Heat Transfer

K. MALHOTRA, S & B Engineers and

Constructors Ltd., Houston, Texas

Rethink specifications for fired heaters

Fired heaters are essential and important major pieces of
equipment in a process plant. Specifying fired heaters with correct requirements results in a reliable and safe heater design, fewer operational issues, longer run lengths and extended heater life.
Fired heaters are used to heat process fluids from the given
values of initial temperature and pressure to certain higher specified values based on the process requirements. Apart from the
process duty requirements, other design parameters discussed
here are either good design practices or lessons learned from
past experiences.
API 560 provides general guidelines on the heater design;
however, the significance of some key parameters is mostly
not realized.
Tube configurations and heater operation. The main

components of a fired heater include:

Radiant section
Convection section
Stack section.
Tubes are present in the radiant and convection sections to
recover heat from the escaping flue gases. Horizontal and vertical radiant tube layouts are the most common. Radiant tubes
are laid out in various configurations, while convection tubes
are placed horizontally. Other radiant tube layouts include helical coil and arbor/U coil.
Horizontal radiant tube layout offers self-draining tubes, but
requires more space. Box layouts (horizontal or vertical tubes)
are an obvious choice when process duties (heat requirements)
are large. Vertical cylindrical layouts are preferred when real estate and heater costs are important issues. If the heater layout is
not specified, the heater fabricator may choose a vertical cylindrical layout due to lower fabrication costs.
Additional heat recovery mediums/mechanisms are also
used to increase the heater efficiency. Forced-draft fans are used
with air preheat for additional heat recovery or to achieve a
tighter flame pattern. Stack or induced-draft fans compensate
for additional draft needs resulting from resistance created by
convection, damper, heat recovery mediums, emission reduction units and other stack losses.
Fired heater design considerations. One of the key design
parameters in the fired heater design is radiant heat flux, and
it is calculated by dividing the heat absorbed by radiant tubes in
the radiant section by the surface area of the radiant tubes.
A typical fired heater recovers approximately 60%70% of
the total process duty in the radiant section. The heat released

by the burners is mainly transmitted by radiation in the radiant section.

FIG. 1 is generated using the formula for calculating the radiant heat flux value. It shows the effect of radiant heat flux variation on various heater design parameters.
Selection of the average radiant heat flux is dependent on the
type of process, process conditions, critical film temperature limits, and whether the design is for a single- or double-fired heater.
Critical film temperature identifies the maximum allowable temperature limit of the process film before degradation. The process film has a higher temperature than the process bulk temperature, since the film is in contact with the higher-temperature tube
wall. Higher process film temperature leads to higher cracking.
Maximum allowable pressure drop and fouling allowances
should be specified. The increase in process pressure drop can
be utilized to reduce the process film temperatures. Higher
pressure drop increases the process turbulence inside the tube,
thereby reducing the film and tube wall temperatures.
For single-fired boxes, the peak radiant heat flux is approximately 1.81.9 times the average radiant heat flux. For doublefired boxes, the peak radiant heat flux is approximately 1.21.3
times the average radiant heat flux, with tubes spaced at two
nominal diameters apart in a single row.
Nearly 90%91% efficiency can be achieved from a fired
heater, with stack temperatures reaching close to sulfur dewpoint. A minimum approach temperature of approximately
100F is recommended.
FIG. 2 shows the estimated heat loss (% of heat input) from
the heater as a function of stack temperature and excess oxygen
(dry %).
In one case study, a heater had a daily cyclic loading operation with a cold feed inlet temperature for a short duration,
and then it cycled to a hot feed. Design calculations showed
Low radiant ux
Large
Radiant
box size
Small

Low

Low

Low

Process lm
temperature

Tube wall
temperature

Bridgewall
temperature

High

High

High

High
Cost
Low

High radiant ux
FIG. 1. Radiant heat flux vs. heater characteristics.
Hydrocarbon Processing|OCTOBER 201567

