Document No.

GP 22-10
Applicability Group
Date 30 December 2005

Guidance on Practice for

Fired Heaters

GP 22-10

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BP GROUP
ENGINEERING TECHNICAL PRACTICES
30 December 2005 GP 22-10
Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

Foreword

This is the first issue of Engineering Technical Practice (ETP) BP GP 22-10. This Guidance on
Practice (GP) is based on parts of heritage documents from the merged BP companies as follows:

British Petroleum
GS 122-1 Fired Heaters to API 560.
GS 122-2 Natural Drought Burners for Fired Process Heaters.
GS 122-3 Forced Draught Burners for Fired Process Heaters.

Amoco
A FE-FH 560-G Fabricated Equipment Fired Heaters Guide.
A FE-FH 560-E Fabricated Equipment Fired Heaters API 560 Engineering Specification.

ARCO
ES 30 Fired Process Heaters.
ES 110 Refractory Linings.

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Copyright © 2005, BP Group. All rights reserved. The information contained in this
document is subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement or contract under which
the document was supplied to the recipient’s organisation. None of the information
contained in this document shall be disclosed outside the recipient’s own organisation
without the prior written permission of Director of Engineering, BP Group, unless the
terms of such agreement or contract expressly allow.

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Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

Table of Contents
Page
1. Scope........................................................................................................................................4
2. Normative references ...............................................................................................................4
3. Terms and definitions ...............................................................................................................5
4. Symbols and abbreviations.......................................................................................................5
5. General .....................................................................................................................................5
5.1. Applicable codes and standards....................................................................................5
5.2. MSDS ............................................................................................................................5
5.3. Order of precedence......................................................................................................6
5.4. Heater nomenclature .....................................................................................................6
6. Proposals..................................................................................................................................7
6.1. BP responsibilities .........................................................................................................7
6.2. Vendor responsibilities ..................................................................................................7
7. Design considerations ..............................................................................................................7
7.1. General..........................................................................................................................7
7.2. Process design ..............................................................................................................8
8. Tubes........................................................................................................................................9
8.1. General..........................................................................................................................9
8.2. Extended surface.........................................................................................................10
8.3. Materials ......................................................................................................................10
9. Plug headers...........................................................................................................................10
10. Piping, terminals, and manifolds.............................................................................................11
10.1. General........................................................................................................................11
10.2. Tube supports..............................................................................................................11
10.3. Materials ......................................................................................................................11
11. Refractories and insulation .....................................................................................................11
11.1. General........................................................................................................................11
11.2. Castable construction ..................................................................................................11

12.
13.
14.
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11.3. Ceramic fibre construction ...........................................................................................11
Stacks, ducts, and breeching..................................................................................................12
Burners and auxiliary equipment ............................................................................................12
Instrument and auxiliary connections .....................................................................................13
15. Shop fabrication and field erection .........................................................................................13
16. Inspection, examination, and testing ......................................................................................14

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Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

1. Scope

a. This Guidance on Practice (GP) provides guidance on practice for design, material
selection, and documentation of fired process heaters that comply with GIS 22-101.
b. This standard does not cover steam boilers, except as steam generating and superheating
becomes incidental to process and practical from standpoint of economic fuel usage.
c. Indirect type oil field heaters or emulsion treaters are not covered by this GP and should be
designed to API Spec 12K and API Spec 12L
Indirect type oil field heaters are usually located between the wellhead and pipeline
used for preprocessing of oil field fluids, typically 0,03 to 1,5 MW (0,1 to 5,0 MM
Btu/h) units. Emulsion treaters are usually located at oil field gathering facilities
and are typically 0,03 to 0,94 MW (0,1 to 3,2 MM Btu/h) units.
ISO and API documents provide equipment data sheets in Annex A (Appendix A).
Equipment data sheets are not included in this GP. Equipment data sheets and
instructions for use of data sheets are included in DS 22-100 document. The
equipment data sheets can be selected with SI units or U.S. customary units. The use
of these equipment data sheets for new and existing fired heater systems is
recommended. Completed equipment data sheets provide a uniform means of
recording and communicating design information, such as general information,
process design conditions, mechanical design data, and system performance data.

2. Normative references

The following normative documents contain requirements that, through reference in this text,
constitute requirements of this technical practice. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or
revisions of, any of these publications do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this
technical practice are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of
the normative documents indicated below. For undated references, the latest edition of the normative
document referred to applies.

