Conceptual study of direct flame furnaces installed in a gas plant located in Sabana de Torres

Abstract

This technical study consists of an operational analysis of two direct fired heaters in order to identify possible factors impacting their efficiency. Furthermore, possible improvements were raised based on articles and academic information related to these machines in order to increase their efficiency and decrease their gas consumption.

Two sources of information were used: the academic one and the data provided by the company. Then, they were filtered to choose the most important of them and raise the alternatives. Three factors that impact the efficiency were identified; wear of the thermal isolation and/or their walls, the temperature and the flux of the air that is used in the system. Based on the filtered information, three alternatives were raised: check and fix the thermal isolation, adjust the air flux and install a pre-heating system to increase the temperature of the air. Subsequently, a simulation of the process was made on Aspen HYSYS ® to analyze the impact of the alternatives on the efficiency. Finally, evidence of the impact on gas consumption was obtained. The first alternative could save between $27,103.44/y and $51,309.07/y, the second between $56,856.52 and $73,049.23/y and the third one between $20,899.59/y and $71,064.14/y