Heat Transfer

Heat loss, % of heat input

that, with this cyclic loading condition, the process inlet tubes
will witness flue gas acid dewpoint condensation during the
cold feed, which is not desirable.
To remedy this potentially undesirable condition, the process inlet was specified to be a co-current design in the convection section. The convection tube metallurgy was upgraded
from carbon steel to stainless steel (SS), resulting in a projection of longer tube life. In addition, access doors were provided
to periodically monitor tube conditions.
Heater turndown requirements should be addressed at the
initial stages of the design phase. Typically, burners witness carbon monoxide (CO) breakthrough (increased CO emissions)
and an increase in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, with the bridgewall temperatures lower than 1,300F.
Bridgewall temperature is a function of the process outlet
temperature and the radiant heat flux utilized. Every furnace
should be evaluated to ensure that the emission guarantees are
valid for the turndown conditions.
Salt formation in selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst and downstream equipment should also be considered
when designing for heater turndown requirements. Depending
on the sulfur content in the fuel, sulfur dewpoint issues should
be addressed as well.
Among plot plan considerations, provisions should be
made for tube removal/retubing/repair activities in the design
of the fired heaters. Crane access/rigging operations should
also be considered.
For continuously operated platforms, stack emissions of
nearby continuously operated vents (i.e., heater stacks, thermal
oxidizers, etc.) should be taken into consideration. This may
require dispersion modeling to address environmental issues.
Refractory provides insulation to reduce heat loss from the
fired heaters. Refractory losses typically range between 1.5%
and 3% of the firing rate. API 560 provides guidance on the
design requirements.
The refractory material selection should consider flue gas
velocity, operating temperatures, cyclic loading, mechanical
stress, fuel impurities, maintenance access and any other form
of erosion anticipated. Heaters designed for cyclic loading induce additional thermal stresses. Ceramic fiber selection in this
scenario can help reduce the cyclic stresses.
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5

300F ue gas
400F ue gas
500F ue gas

6
Excess O2, dry %

600F ue gas
800F ue gas

10

1,000F ue gas
1,200F ue gas

FIG. 2. Estimated heat loss, %, from the heater as a function of stack

temperature and excess oxygen, % dry.

68OCTOBER 2015|HydrocarbonProcessing.com

12

Radiant bull nose, convection, breaching, stacks and ducts

should be specified with castable refractory; this is especially
important when SCR is a consideration. Ceramic fiber flaking
issues have been observed in the heaters. Use of a high-temperature rigidizer in the radiant section can reduce the effects of
ceramic fiber erosion.
For heaters where fuels have sulfur content, internal protective coatings should be specified behind the refractory materials to prevent skin corrosion. Higher sulfur content may require
the use of vapor barriers. In addition, castable refractory dryout
should be specified to prevent loss or damage to the refractory
due to alkali hydrolysis.
In one case study, bricks on a heater floor buckled up, burner
tiles were bent, and flame shapes were distorted. Field inspection
showed that the spacing between the bricks and burner tiles was
inadequate, which restricted brick expansion. This resulted in
buckling of the heater floor and displacement of the burner tiles.
The situation was remedied by re-laying the heater floor tiles
with proper expansion joints between the bricks and burner tiles.
It is recommended that the heater floor be vacuum-cleaned after
the construction work is complete, and before closing the heater.
In another case study, the SCR catalyst was becoming plugged
up often. Therefore, the SCR unit had to be shut down for regular cleaning. An investigation showed that the convection section
and the flue gas ducts had ceramic fiber installed for its lighter
weight and higher insulating properties. High flue gas velocities
caused the ceramic fiber to flake off and plug up the SCR. The
problem was remedied by replacing ceramic fiber with castable
refractory. In special cases, a metal liner can also be used in existing heaters to address the ceramic fiber flaking issue.
Tube metallurgy and support considerations. Selection of

tube size is typically a function of the type of process, process

flow and pressure drop available. The selection of tube material
and thickness depends on the type of process, process conditions (design process temperature, elastic/rupture pressure,
etc.), oxidation, corrosion and deposition mechanisms. The use
of seamless tubes is highly recommended.
API 530 provides guidance on the design limits for metal
temperatures for heater tubes and fin materials. Process tubes
are typically designed for a 100,000-hr operational life span. If
higher tube life design is required, it should be clearly specified. Temperature and corrosion allowances should be specified. Post-weld heat treatment and radiography requirements
should also be specified if, and as, required. Positive material identification (PMI) criteria should be outlined as per the
project specifications.
For heaters requiring tube cleaning, generally removable
spool pieces are specified at the heater inlet and outlet tubes
with flanged crossovers. Steam air decoking, manual cleaning
and online spalling access requirements should be addressed.
Cleaning mechanisms like soot blowers (which can be fixed or
retractable) are typically utilized for external tube cleaning in
convection/downstream equipment, when fuel oil or another
fouling medium is used.
25Cr-20Ni (HK-40 grade) material is typically used as tube
support in the radiant section. However, high vanadium, sodium salts (in fuel oils) and chlorides may also require an upgrade
of the tube support metallurgy. API 560 provides maximum de-