BP
DS 22-100 Data Sheet for Fired Heaters.
GIS 22-101 Guidance on Industry Standard for ISO 13705 Fired Heaters (API 560).
GP 52-10 Guidance on Practice for Insulation.
GP 06-67 Guidance on Practice for Design Decisions that Affect Corrosion.
GP 72-00 Guidance on Practice for Design and Selection of Refractory Lining
Systems.

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American Petroleum Institute (API)
API Spec 12K
API Spec 12L
API Std 530
Specification for Indirect Type Oil-Field Heaters.
Specification for Vertical and Horizontal Emulsion Treaters.
Calculation of Heater-Tube Thickness in Petroleum Refineries.
API Publ 535 Burners for Fired Heaters in General Refinery Services.
API Std 560 Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services.

International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)

ISO 13704 Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries – Calculation of Heater-Tube
Thickness in Petroleum Refineries.

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Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

ISO 13705 Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries - Fired Heaters for General
Refinery Service.

3. Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this GP, the following terms and definitions apply:

guillotine or isolation blind

Single blade device that is used to isolate equipment or heaters.

4. Symbols and abbreviations

For the purpose of this GP, the following symbols and abbreviations apply:

ID Induced draught.

MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet.

5. General

5.1. Applicable codes and standards

a. Heater design shall be in accordance with ISO 13705. Due to the similarity between
ISO 13705 and API Std 560, the user of this GP may opt to use API Std 560 as a base, for
heater design.
b. Engineers should be acquainted with BP and industry requirements for fired heater
services and ensure appropriate requirements are applied to specific fired heater
application.
BP process hazard analyses and heater location studies are important sources for
both input and review of the engineering of fired heaters.
c. BP experts in applicable areas of heater design should be consulted on new heater designs
that have not been previously reviewed.
d. Any national, state, or local applicable code or regulation shall be considered part of this
GP.
e. Responsibility for becoming familiar with such standard, specification, code, or regulation
and compliance with such standard rests with users of this GP, such as BP facilities,
contractor, and manufacturer.
f. BP or E&C contractor representing BP as purchaser and Vendor shall mutually determine

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measures that must be taken to comply with any federal, state or local codes, regulations,
ordinances, or rules that may be applicable to equipment.

5.2. MSDS
a. Equipment or materials that contain or are coated with any regulated substances, such as
the following, shall be prominently tagged at openings to indicate nature of contents and
precautions for shipping, storage, and handling:
1. Insulating oils.
2. Corrosion inhibitors.
3. Antifreeze solutions.
4. Desiccants.

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Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

5. Chemical substances.
6. Hydrocarbon substances.
b. Regulated substances shall have MSDS.
c. MSDSs shall fully comply with regulations for MSDS preparation specified by entity that
has jurisdiction and shall include a statement that the substance is considered hazardous by
regulation.
d. If any substance is exempt from regulation, a statement to that effect shall be included.
e. Before shipment, MSDSs shall be forwarded to receiving facility.
f. At shipment, MSDSs in protective envelopes shall be affixed to the outside of the
shipment.

5.3. Order of precedence

a. Order of application of this GP shall be:
1. Statutory or local regulations.
2. Equipment requisition and data sheets.
3. BP specifications.
4. ISO 13705.
b. In absence of specified order of precedence, Vendor shall obtain written approval from BP
before proceeding with work.

5.4. Heater nomenclature

Cylindrical heaters have the following advantages over cabin heaters:
• They require the smallest plot area for a given duty.
• Cost is usually 10% to 15% lower in larger sizes.
• They can accommodate more parallel passes in the process coil.
• For large duties, a cylindrical heater has a taller firebox and more natural draft
at the burner.
• Flue gas velocity is usually higher in convection section, and flue gas film
coefficient is higher.
• Fewer expensive tube supports or guides are required in convection section.
• Noise plenums or preheated combustion air plenums are smaller.
• Fewer soot blowers are required in convection section. Soot blowers are not
needed for gaseous fuel.

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• If coil drainage is a problem, a helical coil may be used if there is only one pass.
Helical coils should be limited to small duty heaters and two-phase flow should
be avoided.
Cabin heaters have the following advantages over cylindrical heaters:
• Process coil can always be drained.
• Two phase flow problems are less severe. (Slug flow can generally be avoided.)
• They can accommodate side firing or end firing burners instead of only
vertically upward firing. This permits the floor of the heater to be closer to the
ground. (Some burner manufacturers prefer to fire liquid fuels horizontally.)
• A smaller capital investment is required if duty is less than 10 MM Btu/hr
relative to cylindrical heaters.

