Publication detail

Standards for fired heater design: Analysis of two dominant heat flux variation factors

HÁJEK, J. JEGLA, Z.

Original Title

Standards for fired heater design: Analysis of two dominant heat flux variation factors

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Many fired heaters in all parts of the globe are designed according to long-standing standards of the American Petroleum Institute. The relevant API standard 560 is to a large degree based on heat flux non-uniformity factors that have been first graphed early in the 20th century using idealised 2D calculations of radiative heat transfer. The basic set of assumptions and values for these factors has recently been challenged, as they neglect or underestimate several significant aspects of nonuniformity including longitudinal heat flux variation due to up-to-date low-NOx burners, interaction of flames from multiple burners, Coandă effect and non-ideal geometry. This paper brings new data and quantified corrections of two dominant heat flux variation factors (tube circumferential factor and longitudinal factor) that are based on numerical modelling, large-scale laboratory measurements and real-life data from operating fired heater. The new information provides evidence that standardised design calculations of fired heaters for refinery service need urgent update and revision, mainly concerning the longitudinal factor. The results show that real-life heat flux distribution can be significantly less uniform than estimated by traditional design techniques (such as API Design Standards).

Keywords

fired heaters; CFD modelling; radiant chamber; heat transfer

Authors

HÁJEK, J.; JEGLA, Z.

Released

1. 10. 2017

Publisher

Elsevier

Location

Amsterdam, Netherlands

ISBN

1359-4311

Periodical

Applied Thermal Engineering

Year of study

125

Number

1

State

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Pages from

702

Pages to

713

Pages count

12

URL

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359431116343186

BibTex

@article{BUT139262,
  author="Jiří {Hájek} and Zdeněk {Jegla}",
  title="Standards for fired heater design: Analysis of two dominant heat flux variation factors",
  journal="Applied Thermal Engineering",
  year="2017",
  volume="125",
  number="1",
  pages="702--713",
  doi="10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2017.07.062",
  issn="1359-4311",
  url="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359431116343186"
}