Heat Transfer

Stack design considerations. For natural-draft heaters, the

stack provides the draft needed to overcome resistance created

by convection, damper and stack losses. However, apart from
the draft requirements, the determination of stack height depends on its location inside the process plant. If located close to
any equipment (i.e., a tower) with access to a platform, stack/
platform elevations may need to be adjusted to meet the minimum height requirement. Dispersion modeling requirements
should also be addressed prior to finalizing elevations.
API 560 recommends one takeoff stack for every 40 ft of the
convection tube length. The draft system should be capable of
providing at least 0.1 in. water column (inWC) pressure at the
radiant arch, at 120% of normal heat release with design excess
air and design stack temperature. Stack damper design should
be such that it provides adequate draft control for all design scenarios, including the turndown condition.
FIG. 3 shows the flue gas draft generation as a function of flue
gas temperature and ambient air conditions at sea elevation.

TABLE 1 shows values for the draft correction factor for altitude
variation with respect to the mean sea level.
As a good design practice, the stack exit should be sized to
ensure a minimum velocity of 10 ft/sec at heater turndowns to
avoid inversion, which can cause draft instability. Typically, design stack exit velocities are approximately 25 ft/sec. For heaters
with extended turndowns, higher design exit velocities should
be considered. A stack cone is usually added to achieve increased
velocities. Minimum stack exit velocity requirements should
also be defined for the dispersion modeling.

Draft/ft, inWC

sign temperatures for various tube-support materials and guidelines on support lengths.
The design of external piping supports, guides and clips (requiring support from the heater) should be checked using pipe
stress analysis. Details of the external structural supports and
clips should be communicated to the heater fabricator. Material
procurement and fabrication locations can have a major impact
on the heater cost.

0.014
0.013
0.012
0.011
0.010
0.009
0.008
0.007
0.006
0.005
0.004
0.003
0.002
0.001
20

40

60

80
100
Ambient air temperature, F

Flue gas temp = 300F

Flue gas temp = 400F
Flue gas temp = 600F
Flue gas temp = 800F
Flue gas temp = 1,000F

120

140

160

Flue gas temp = 1,200F

Flue gas temp = 1,400F
Flue gas temp = 1,600F
Flue gas temp = 1,800F
Flue gas temp = 2,000F

FIG. 3. Flue gas draft at sea elevation.

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Heat Transfer
FIG. 4 shows the stack area required as a function of flue gas
temperature and flowrate for a 25-ft/sec stack exit velocity.
Requirements for aircraft warning lights should be checked
with the appropriate authorities. This will depend on the stack
height, plot plan location and nearby structures. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) testing or continuous emissions
monitoring systems (CEMS) nozzle requirements (quantity and
size) should be checked and appropriately sized and/or specified.
Purge fans or stack steam eductors should be specified for any
purging needs (as required for natural draft startup). Using snuffing steam for purging in the radiant box during heater startup has
been associated with reliability issues to the pilot flame, the ignition rod and the flame scanner. These issues are attributable to
condensate buildup and possible refractory damage.

Burner design and emissions considerations. The burner

is the heart of a fired heater, since this is where combustion occurs. Burners should be specified with continuous running pilots
with flame and ignition rods. API 560 provides guidelines for determining maximum heat release based on the number of burners, and minimum clearance guidelines for placement.
However, in general, the number of burners selected should be
such that, when a burner is down for maintenance, the rest should
TABLE 1. Draft correction factors vs. altitude variation
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000

Altitude, ft

Correction factor 1 0.967 0.933 0.899 0.865

0.83 0.803 0.769

120

Stack ow area, ft2

100
80
60
40
20
0
300

400

500

600
700
Stack temperature, F

25,000 lb/hr
50,000 lb/hr
100,000 lb/hr

800

150,000 lb/hr
200,000 lb/hr

900

1,000

250,000 lb/hr
300,000 lb/hr

Lb of ue gas/lb of fuel

FIG. 4. Stack area vs. flue gas flowrate.

38
36
34
32
30
28
26
24
22
20
18
16

10

20

30

40

50
60
Excess air, %

70

80

90

100

FIG. 5. Flue gas flowrate range for refinery fuel gases vs. excess air, %.