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Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

Side fired cabin heaters usually overheat the bottom tubes of the radiant section or
cause flame impingement.
Countercurrent flow is used except for special services. Process fluid enters
convection tubes and flows downward through one or more parallel sections. From
the convection section, process flow is through shock tubes, roof tubes, and side wall
tubes for final heating before it leaves the heater.
NOx allowed is a moving target but affects burner selection and permissible fuel.
This subject needs to be covered in the data sheet or job specification. Staged fuel
gas burners with internal flue gas recirculation can achieve the lowest NOx levels.
Air preheat and use of fuel oil will raise the NOx emission levels higher than fuel
gas. Staged air burners have been used for oil firing to reduce NOx emission levels.
Also, the oil fired burners with the atomiser with biased or staged drilling pattern
could reduce effective NOx emissions even in non-air stged burner design.
If target NOx levels cannot be reached with burner selection alone, flue gas
recirculation and/or selective catalytic reduction (SCR) or non selective catalytic
reduction (NSCR) may be required, with significant increase in cost.

6. Proposals

6.1. BP responsibilities
Verification of Vendor’s quality system is normally part of the prequalification
procedure and is therefore not specified in the core text of this GP. If this is not the
case, clauses should be inserted to require Vendor to operate and be prepared to
demonstrate the quality system to BP. The quality system should ensure that the
technical and QA requirements specified in the enquiry and purchase documents are
applied to all materials, equipment, and services provided by subcontractors and
any free issue materials
The following requirements shall be used to complete heater data sheets for shop fabricated and
field erected fired heaters, sootblowers, air preheaters, fans, and burners.
a. Technical requirements shall be completed in accordance with ISO 13705 and specified on
data sheets.
b. Heater shall be specified for given maximum operating conditions of duties, flow rates,
fluid properties, temperatures, and pressures, as well as start of run and end of run
conditions that will affect fired heater performance.
c. Maximum and average heat absorption rates (flux densities), combustion heat release, and
other service conditions shall be as specified. If extra performance is required, conditions
requiring extra performance will be specified in percent of increase in flow rates or duty.

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d. Process, combustion, and mechanical designs shall be reviewed by process hazard analysis
prior to finalising.

6.2. Vendor responsibilities

Refer to section 5.2 of GIS 22-101 for vendor responsibilities.

7. Design considerations

7.1. General
a. For fired heaters and their auxiliary equipment, BP shall specify:
1. All operating conditions.

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Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

2. Uninterrupted continuous service for periods between unit scheduled shutdowns.

Design should take into consideration component design and selection of materials
of construction to ensure thermal and hydraulic performance is maintained during
this period.
Certain units, such as vacuum heaters, coking heaters, ethylene crackers, and
visbreaker heaters, have to be shut down at intervals less than regular scheduled
unit shutdown period. Cokers with stainless steel tubes have on-line spalling
capability. Ethylene crackers will have furnaces that can be swung off-line for de-
coke. Frequent heater shut down requirements are usually caused by tube coking,
which is a function of nature of feed, flux rates (tube surface areas), and process
temperature. For these applications, typically multiple heater units, in a same
service, should be provided to allow on stream tubes cleaning while the rest of unit
remains on stream.

7.2. Process design

General process design considerations:
• Fired heater efficiency should be evaluated if reviewing operating cost versus
installation cost. Efficiency can range from a low of 60% to a high of 90%.
• Maximum average heat flux is normally provided in the process design for the
fired heater along with either a required maximum process film temperature or
design tube metal temperature.
• Fired heater optimum efficiency depends on size, fuel, and available process
temperatures (i.e., is an economiser or air preheater feasible and economical?).
• The simplest design, small heaters without convection section, may only have an
efficiency of 60%.
• Adding a convection section to the design improves efficiency to approximately
80%. A balanced-draft combustion system may be used to overcome pressure
drop across coils on flue gas side of fired heater and to achieve higher
efficiencies.
• Thermal efficiencies of 82% and higher are justified in many applications of
fired heater design if fuel gas is no longer abundant and inexpensive.
• It is possible to approach and exceed thermal efficiencies of 90% if process fluid
entering temperatures are relatively low and air preheaters are used.
• Convection section design is most efficient with triangular pitch and corbels to
minimise flue gas bypassing. This design may present operating and
maintenance problems if stack refractory fall and lodge in the section. Debris
removal from between the convection section tubes should be carefully
considered and removal method and access to the convection section approved

