Key production processes in high temperature plants can be adjusted and fine-tuned to reach performance optima, by closely monitoring physical conditions during operation in relation to material properties and damage mechanisms that can shorten equipment life.  Quest Reliability has developed an integrated approach to process optimization for two key equipment types:

• Fired process heaters
• Steam reformers

For fired heaters, the approach is based on temperature monitoring within the heater unit, using infrared thermography.  This technique provides a visual map of the temperature regime during operation, which, in combination with condition assessment data for the burners, radiant and convection coils, can be used to identify threshold conditions – before damage occurs – that could shorten life expectancy of heater components or lead to an unplanned shutdown.  Remaining life assessment of key heater components is performed using Quest proprietary software, and used to set the threshold conditions that are an object of monitoring.  Furthermore, in a continuous monitoring situation, the heater controls can be adjusted in real time to run more confidently at throughput rates as close as possible to maximum without producing life-shortening conditions.

For steam reformers, a similar approach is used but is supplemented with prior (pre-installation) inspection of reformer tubes using Quest proprietary measurement tools (UT and laser-based), a proprietary material properties database for the nickel alloy reformer tubes, proprietary laboratory database of tube-catalyst interaction, and Quest proprietary software for remaining life assessment.  When these elements are integrated in a continuous monitoring scenario, the process can be balanced so that throughput is maximized while life-shortening situations, or unplanned shutdowns associated with tube failures, are avoided.

For further information about Process Optimization, please contact us.