70OCTOBER 2015|HydrocarbonProcessing.com

be able to provide full design duty. Inadequate burner-to-burner

spacing can cause flames to coalesce, which can, in turn, cause increased flame lengths and NOx emissions. Burner turndown criteria should be checked according to the heater operation criteria.
Radiant flue gas temperatures, fuel data (composition, pressure, temperature, heating value, etc.), combustion air temperature and design excess air requirements have direct effects on
burner emissions. Higher air-side pressure drop can be used to
generate a smaller flame profile. Acceptable amounts of corrosive elements in the fuel, such as sulfur, vanadium, chlorides,
etc., should be clearly specified. High H2S content in fuels may
necessitate the use of SS piping for fuel gas pipe and burner
manifolds. The presence of chlorides can also have adverse effects on both the fuel gas and flue gas systems, and metallurgy
selection should be evaluated.
The use of SS metallurgy on burner damper blades with
graphalloy bearings is recommended in environments such as the
US Gulf Coast, as this metallurgy can increase burner operational reliability. Relative humidity requirements for heater design
should be outlined as per the process design basis of a project.
Available fuel gas pressures should be checked for proper design of the burners. Extra fuel gas pressure-drop elements like
knockout drums, coalescers, filters and fuel gas skids should
be considered. Typically, 15% excess air is used for the design
of burners when using fuel gas. Burners should not be operated
below 10% excess air. Noise abatement requirements should be
addressed as per the project specifications.
Apart from the need to aid burner combustion with excess
air, other design elements worth examining are O2 analyzer reporting lag time, air leakage in the radiant section, variations in
process needs, variations in fuel gas composition, and changes
in the draft requirements. Several items should be considered
when specifying flame scanners:
They are X-ray safe and will not result in spurious trips
They should be suitable for the flame type and fuel range
being utilized
They should be purged to minimize debris accumulation
To set a correct scanner position, flame scanner
mounting should be a lockable swivel type
If a flame scanner is being mounted on the burner, it
should be tested for performance in the burner test for
ideal orientation/position.
FIG. 5 shows the flue gas flowrate range for typical refinery
fuel gases vs. excess air.
Burner emissions and remediation. Typical emissions and
methods for addressing them include:
NOx: Mainly NO and NO2 emissions. Air staging, fuel
staging and increased flue gas recirculation are common
ways to reduce NOx emissions. In special circumstances,
steam injection can also be used to reduce NOx ; however,
steam injection is known to cause refractory damage and
accelerate metal corrosion. Post-flame treatment methods
to reduce the NOx are SCR and selective non-catalytic
reduction (SNCR) technologies. Note: Some methods
to reduce burner NOx emissions have a direct effect
on the burner stability, which can result in increased
carbon monoxide (CO) and VOC emissions. The burner
stability and emissions should be checked in a burner test
(i.e., either a single-burner or multiple-burner test).

Heat Transfer
CO: Result of incomplete combustion or improper
mixing of fuel.
VOC: Typically caused by incomplete combustion. API
535 defines VOC as any compound of carbon that can
participate in atmospheric photochemical reactions.
Particulate: According to API 535, all fuels contain or
produce particulates. Some particulates can also result
from eroded refractory, tube scales, etc.
SOx: Sulfur content in the fuel directly contributes to
SOx emissions. SOx emissions react with water to form
sulfuric acid. The best way to reduce SOx emissions is to
reduce the sulfur content of the fuel.
NH3: Ammonia slip emissions are caused by the
unreacted ammonia passing over the SCR catalyst. These
are to be addressed when an SCR unit is installed with
the heater. Typically, computational fluid dynamics is
carried out to ensure proper ammonia distribution.
CO2: One of the byproducts of combustion. Higher
heater efficiency reduces CO2 emissions.
Burner test. Tests are conducted for fuels specified to test
the burner for flame envelope, emissions and stability. A CO
probe should be used to check on the flame envelope. CO with
a ppm of 2,000 is typically considered a visible flame. However,
lower CO levels may also be checked to account for an invisible
flame envelope.
Pilot and burner compatibility should be checked for startup/shutdown/operating conditions to ensure safe and reliable

operations. Final burner capacity curves should reflect the actual test tip pressures and orientation.
In one case study, a vertical cylindrical natural draft heater
was experiencing unequal air to the burners, resulting in unpredictable flue gas patterns. A field visit confirmed that the heater
was located on one end of the process plant, and strong winds
blowing across the burner intakes were disrupting air intake to
the burners. A 12-ft-tall metal wall was built around the heater
to reduce the wind effects, solving the problem.
In another case study, existing raw gas burners for a reheat
furnace with arbor coils (wicket type) were retrofitted with
ultra-low-NOx burners to reduce NOx emissions. When the
heater was fired up, all the flames leaned to one side, impinging
on the tubes and resulting in disruption of heater operation. A
field visit showed that the furnace created asymmetrical flue gas
patterns because of the hot-end and cold-end tube walls. This
problem was solved by redesigning the floor, erecting a center
wall and installing new flat-flame burners.
Stack damper design considerations. Stack dampers are

