6.4 Furnaces

6.
4 Furnaces
A fired heater or furnace is a device used primarily to
heat large quantities of hydrocarbons. These systems are
very expensive and complex and require a well trained
and dedicated staff. A process technician assigned to
these units studies the basic components of the system,
traces out each major flow path, and works closely with
senior technicians until he or she qualified to operate
the equipment. Modern control instrumentation and
high tech control rooms are designed to monitor and
control all vital processes.
Furnaces are classified as direct fired or indirect fired.
Direct-fired furnaces can be identified by the amount of
volume the combustion gases occupy inside the furnace.
Fired heaters are used in many processes, including
distillation, reactor processes, olefin production, and
hydrocracking. Furnaces heat raw materials to produce
products like gasoline, oil, kerosene, plastic, and rubber.
Fired heaters consist essentially of a battery of pipes or
tubes that pass through a firebox. These tubes run along
the inside walls and roof of a furnace. The heat released
by the burners is transferred through the tubes and into
the process fluid. The fluid remains in the furnace just
long enough to reach operating conditions before
exiting and being shipped to the processing unit.
As with most industrial applications, fired heaters come
in a wide variety of designs.
Typical furnace designs include:
 Cabin direct fired
 Cylindrical direct fired
 Box direct fired
 A frame direct fired
 Fire tube indirect fired
A furnace or fired heater can be classified as natural,

induced, forced, or balanced draft. The pressure inside a
warm furnace is typically lower because of buoyancy
differences in the cooler outside air. A natural draft
furnace can operate using this approach; however, when
fans are used to push or pull the air through the furnace,
greater heat transfer rates can be achieved. A natural
draft fired heater is severely limited in contrast to these
systems.
The types of problems a fired heater or furnace system
typically encounters include: flame impingement on
tubes, coke buildup inside the tubes, hot spots inside
the furnace, fuel composition changes, burner flameout,
control valve failure, and feed pump failure.
Cabin Fired Heaters
The basic components of a cabin fired heater include a
tough metal shell that surrounds a firebox, convection
section, and stack. The inside of the furnace is lined with
a special refractory material (brick, blocks, peep stones,
gunite) that is designed to reflect heat. A battery of
tubes passes through the convection and radiant
sections and into a common insulated header that
passes out of the furnace. A series of burners is located
on the bottom of the furnace or on the sides. Fluid flow
is carefully balanced through the tubes to prevent
equipment or product damage. Airflow and oxygen
content are controlled through primary, secondary, and
damper adjustments. Figure 6-14 illustrates the basic
layout of a cabin furnace.
Cylindrical Fired Heaters
Cylindrical furnaces use a small footprint and a tube
shaped firebox to transfer heat energy into a moving
liquid. Tubes are arranged in a helical or spiral pattern
around the outside wall of the cylinder. The burner is
traditionally located in the center so the flames do not
come into contact with the radiant tubes, refractory
material, or shell. The primary source of heat transfer is
radiant and convective; however, conductive heat
transfer occurs as energy passes through the tubes.
Cylindrical furnace designs may include a small
convection section, similar to the type found in a
cabin furnace
The basic components of a cylindrical furnace are the
same as found in a cabin furnace, with the addition of a
cone located between the radiant and convection
sections. The cone evenly distributes the heat as it
moves up. Dampers are not typically used in this type of
system. Figure 6-15 shows a cylindrical furnace with a
helical coil.
Box Furnaces
A box furnace design is commonly the chemical
processing industry for a variety of applications and
processes. This type of furnace closely resembles a box
and has the same standard components as a cabin
furnace. The burners may be arranged on the bottom or
on the sidewall; the tube arrangement depends on
how the burners line up. Several simple are shown in
Figure 6-16, along with their various operational
components.

6.4 Furnaces

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6.4 Furnaces

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A furnace or fired heater can be classified as natural,

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