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by BP.
a. If dew point corrosion may be present, Vendor shall submit the following data for BP
review:
1. Flue gas acid dew point data for various fuels and/or combination of fuels to be fired.
2. Minimum metal temperature calculations for metal parts (in contact with flue gases)
operating at less than 28°C (50°F) above flue gas acid dew point.
3. Minimum calculated temperatures for non metallic parts (in contact with flue gases)
operating at less than 11°C (20°F) above flue gas acid dew point, e.g., air preheater
cold end elements, seal packings, duct/stack linings.
4. If applicable, account shall be taken of metallic and non metallic parts in header
boxes.

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30 December 2005 GP 22-10
Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

b. Design exit stack temperature shall be minimum of 14°C (25°F) over sulphur dew point if
furnace is to be fired with fuel oil or sulphur contaminated gas
c. Maximum allowable process fluid bulk temperatures, maximum allowable average heat
flux on radiant section tubes, and minimum mass velocity of fluid in tubes (if not specified
by BP) shall be subject to BP approval.
Typical allowable flux rates, maximum allowable bulk temperatures and minimum
mass flow velocities for process fired heaters that are covered by this GP are not
provided in this GP.
In cracking and reforming furnaces, the maximum allowable flux rates in the
radiant (cracking or reforming) sections of a heater are different to those allowable
in the convection (the sensible heating) sections. To avoid tube coking, the flux rates
in the convection sections shall be limited by the maximum allowable film
temperature (cracking temperature) of the process fluid
d. If both oil and gas are specified, heater usually should be capable of firing either fuel
separately or in any combination to attain design heat absorption. Heater Vendor should be
advised if this requirement is applicable.
e. Phase condition at reboiler heater outlet must not exceed 80% vapour by weight.
f. Heaters with multiple services in either radiant section or convection section shall be
designed to avoid extreme temperatures for each service.
g. Possible heater limitation for range of potential operating conditions shall be identified and
addressed during heater design.
An example of this is pass splitting within a fired heater which can result in flow
maldistribution and tubes overheating/failure and therefore must be avoided.
h. If convection sections of process heater are either wholly or partially used to generate
steam, the requirements of section 6.1.2 c. of GIS 22-101 shall be followed.

8. Tubes

8.1. General
a. Heater tube design shall be in accordance with ISO 13704. Due to the similarity between
ISO 13704 and API Std 530, the user of this GP may opt to use API Std 530 as a base, for
heater tube design.
b. The tube design pressure should be selected to be at least equal to the maximum inlet
pressure to the heater or that required by the code.
c. If selecting value for the maximum inlet pressure, some additional factors should be taken
into account, such as:

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2.
3.
4.
Internal coke formation.
Any restriction of flow area downstream of heater.
Variations in operating conditions.
Blocked in system conditions.
These factors may significantly increase maximum design pressure above normal
inlet pressure.
d. Material selection for the tubes shall address corrosion/deterioration mechanisms and
design tube skin temperatures.
Maximum allowable tube skin temperature will be governed by either creep rupture
strength, the elastic allowable strength, or oxidation rate for the material selected.

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Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

e. Need for radiant section vertical tube drainability shall be determined.

In the case of hot oil heaters or fired reboilers, drains are a local option. Drains
themselves are potential sources of leakage or failure if not properly designed.
Purging a coil for maintenance is more difficult without drains. In vapour systems,
permanent drains are not generally needed.
Process convection coil design should consider incorporating space for future
addition of two extra rows of tubes. Supports, support castings, and sootblower
placement should also accommodate these additional tubes.
ISO 13704 contains graphs of stress versus design metal temperature. The tensile
properties govern design, unless the temperature is high enough for creep to become
a consideration. Therefore, either the elastic allowable stress is used as the basis for
design, or the 100 000 hr rupture allowable stress is used.
In addition to the design based on material properties mentioned above, it is
important that furnace tube materials do not run above the scaling temperature.
Otherwise, rapid metal loss can occur leading to very short lives. ISO 13704 gives
limiting design temperatures to avoid scaling for each of the normal furnace tube
materials.
The above two temperature constraints are directly based on property limitations of
the material in terms of high temperature strength and oxidation resistance. From a
process viewpoint, however, it is also necessary to minimise temperatures to limit
coke formation to acceptable levels. If too high temperatures are run, excessive
coking may occur leading to failure due to scaling as mentioned above, otherwise, if
furnace tube integrity is to be maintained, the need to shut down the furnace to
enable decoking to take place, thereby limiting plant availability.