used to control the draft in the natural draft heaters. Dampers are
also used in the flue gas and air ducts. Fan dampers are utilized
to control forced draft and induced-draft fans. API 560 recommends a minimum of one blade for every 13 ft2 of internal crosssection area for butterfly dampers. The stack damper material
should be 18Cr-8Ni material. A direct-mounted actuator should
be specified for the operation of a stack damper.

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Heat Transfer
Other criteria are correct bearing (for the temperature range
and type of operation) selection, shaft surface finish and hardness requirements, shaft outside diameter to bearing inside diameter clearances, and adequate clearance between the damper
blade and the refractory. Dampers should also be provided with
a pointer to provide a visual on the indication of stack-damper
position from the grade.
In another case study, a vertical cylindrical heater had a stack
damper with an actuator. To adjust the draft, the operator closed
the damper, using an actuator from the control room. The stack
damper became stuck, and the extra force from the actuator
caused the damper to free up and close suddenly, which created
a pressure surge in the box and put out the burner flames and
the pilots. Since no flame scanners were installed, the heater
witnessed flame-out with fuel leak. Flame-out was evident from
the falling process outlet temperature and an increase in O2 in
the radiant box.
To remedy this issue, a stack damper was retrofitted with new
bearings with adequate clearances. All linkages and blades were refurbished to ensure that the damper did not stick and cause another safety hazard. Flame scanners were also installed as safeguards.
Air preheat considerations. There are two types of air preheaters: rotary (regenerative) and static (recuperative). A static
air preheater offers the advantage of no leakage and no moving parts. When considering an air preheater, the burner design
should conform to the new operating conditions.
Acid dewpoint issues should be given consideration at the
cold end. Cold-air bypass or air preheating are common methods
to prevent cold-end dewpoint issues. In certain circumstances, a
borosilicate glass tube design is used at the entry section to address the cold-end dewpoint issues. When utilizing an air preheater with an SCR unit, water wash or other cleaning means
should be provided for salt cleaning.
Heater instrumentation. API 556 provides guidance on heater instrumentation. However, several key parameters should
also be given appropriate consideration during the design phase.
Process flow imbalance in the process passes should be minimized, since this leads to tube overheating, increased coke formation and heat flux imbalance in the heater. Manifold designs
should ensure low process pass imbalance. For conventional heaters, the installations of flow transmitters, individual pass flow controllers on the process inlet passes and temperature transmitters
at the outlet passes are required. These transmitters help make
required flow adjustments to avoid process heat flux imbalances.
Process low-flow alarms and trips should be configured appropriately. Tube skins provide valuable information on tube
conditions. A minimum of two tube-skin thermocouples per
pass are recommended. Crossovers should also be specified with
temperature connections.
The provision of spare access ports at the radiant floor,
bridgewall, upstream and downstream of the dampers is recommended. Similar access ports are recommended for monitoring
duct pressures upstream and downstream of fans, heat recovery
equipment and emission-reduction units. Several instruments
are recommended for the flue gas side:
An O2 , temperature and draft transmitter at the radiant
bridgewall
72OCTOBER 2015|HydrocarbonProcessing.com

