Petrochemical Industry

A primary consideration for petrochemical and refinery plant operators is minimising fuel consumption, which is a key factor for overall plant efficiency. The use of oil as fuel in refineries and petrochemical plants can produce deposits on the convection section tubes in process heaters, waste heat boilers and auxiliary boilers, which has a negative effect on the heat transfer process. In order to reduce the build-up of these deposits, and therefore minimise fuel consumption, efficient cleaning devices are essential.

Solution

During the operation of petrochemical and refinery process heaters, high efficiencies are realised through the application of long retractable and rotating element sootblowers. Depending on the installation specification, cleaning is carried out using steam or air as blowing medium. The cleaning effect is achieved by a combination of the kinetic energy of the blowing medium and the increased velocity of the flue gas. Staggered tube layouts with sudding are a standard arrangement in process heater convection sections. Specific nozzle selection and adjustable blowing pressure assist with avoiding erosion of the heating surfaces exposed to the blowing jet.

Advantages

• Minimises the risk of fire whilst in service
• Reduces maintenance cost and erosion
• Optimal cleaning of heating surfaces

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