Combustion Safety & Optimization

Customer Challenge

Ongoing Challenges for Producers

Due to the lack of effective air control, excess air is typically allowed into the fired heater, reducing its thermal efficiency. Fired heaters have inherent risk and are generally operating at less than optimum efficiency as well. Typical challenges, risks and losses in efficiency plant may currently experience are as follows:

• Higher costs as operators increase O2 flow to avoid a fuel rich atmosphere
• Unexpected demand for fuel, leading to unsafe combustion conditions
• Greater risk during a process upset
• Risk of inadequate air control may not be assessed correctly for a process upset
• Wet steam introduced on startup, requiring a steam purge, risking ignition failure
• Shorter life of the fined convection section with afterburning due to the presence of combustibles

Customer Benefits

Improvement and Sustainability in Fired Heater Assets

The combustion management system simultaneously controls both the air and fuel supply to fired heaters by measuring average gas concentrations across the radiant section. Measuring a cross section average concentration of combustion gases, such as O2 and CO, has only recently been available through the use of the Tunable Diode Laser Spectroscopy (TDLS). The combustion management solution incorporates a TDLS analyzer with a dedicated control system and a safety system that is certified to meet FM NFPA and SIL 2 standards.

The four principal capabilities include:

• Gas Concentration Measurement using TDLS technology in the radiant section
• Process Control controlling fuel flow and air volumes
• Safety System preventing unsafe conditions from persisting
• Sensing and Actuation measuring airflow at multiple locations

Asset Sustainability

Providing air and fuel coordinated control on fired heaters, the combustion management system is a stand-alone package that delivers clear value and a rapid ROI. Combustion management is a major step in improving fired heater safety, plant energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving process throughput. Together, the capabilities of the solution reduce maintenance and extend the life of fired heaters.

Built in Reliability

The combustion management solution is based on high- reliability components and is available in a standard configuration or custom engineered package. Yokogawa provides engineered solutions to meet any physical requirements, such as extreme climates, user utility panels, location of the heater, etc. Where physical and process changes to the fired heater are required, Yokogawa partners with leading engineering companies and furnace manufacturers to provide a total solution. (Links to TDL and Field Instrumentation)

A Turnkey Solution

Typically, the installation of the combustion management system on a fired heater is straightforward. As the Main Automation Contractor (MAC), Yokogawa manages the implementation and installation of the field automation solution, including third party products and services. Where needed, Yokogawa provides a single point of responsibility for all aspects of the project, including modifications and refurbishment of the fired heater.