8.2. Extended surface

Fin thickness, height, and density requirements should not be exceeded without a
detailed analysis of efficiency gain versus cost and fin tip temperatures under all
possible heat fluxes. Solid fins are preferred over segmental fins.

8.3. Materials
Attention is drawn to avoidance of contact with austenitic type steel tube materials
to avoid material embrittlement at high temperatures by zinc, aluminium, or low
melting point alloys. These contaminants are usually present in the paints.

9. Plug headers

Heater tubes for crude duty, vacuum duty, and thermal cracking duty may require (if

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applicable) that plug type headers be installed at the ends of selected tubes, even if
steam air decoking facilities are provided. Currently, the preferred technique of
internal tube surfaces cleaning, within BP facilities, is by use of pigging method.
Pigging method would require nozzles for pig access to tubes. The position, type,
and number of plug type headers and/or nozzles for pig access should be evaluated
on a case by case basis.
Also, sometimes tube surface internal inspection may be required in heaters with
coking duties. It is suggested that two or three plugs be installed in each process
pass where coke laydown or tube corrosion/erosion is expected (shield tubes and
tubes where vapourisation commences). The positions should be discussed and
agreed with Vendor.
If pigging is the mechanical cleaning method, contoured plugs are required. The
contoured plug top must be clearly marked to ensure proper orientation.

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Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

10. Piping, terminals, and manifolds

10.1. General
Heater Vendor steam air decoking or pigging connections requirements should be specified by
BP.
Allowable loads for fired heater terminals specified in ISO 13705, Table 6, are
extremely limiting. These values are intended to optimise around the heater design.
To meet these allowable moments and forces, piping attached to the terminals would
require additional flexibility, beyond the normal piping design, to limit the piping
loads to the terminals.
This requirement may not be the most economical or it may not be feasible option
either.
Heater vendor and piping designer maybe able to specify higher allowable moments
and forces on the fired heater terminal that may result in lower overall cost of
installation.

10.2. Tube supports

Vertical tubes shall be supported from top and at bottom end shall have guide supports.

10.3. Materials
Insulation can fall off the tube supports and should not be used to avoid vanadium
attack in new heaters (50% Cr 50% Ni tube supports should be installed). Insulation
could be used on existing heaters if the alternative is expensive.

11. Refractories and insulation

11.1. General
Refractory protects the heater shell from hot combustion gases and usually reduces
heat losses to less than 2% of heat release. Common refractory types are castable
refractory (and gunite), ceramic fibre, and insulating firebricks.
When the fuel contains at least 0,5% (mass) sulphur, GP 06-67 shall be followed for casing
protection.

11.2. Castable construction

a. Castable type lining systems should be used in stacks, convective sections, and similar
areas where strength and durability of the lining material are essential.
b. Use of proprietary castable refractory mixes shall be used for applications above 540°C

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11.3.
(1 000°F). Field mixes are acceptable from 540°C (1 000°F) and below with BP approval.
Use of field mix of Luminite-Hydrate-Vermiculite (LHV) components is restricted
due to difficult quality control.

Ceramic fibre construction

11.3.1. General
a. The temperature limits specified in GIS 22-101 shall be followed when specifying
Refractory Ceramic Fibre blankets or modules.
b. The temperature limits specified in GIS 22-101 shall be followed when specifying Soluble
Ceramic Fibre blankets or modules.

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Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

11.3.2. Health concerns

Use of Refractory Ceramic Fibre (RCF) linings in fired heaters shall be minimized. Sections
6.11.d and 6.12 in GP 72-00 shall be followed regarding the use of RCF, including the safer
alternative commonly called Soluble Ceramic Fibre.
Contact with RCF can result in skin irritation, and airborne dust can cause
respiratory irritation and other effects depending on type of fibre. In all cases, the
manufacturer's MSDS and safe handling guidance must be obtained and followed.
The problems are more severe if heater has been prefired and the RCF has seen
service above 870°C (1 600°F). Appropriate work procedures and protective
clothing are required during new construction, maintenance and demolition. Local
Industrial Hygiene group should be consulted for proper handling of RCF (refer to
Sections 6.11.d and 6.12 in GP 72-00).

