DIRECT-FIRED HEATERS: THEIR DESIGN & OPERATION

Intensive 3-Day Training Course for

Refining and Gas Processing Specialists

Mastering the Direct-Fired Heater

Our Program for Engineers
A long established technology, direct-fired heaters
have a history of successful operation at plants
around the world. But combustion and heat transfer technologies are continually evolving. New
engineered solutions for a complex new world
of energy production dictate the increased use of
fired heaters in a wide range of specialized process applications.
Reducing downtime and maintenance costs are
top priorities. Improving thermal efficiency can
lead to significant energy savings, and can also
help reduce harmful air emissions.
One way to realize efficiency is through improved
design. Another is to increase the operational
know-how of on-site plant personnel, through
focused training on fired-heater design and construction, process-flow parameters, and other variables that affect operation.

Direct-fired heaters
consume significant
amounts of energy.
Variables ranging from
feed-stocks to furnace
temperature to flow-rates
and pressure affect operating costs,
emissions, and the consistency of process
outputs. Optimizing your operations is vital.

OnQuests Direct-Fired Heater Training Course

is intended for experienced managers, for process,
production, mechanical, maintenance, and instrumentation engineers, and for senior supervisors
and superintendents, trainee process engineering
trainees, inspectors, and plant operators at petrochemical refineries and gas processing facilities.
This three-day course is specifically designed to help
plant engineers better understand the function of
direct-fired heaters. We focus on the most common
design types, considering fuel type, combustion
chemistry, heat transfer and release, combustion air
supply and control, and mechanical factors including burners, refractory, tube design, and corrosion
and fouling mitigation. We also review techniques
to improve efficiency, operate safely and meet
emission guidelines. Subject areas include:
Direct-Fired Heaters: An Introduction
Describes direct-fired heaters and their applications, reviews factors governing choice of design,
and discusses applicable API 560 & 530 codes and
standards.
Radiant and Convection Zones: Design
Includes review of thermal design, and combining
radiation, convection and conduction for total thermal design.
Understanding Burners
Reviews burner types, components, flame stabilizing and shaping, along with applications, air supply and control, how to identify a need for burner
changes or upgrades, and how to implement them.
Fuel & Feed Stocks
Examines different fuel types and their impact
on burner and heater design; reviews emission
considerations; and discusses retrofits, fuel supply
systems, and safety.

Combustion Air: Supply and Control

Introduces natural and mechanical draft considerations, design and use of dampers, the potential
impacts of changes of service on fired-heater duty,
and stack design (draft, static wind load, dynamic
load, emissions impacts).
Instrumentation and Safety Devices
Reviews fuel and process flow controls, temperature controls, draft measurement, flue gas analysis,
and safety instrumentation, including burner management systems.
Efficiency Improvements
Discusses maintenance protocols and schedules,
burner modifications, improved controls, additions,
convection surface, and air preheat.
Tube Design
Examines available data on stresses, creep and
elastic design, determination of tube metal temperature, selection of tube material and wall thickness,
and selection of tube size.
Heater Operation, Testing, and Tune-up
Reviews startup protocols, troubleshooting, routine
checks, efficiency testing, test data and methods to
improve operating efficiency.
Emissions Control
Previews the types of available control technologies
and techniques, the impact of fuel selection, choosing a control method.
Refractory
Overview of refractory types, selection, installation,
and design to reduce heat loss and corrosion.
Corrosion and Fouling
Describes fireside corrosion (low and high temperature), fouling, design methods to mitigate impacts,
tube side (types of corrosive attack), and ways to
minimize and remove fouling.
Process Troubleshooting
Details on ways to review and improve operational
processes to reduce downtime and maintenance.

Our curriculum
DAY ONE
Heat Transfer and Fired Heaters
n Fundamentals of Heat Transfer
n Types of Heaters & Configuration
n Development & Service Categories
n Vertical and Cabin Style Heaters

Direct-Fired Heater Applications

n Natural Gas Process Plants
n Oil Refineries
n Design Considerations and Data Sheets
n Process Conditions
Heater Duty and Efficiency
n Heater Duty Calculations
n Radiant and Convection Duty
n Radiant and Convection Heating
Surface Calculations
n In-tube Pressure-Drop Calculation
n Heater Efficiency Improvement
DAY TWO
Heater Design
n Coil Material and Selection
n Coil Arrangement and Layout
n Tube Supports & Metallurgy
n Extended Surface Considerations
n Refractory Types & Design
n Stack Requirements
n Dampers & Draft Control
n Heater Casing & Framework
n Transportation Considerations
& Modularization

Combustion and Burners

n Burners: Design and Types
n Low & Ultra-Low NOx Burners
n Flue Gas Recirculation
n Burner Orientation
n Heat Release, Fuels and Burner Data
n Emissions

