Update on recent pyrolysis furnace revamps

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6164715

Bowen, C P; Kranz, E S; Creighton, K C

The furnace section consumes most of the fuel fired and 25 percent of the net energy in an ethylene plant is, accordingly, the area where the most dramatic improvement in reducing energy costs in the plant can be realized. The various possible furnace revamps generally fall into two categories, namely: Heat Conservation - revamps which fall under this category are items such as air preheat addition, increased and/or upgraded insulation, reduction of heat leakage by means of seal welded casings and terminal tube seals, additional heat recovery surface in the convection section, and improved air-oxygen control of the furnace; Feedstock - the revamps related to feedstock are either for feed flexibility or reduction of feedstock consumption for a given plant ethylene production. These revamps in their simplest form involve replacement of the hydrocarbon preheat convection coils and quench exchangers. More complex revamps involve the replacement of radiant coils. Each of these types of revamps are applicable in whole or part to almost all existing cracking furnaces, considering that almost all of the ethylene furnaces in operation today were designed before 1975, and thus do not necessarily reflect present criteria for ethylene plant economics. Without changing the hydrocarbon feedrate, dilution steam ratio, or altering the preheat coils in the convection section or quench exchangers, the authors have achieved ethylene gains of over 10 percent on naphtha and gas-oil feeds and more than 5 percent on ethane/propane feeds. Further improvements in furnace ethylene capacity are also possible by rework of the convection preheat section, and depending on the situation, by altering the burners and quench exchanger system.

• OSTI ID: 6164715
• Report Number(s): CONF-870323-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030300* -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
ALKANES
ALKENES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION CONTROL
CONTROL
DECOMPOSITION
DESIGN
DOCUMENT TYPES
EFFICIENCY
ETHANE
ETHYLENE
FURNACES
HYDROCARBONS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS
OPERATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
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PROPANE
PYROLYSIS
RETROFITTING
REVIEWS
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
THERMODYNAMICS