An O2 and temperature transmitter in the stack (last flue

gas exit)
Temperature transmitters are recommended upstream
and downstream of heat recovery equipment with a
differential pressure transmitter (dPT) to monitor
pressure drop
Temperature transmitters are recommended upstream
of the emissions reduction unit with a dPT to monitor
pressure drop
When considering an air preheater, an O2 transmitter
should be installed both upstream and downstream
to monitor air leakage into the flue gas
Emissions monitoring equipment should be installed
as per project requirements.
The following instrumentation is recommended for main
fuel gas and pilot gas lines:
Gas pressures should be monitored with pressure
transmitters, and they should have high- and low-pressure
trips based on burner curves
Independent trip and control valves should be provided
for gas lines; generally, a pressure regulator is used for pilot
operating pressures
Strainers should be provided upstream of the trip valves to
ensure a tight seal for the trip valves during heater shutdown;
this also prevents debris from plugging up the burner tips
Coalescers should be used if liquid issues are anticipated
in the fuel gas; fuel gas heat tracing and insulation can be
considered
When considering fuel gas line insulation, corrosion under
insulation should also be evaluated
CEMS requirements should be checked; these generally
depend on the heater duty and the state regulatory
requirements
All instrument transmitters should be wired with control
room indication
All hardware and software design of the instruments
should be as per the required safety integrity level (SIL).
In one case study, a heater had draft issues even with its stack
damper in an open position. A site visit showed that the stack
damper was stuck, and the position transmitter was mounted on
the actuator with its linkage mechanism broken.
The problem was remedied by making the stack damper
functional again. The stack damper position transmitter was
mounted on the damper shaft, with a functioning linkage to provide positive position of the damper.
Other design considerations.5 The heater should be de-

signed to withstand seismic and wind load requirements for the

site location. Snuffing steam connections are provided at the
radiant, convection and header boxes. The heater should have
access doors to provide access for the radiant, convection, stack
damper, ducts and other heater components. Electrical area classification and requirements, instrument air requirements, etc.,
should be stated as per project design specifications.
Fans (induced-draft or forced-draft) should be sized to provide a minimum of 15% margin to the design flow (lb/hr). A
temperature margin is also recommended for the test block
case. Summer air temperatures, relative humidity and altitude
of the installation should be specified. If the fan operation is

Heat Transfer
is critical and would result in a shutdown of the downstream
units, then a spare fan should be specified. For low turndowns, a
variable frequency drive or a combination inlet/outlet damper
should be considered.
A heater shall be provided with sufficient peep doors to provide visuals for all radiant tubes and burners. A sealed self-closing
peep door with glass protection ensures that the heater is sealed
against tramp air leakage. The glass protection also provides
shielding against any positive pressure conditions. Floor view
ports can be considered to provide an unrestricted view between
the tubes and the burners. Any special requirements needed for
infrared scanning should be discussed and investigated. Heaters
should be specified with tube seals to seal up all of the tube penetrations and guides. All unwelded seams should be caulked.
Ladders and platforms should be provided to access all peep
doors, maintenance access doors, stack dampers, fans, emissions reduction equipment, EPA nozzles and heater instrumentation. Ladders and platforms are generally hot-dip galvanized.
Requirements on safety gates (color designation and type)
should be checked in the site-specific needs or project specifications. Consideration should be given for modularized construction to reduce field work and facilitate shipping and transportation, as well.
Startup spares should be specified as a part of the heater package. Heater paint should be specified as per the project specifications. Fireproofing should be addressed in the field installation.
Clips for fire protection installation should be provided by the

heater fabricator as per the specifications. Specific requirements

for the grounding lugs should also be specified. Inspection and
testing performed on the heater components should be witnessed and approved by the client representative/inspector.
In one case study, it was reported that burners were leaking
fuel gas in a heater. A field investigation identified that burners
were plugged up due to inferior fuel gas quality. The fuel gas
risers were connected by unions. Due to the regular plugging,
a daily burner maintenance program was being performed. The
constant removal and installation of the risers caused the unions
to wear off. As a result, the seal integrity was compromised,
which, in turn, caused the fuel gas to leak. This leak was remedied by adding a fuel gas filter and a coalescer, and by replacing
the burner fuel riser connections.
NOTE
All case studies presented here have been developed solely for the purpose of
illustrating typical problems in fired heaters, and their respective solutions. Any
similarities found to actual problems in existing installations may be coincidental.
LITERATURE CITED
Complete literature cited available online at HydrocarbonProcessing.com.
KAPIL MALHOTRA is a heat transfer engineer at S & B Engineers
and Constructors Ltd. in Houston, Texas. He has more than
12 years of experience in the design, engineering and
troubleshooting of fired heaters, combustion systems and
thermal equipment. He holds a masters degree in mechanical
engineering from Oklahoma State University. Mr. Malhotra is
a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas.

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Order the directory to: Benet your planning and strategy / Locate new opportunities / Gain a competitive advantage.
$1,195 per edition. Searchable, digital format. Group rates and site licenses are available.

Order online at GulfPub.com/GPPD or call + 1 (713) 525-4626.

For more information, including sample data, contact Lee Nichols, Director of Data, at Gulf Publishing Company
at +1 (713) 525-4626 or Lee.Nichols@GulfPub.com.

Hydrocarbon Processing|OCTOBER 201573