural Gas Heavy Fuel Naphtha Syngas Others
Plants Oil
Fuels
CURRENT LEGISLATION
LIMITS
Country Start Year Heat release NOx CO (ppm) Particulates

Furnace Capacity mg/Nm3
Gas Oil Gas Oil Gas Oil
France 1998 >170 MMBtuh 171 219 - - 5 50
UK 1998 Any 146 219 115
1999 Any 97 171 80
Germany 1996 <170 MMBtuh 122 80
219 85 50
<340 MMBtuh 97 50 5
TA Luft >170:<1020 171 219 25 87 5-100 50
mmBtuh
97 171 25 87 5-100 50
Market demand All 39 73 5 50
171 5 50
Eastern As Germany
Europe
Italy 1992 >170:<1020 171 219 5 50
mmBtuh
USA - All 30-100
 Brief History
 Burner design
 Burner Types
 Heater Efficiency
 Summary
◦ Historically trial and error
◦ Empirical methods now backed up

with the following sciences
 Chemical engineering
 Process engineering
 Thermodynamics
 Materials engineering
◦ A good understanding of the above

creates good combustion
◦ Computational fluid Dynamic’s (CFD)
is playing a strong role. Good but be
cautious
◦ Can be difficult to predict upsets
 Good for replacing flow modelling

 Model the Burner and the Furnace box to
ensure best possible results
◦ Becoming an essential tool for waste

incineration predictions
 Burner testing in the
manufacturer’s facility should
always be considered
 Confirms burner performance
 Turndown
 CO,CO2,NOX Etc
 Always use the specified fuels
that are to be used in service
 Highlights flame envelope and
lift off limits, pilot/light up
issues.
 Air flow distribution
 Brief History
 Burner design
 Types of Reformers Reformer
 Burner Types/Design
 Summary
Terraced wall
Side Fired
Top Fired
 Natural Draft
 Forced Draft
 Premix
 Post Mix
 Low Nox
◦ Fluegas Recirculation
◦ Staged Air
◦ Staged fuel
 Single fuel/Dual fuel
Pre-Mix Burners
Venturi
Primary Air
• Fuel & air mixed before

Primary combustion zone
Fuel
• Fuel pressure drop occurs in the nozzle.
Gas Nozzle
Primary Air
Premix
Gas
Burner
Nozzle Mix Gas Burner
Burner Block
Included
Angle
Burner Throat
Heater
Port Circle
Refractory
Flame Holder FUEL
Air
Pilot Gas Fuel Connection
Nozzle
Mix Gas
Burner
Nozzle
Mix Gas
Burner
Top or
Bottom Fired
Nozzle
Mix Gas
Burner
Side fired
Nozzle Mixing Gas Burner
Advantages
• A high turndown ratio

• No possibility of flashback
• To some extent, the ability to burn a

wide variety of fuels with differing
heating values.
 Brief History
 Summary
 Increasing excess air
• reduces flame length

• reduces particulates
• increases NOx to a peak, further introduction of air leads
to a reduction
• Increasing liberation
• increases flame length
• Increasing fuel viscosity
• increases flame length

• increases particulates
• reduces NOx levels
• Increasing combustion air temperature

• reduces particulates
• increases NOx levels
 Brief History
 Summary
Atmosphere
After ID Fan
After damper
After
Convection
Top firebox
Bottom Firebox
FD Section
Atmosphere
83 41 13 -27 -55
55 27 -13 -41
Draught Inches WG
Heater Efficiency
 Useful output 
Efficiency =   x100
 Gross output 
 Brief History
 Summary
 Burners can be maintained on or off line
◦ On line less popular due to safety concerns, guns

can be with drawn
◦ basic tip changes can be carried out
◦ potential to change burner settings
◦ Off line during shutdowns (every 3-4 years)
◦ Relatively easy to perform

 Need for access
◦ Important to maintain settings

 tile to gun position
 tip port dimensions
 surface finish of holes
 centricity of gun
 condition of tile and security of fixings
 condition of metallurgy (oxidation)
 Check Burner gas Pressures
◦ at the burners, not the just the rail
pressure
 Check Combustion air pressures
◦ All to often the system is not balanced
correctly
 For oil firing
◦ it is very important atomising steam is dry
and at the correct temperature
 Brief History
 Summary
◦ Currently being fitted on new plants
◦ More difficult to control
◦ The very nature of low Nox burner designs requires
the flames to be produced in a much slower manner
◦ Even more sensitive to dimensional changes during
maintenance, burner’s tend to be more complex
◦ Flames tend to be less well defined, with large
whispery edges
 Types
◦ Staged Air
◦ Staged Fuel
◦ Flue Gas Recirculation
 Integral with the burner

 external to the burner
◦ Combination of all above
 Brief History
 Summary
 Good Combustion, this can only be
achieved if the following is
considered.
 Attention to detail
◦ Good maintenance
◦ Good operation
◦ Good design
 Partnership between:- Operation,
Maintenance and Design.
◦ You've carefully thought out all the angles
◦ You've done it a thousand times
◦ It comes naturally to you
◦ You know what you're doing, its what you've

been trained to do your whole life
◦ Nothing could possibly go wrong, right ?
Think Again !

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Burner Design, Operation and

Maintenance on Ammonia Plants

Country Start Year Heat release NOx CO (ppm) Particulates

◦ Empirical methods now backed up

◦ A good understanding of the above

◦ Can be difficult to predict upsets

 Good for replacing flow modelling

◦ Becoming an essential tool for waste

• Fuel & air mixed before

Flame Holder FUEL

Pilot Gas Fuel Connection

• A high turndown ratio

• To some extent, the ability to burn a

• reduces flame length

• increases flame length

• Increasing combustion air temperature

◦ On line less popular due to safety concerns, guns

◦ Relatively easy to perform

◦ Important to maintain settings

◦ Flue Gas Recirculation

 Integral with the burner

◦ Combination of all above

◦ You've done it a thousand times

◦ It comes naturally to you

◦ You know what you're doing, its what you've

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