Draft and Excess Air Control

n Dampers & Draft Control
n Excess Air Control
Refractory
n Refractory Purpose
n Refractory Types
n Dry-Out
DAY THREE
Safety Systems
n Safety Integrity Level (SIL Rating)
n Hazardous Operation (HazOp) Requirements
n Burner Management Systems
n Purging
n Pilots and Ignition Systems
n Dedicated Flame-Monitoring Systems

Operations and Monitoring

n Safe Practices
n Operator Training
n Commissioning and Start-up Procedures
n Heater Operation
n Controlled Heater Shutdown
n Emergency Shutdown
n Heater Monitoring
Routine Inspections, Maintenance Troubleshooting
n Inspections
n Maintenance
n Pigging & Steam- Air Decoking
n Troubleshooting
Other Essential Equipment
n Soot Blowers
n Fans
n Draft Gauges
n Tube-Skin Thermocouples
n Oxygen & CO Analyzers
n Air Preheater

Learn more
For more information, please email training@onquest.com
or call +1 (909) 451-0514.

Direct-Fired Heater Training

from a Recognized Authority
WHAT YOULL LEARN
OnQuests three-day training course is thoroughly
researched and carefully structured to provide
practical and exclusive training applicable to
engineers, technicians, management or operating
facility superintendents who work with direct-fired
heaters, furnaces and waste heat recovery units,
and burner management systems.
This course is based on the recently published book,
Direct-Fired Heaters: A Practical Guide to Their
Design and Operationa copy of which will be provided to each attendee as part of their enrollment.
At the end of the training, attendees will be able to:


Identify
and list the applicable codes
and standards for fired process heaters
n Determine the mechanical limitations
of heaters
n Describe the theoretical and practical aspects
of burners and combustion air supply, common
and complex instrumentation applications,
heater operation, tube and refractory design
n Explain key operating parameters
n Employ techniques to minimize emissions,
corrosion and fouling
n Implement safe practices and identify
safety issues
n Identify typical problems and possible causes
n Identify key inspection and turnaround items.
n

Question-and-answer modules at the end of

each learning session allow participants to test
themselves and evaluate what they have learned.
Upon completion, attendees will understand all
heater and safety systems terminology.

Course Facilitator

Roger Newnham
President OnQuest Canada ULC
C. Eng., F.I.Mech.E., Eur. Ing.

Representative clients include:

n Adco

n Inter

n BP

n Interquisa

n PTT

n Caltex

n IRPC

n Qatar

n Chevron

n Khalda

Petroleum

n Shell

n Conoco

n Kuwait

Oil

n Sonatrach

n Co-op
n Dow

Chemical

n Exxon

Roger Newnham has over 35 years of

experience in the petroleum and petrochemical industries. Newnham began his career as
a mechanical engineer, and then became a
project engineer on direct-fired heater design,
engineering, and installation. For the past 25
years he has been president of Born Heaters
Canada, now OnQuest Canada.
Newnham is also the author of a series of
books on direct-fired heaters, including,
n Direct-Fired

Heaters: A Practical Guide

to their Design and Operation,

n Direct-Fired

Heaters: Operator Training

Manual
n Direct-Fired

Heaters: Improving Efficiency

and Lowering Emissions.

Newnham is a Fellow of the Institute of
Mechanical Engineers and of the European
Federation of National Engineering Associations, FEANI.

Phillips

Refinery Complex
Mobil

Oil

n North Atlantic
n PNG

Refinery

n Petronas

Refining

Petroleum

n Syncrude
n Suncor

n Pertamina

n Takreer

n Gasco

n Petro

Canada

n Thai

n Hibernia

n Petro

China

n Valero

n Husky

n Petrojam

Oil

n Zadco

SOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW WORLD OF ENERGY

OnQuest is an industry leader in process engineering and applied combustion technology

for clients in the energy industry. We specialize in turnkey EPC for small and mid-sized
liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, facilities for hydrocarbon reformingincluding for
hydrogen, ammonia and methanol productionand renewable energy facilities such as
bio-fuels and waste-to-energy plants.

OnQuest also designs direct-fired furnaces and related combustion technologies, including
waste heat recovery systems, burner management systems, NOx reduction technologies
and thermal oxidizers. We are experts in revamps and retrofits of existing furnace units.

OnQuest has delivered solutions for most of the major energy producing companies, and
has a growing presence in the market for renewable, environmentally sustainable energy.
We are distinguished by our ability to manage projects on a lump-sum, fixed-price basis
from concept to commissioning.

LOS ANGELES
180 East Arrow Highway
San Dimas, CA 91773
Tel. +1 (909) 451-0500

CALGARY
3582 118th Avenue S.E.
Calgary, Alberta T2Z 3X1
Tel. +1 (403) 252-2676

www.onquest.com

HOUSTON
9595 Six Pines Dr., Ste. 8210
The Woodlands, TX 77380
Tel. +1 (281) 889-3005