12. Stacks, ducts, and breeching

BP should specify the minimum height above grade level and the exit gas velocity.
BP requires that if the minimum stack efflux velocity is not specified by the statutory
authorities, the minimum exit area of the stack shall be such as to give a minimum
flue gas exit velocity of 9 m/s (30 ft/s) if all units that are connected to the stack are
at their 100% design loads at design excess air.

13. Burners and auxiliary equipment

Satisfactory combustion is defined as a flame shape appropriate to the furnace, no

flame impingement on the process tubes, no visible smoke, and the specified
limitations in flue gas emissions at the exit from the radiant section, all at the
specified excess air and at the specified loads.
Small quantities of waste gases from process units can be easily be disposed of if
they are introduced into an existing furnace, eliminating need for more expensive
dedicated equipment. The waste gases should be limited to 25% of total burner
liberation. The type of waste stream will ultimately determine the maximum injected
amount of waste stream in the firebox. When the waste stream contains a high
inerts, then introduction into the burner throat may destabilize the main burner and
so a high inert waste may have to be positioned outside throat to avoid adverse
effects on main flame. However, it should still close enough to encourage
entrainment of the waste into the main flame envelope to promote combustion of the
combustible component of the waste. For up to 10% of total burner liberation the
waste gas gun may be positioned within the burner throat. Above 10% two or three
gas guns should be used to ensure even distribution of waste gases in burner throat.

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Due to the uncertainty of complete combustion it is essential that waste gases are
not fired at a low furnace temperature. Details of this temperature will be dictated
by the composition of the waste gases. The heater and burner vendors should be
consulted when addition of waste gas to the heater firebox is considered.
a. Limits, statutory or local, on stack emission of particulates, NOx, SOx, CO, and
hydrocarbons will be specified by BP.
Emissions legislation is constantly under review and differs from country to country.
It can also vary within the same country, e.g., U.S. The emission levels measured
during the burner acceptance test in burner vendor test heater, as a minimum,
should meet requirements specified by BP. The lower emission levels for new
burners should be considered and specified to meet eventual future emission levels
reduction imposed by changes in legislations.

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Guidance on Practice for Fired Heaters

If there are four burners or less, there can be a problem with sizing the burners such
that the design load on the furnace can be carried with one burner out. The problem
is that if all the burners are in operation, they will be firing at reduced capacity and
reduced combustion efficiency. This problem can be overcome by:
• Not sizing the burners to carry the furnace load with one out. This could cause
production limitations on important heaters.
• Increasing the number of burners.
• Installing burners that will operate at the requisite overload. This means gas
and oil firing in the same burner and a bigger forced draught fan on forced
draught heaters or higher draught on natural draught heaters.
For a single fuel furnace, a high fuel supply pressure is required.
The burners need to be tested at their overload conditions.
Steam is normally used as the atomising medium. Fuel gas or compressed air may
be specified by BP.
b. Refer to API Publ 535 for burner design.
c. The burner (excluding any refractory parts located in or attached to the heater floor or
wall) should be suitable for being removed and replaced on the process heater while any
other burners remain in operation.
This is burner design requirement only. Should it be decided to remove a burner,
while the heater is operational, safe procedures must be followed. The heater load
should be steady and furnace draught increased. Also, the burners located next to
one being serviced should be taken out of service to reduce radiant heat.
d. Limit stops are required on control dampers in order to prevent complete closure of the
dampers.
The difficulty is that at times it may be necessary to override these stops. As an
example, if there is a tube failure resulting in fire, then:
• Where natural draught burners are installed the draught control damper may
have to be closed in order to minimize the quantity of air being pulled into a
furnace and enable the smothering steam to put out the fire.
• On forced draught burners the air flow control damper may have to be closed
Any minimum stop must be secure. For example, do not use a minimum stop on the
cable of draught control dampers because the cable can stretch or be replaced.

14. Instrument and auxiliary connections

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a. Instruments may be by Vendor, BP, or a combination of the two.
b. Data sheet for mechanical design of heater shall provide Vendor with list of instruments
meeting project requirements.
c. Connections shall be provided in common burner ducting of each burner group.

15. Shop fabrication and field erection

Insulation shop and field erection requirements shall comply with GP 52-10.

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16. Inspection, examination, and testing

Prior to signing a contract with a heater vendor, the engineer or engineering contractor shall reserve
the right for BP to provide inspection and testing as a vendor audit.

A vendor audit may be required for a heater vendor new to BP, or recently
unfamiliar or questionable to BP.

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