Proceedings of a workshop on the utilization of coal fuels in process heaters

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6891712

Almost 5% of the nation's energy consumption takes place in tubular process heaters. Currently, these units are gas- and, to a lesser extent, oil-fired. Process heaters provide energy for refining petroleum and the manufacture of numerous chemicals and petrochemicals. Since the current state-of-the-art, using waste heat recovery and forced draft burners, can achieve thermal efficiencies of about 90%, it is unlikely that current process heat and fuel requirements will be dramatically reduced by process modifications and/or conservation measures. Hence, if this sizeable, inexorable drain on our fluid petroleum reserves is to be halted, it seems reasonable to consider the utilization of coal and/or coal-based fuels to fire process heaters. In order to assess the feasibility and potential for a coal-based process heater industry, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) organized a workshop to define and explore the various problems that must be solved in order to burn coal in process heaters. A primary aim of the workshop was to consider the design methodology for process heaters when firing coal and compare it to those for gas and oil firing. The overall conclusions were: that retrofitting present process heaters to coal fuel was impractical; that it would be difficult to fit larger heaters designed to burn coal into present refineries; that there would be difficulties with process heaters burning coal; and that a better approach would be one large utility coal heater with a circulating heat transfer medium. Seven papers have been entered individually into EDB and ERA. (LTN)

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6891712
• Report Number(s): BNL-51229; CONF-7903141-
• Resource Relation: Conference: Workshop on the utilization of coal fuels in process heaters, Upton, NY, USA, 6 Mar 1979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
CHEMICAL PLANTS
HEATERS
COAL
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
DESIGN
RETROFITTING
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
ENERGY POLICY
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
LEADING ABSTRACT
MEETINGS
PROCESS HEAT
USA
ABSTRACTS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HEAT
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MATERIALS
NORTH AMERICA
020400* - Petroleum- Processing
294001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Coal
015000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects