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The enhanced efficiency of the furnace box can be utilised to alleviate excessive temperatures in the
convection section, increase the capacity of the reformer or prolong the lifetime of the catalyst tubes. The
lifetime of the catalyst tubes in side wall fired tubular reformers may be further prolonged if the heat
release of the bottom row burners can be reduced to half the heat release of the upper row burners. In
addition, several other secondary benefits are obtained by sealing the furnace walls with the coating
material.
High emissivity coating of the furnace walls have been applied in several tubular reformers with
satisfactory results. Industrial feed-back from two plants and two case histories are presented.
John Bacon
Cetek Limited
Brook Park, OH, USA
Darius Pasaribu
Kaltim Pasifik Amoniak
Bontang, Indonesia
C
atalytic steam reforming of hydrocarbons
in tubular reformers is the most common limits the radiative heat transfer contribution from
process for production of synthesis gas. the hot furnace walls to the catalyst tubes except
The reforming reactions are highly endothermic for the outermost tubes near to the furnace walls.
and the heat is provided by combustion of fuel gas Attempts of enhancing the radiation efficiency of
in a furnace box and transferred to the catalyst the furnace walls may impair the heat distribution
tubes mainly by radiation. The thermal efficiency in the furnace box as the tubes near the furnace
of the furnace box is typically 45-60% and walls will receive relatively more radiation than
additional 35-50% of the heat is recovered from the other tubes in the furnace box. This however
the flue gas in the reformer convection section. can be mitigated by installing lower duty burners
The recovered heat is used for preheating of in the outside rows and next the end walls.
reformer feed, process air, steam superheating and
preheating of boiler feed water or combustion air.
Side wall fired and terrace wall fired reformers
The thermal efficiency of the furnace box can be have the tubes arranged in single rows between
increased by applying a high emissivity ceramic two opposing furnace walls on which the burners
coating on the furnace walls which enhance the are located either in typical 6-7 horizontal rows or
radiative heat transfer contribution from the hot in two horizontal terraces. The area and direct
furnace walls to the catalyst tubes. However, the view of the surrounding furnace walls relative to
efficiency improvement depends on the reformer the catalyst tube plane results in a significantly
design and the actual conditions in the reformer. higher and more uniform radiative heat transfer
from the hot furnace walls to the catalyst tubes
Tubular steam reformers are divided into four than obtained in top and bottom fired reformers.
categories depending on the location of burners The radiative heat transfer from the hot furnace
and the arrangement of the catalyst tubes in the walls to the catalyst tubes amounts typically to 20-
furnace box. Please see Figure 1. 30% of the total heat transfer in a side wall fired
reformer.
The use of high emissivity ceramic coatings, It is important to understand how the emissivity
applied to the refractory surfaces in radiant property of a surface can affect the efficiency of
sections of fired heaters and tubular reformers, heat transfer. There are two factors which need to
was pioneered by Cetek and has now become an be taken into account. The first is the spectral
accepted means of improving the efficiency of distribution of the radiation absorbed/emitted
radiant heat transfer, leading to energy savings as from a particular surface and the second is the
well as environmental and reliability benefits. A value of the emissivity of that surface. The
range of ceramic coatings have been developed amount of heat, Q, radiated from a surface (area,
and used reliably for many years, for different A; temperature, T; emissivity, ε) is given by the
substrate types, operating environments and following, well-known Stephan Boltzman
targeted application benefits. equation:
At process heater operating temperatures, new The chart in Figure 2 shows the energy spectra for
ceramic fiber linings, for example, have two major components of the combustion
emissivity values of around 0.4. Insulating fire products of natural gas; water vapour and carbon
brick (IFB) and castable materials have emissivity dioxide. They are compared with the spectrum of
values around 0.6. These materials have been a perfect radiator, or black body, at the same
designed with structural considerations and temperature.
insulating efficiency as the primary requirements.
They tend not to handle radiation in the most The combustion products will radiate and absorb
efficient way. Cetek Ceramic Coatings, however, energy in the narrow wave bands shown, whereas
with emissivity values of above 0.9, have been a black body will radiate and absorb energy over a
much wider wavelength range.
Implementation
The coating was installed by a staff of 6 after all
the other work had been completed in the radiant
section. The installation of the coating was not on
Figure 6. Ceramic fiber coated. Castable brick
the critical path for re-commissioning, as other
uncoated
work was still progressing in the convection
section. Initially, the reformer was cleaned by
wire brushing the castable brick and flattening the
ceramic fiber with a nylon brush.
Case history 2
P.T. Kaltim Pasifik Amoniak (KPA) operates a
2000 MTPD ammonia plant located within the
Kaltim site in Bontang, Indonesia. The process
design for the plant was by Haldor Topsoe. At the
time of its commissioning and acceptance in May,
Figure 8. Finished castable brickwork 2000 it was the largest single train ammonia plant
in the world.
Results
The Primary Reformer is a side-fired Topsoe
After the plant was restarted, a reduction in
design with draft fans located at the top of the
natural fuel gas was noticed to the reformer for the
convection section. Sidewalls and roof are
same production rate.
insulated with ceramic fiber insulation.
This was due to a combination of not having to
From the beginning of operations it was evident
fire auxiliary burners in the convection section;
that the Primary Reformer operated with high
due to the super heater coil replacement, and also
bridgewall temperatures at the top of the radiant
a reduction in radiant section firing due to the
section. These high bridgewall temperatures
Cetek coating. In the radiant section the balance
resulted in high process temperatures from some
between top and bottom decks was adjusted to
of the lower convection section coils. Since some
increase firing on the top deck, while reducing the
of these convection coils were operated close to
firing pressure on the bottom deck. Importantly
design temperatures, various means were
this increase did not result in higher outlet
investigated to bring down the bridgewall
temperatures of the downstream mixed feed coil,
temperatures and Cetek’s proprietary high
which typically runs close to its alarm
emissivity coating technology was an obvious
temperature.
candidate.
Comparing a long baseline period before and after
Both KPA and Cetek carried out evaluations of
the changes were made showed that the overall
the benefits of the technology and the decision
measured improvement was approximately 600
was made by KPA to proceed. The coating was
GJ/day for the same production rate. The super
carried out on a turnaround in November of 2007.
heater replacement was typically contributing 250
The work was done by Cetek technicians in four
GJ/day, and the Cetek coating 350 GJ/day which
days and had no impact on the overall duration of
is approximately 4% saving in fuel gas for the
the turnaround.
radiant section. The steam generation in the
convection section had reduced from 120 klb/hr to
Figure 8 and 9 below show the condition of the
100 klb/hr. This was due to a combination of
refractory coating before box-up in 2007.
reduction in auxiliary firing of superheat burners
(which in addition to superheating also raised
steam), and reduced flue gas temperature from the
On plant start up following the installation of Some (not all) of the top row reformer burners
the Cetek coating, bridge wall temperatures which have not been in operation before were
were noticeably lower. Both indicated then able to be lit. Plant throughput capability
temperatures and calculations by Topsoe was also raised by an estimated 2%.
showed that bridgewall temperatures were
reduced by 40 to 50oC for the same operating Because the impact of this coating on plant
rate. Fuel gas efficiency for the reformer was operations was so marked it was decided to re-
improved by over 2%, and process outlet apply the coating to furnace walls in 2011 as the
temperatures were easily achieved without thermal coating effect deteriorated over time as
overheating the bridgewall. shown below.
Conclusion
The benefits obtained after applying high
emissivity coating of the furnace walls in side
fired reformers, can either be utilised as stand-
alone benefits to save energy, lower emissions,