INSPECTION PROCEDURE No.

11

CALCULATION OF MINIMUM ALLOWABLE THICKNESS

AND TEST PRESSURES FOR PROCESS FURNACE TUBES

1. Minimum Allowable Thickness.

Formula.

The formula to be used for calculating the minimum allowable thickness of all carbon and alloy
steel process furnace tubes, except where designed to API RP-530 shall be a modification of the
Lamé formula as given in the withdrawn Caltex Engineering Design Instruction NY-2.50F-1
"Process Furnace Design".

D § SP ·
t ¨1  ¸ (A)
2 ¨ SP ¸
© ¹

where t = the minimum allowable thickness of the tube in inches, rounded to

the nearest hundredth of an inch.

D = the nominal ouside diameter of the tube in inches.

S = the design stress of the tube in psi at the maximum allowable metal
operating temperature as obtained from the unit Safety Instruction
Sheets or revision thereto. The design strsses to be used are given in
graph form on Drawings NE-F-23444 through NE-F-23447 attached
to NY-2.50F-1.

P = the maximum operating pressure in psig of the furnace at end of run

conditions (not relief valve setting or pump shut-off pressure). Where
process conditions permit, the furnace shall be divided into two or
more pressure-metal temperature zones and the appropriate minimum
allowable tube wall thicknesses calculated for each zone.

Excess Pressure Conditions.

The minimum tube wall thickness shall be checked as given in API RP-530, for excess pressure
conditions, i.e.,

RP
t (B)
1.2 S

where t = the minimum allowable thickness in inches.

R= the outside radius of the tube in inches.

P= the maximum discharge pressure of the charge pump, or the relief valve setting
(if relief valve is sited on or near the furnace).

S= the stress to produce rupture at design temperature in 1,000 hours (as obtained
from the appropriate graph in API RP-530).

2/.....
 -2-

Excess Pressure Conditions. (cont'd)

The furnace minimum allowable thickness to be used shall be that obtained from equations A or
B, whichever is the greater.

In no case shall the minimum allowable tube wall be less than 0.10 Inch.

Gagings

Internal diameter measurements by throughgauge or wall thickness measurements at established

gauging points shall be taken at regular intervals on all process furnace tubes. The remaining
life of each furnace tube shall be derived from both the overall and last run corrosion rates
calculated from these gaugings.

No furnace tube shall be returned to service with a remaining life less than the the agreed length
of the following run without special prior approval.

2. Test Pressures.

(a) Strength (Rupture) Test.

The lesser of:-

(i) Pt = 1.8 x Sy x t (90% yield case)

D
where Pt = test pressure psig

Sy = cold minimum yield strength (psi)

t = MAT - 0.03 (inches)

D = Tube O.D. (inches)

and (ii) maximum test pressure of terminal fittings or headers.

(b) Tightness Test.

The cold set pressure of a relief valve giving full relief at the heater inlet or, if no such
relief valve, the maximum (shut-off) discharge pressure of the charge pump.

Original Signed by
Mohamed Ahmed
____________________________
Manager - Reliability Engineering

IC/IWF/DFC:IP#11
Revised : MAR-April 2009