Chapter 2

Furnace Design

2. Furnace Design
From the material balance, we have that:
Ethylene production = 26,734.11 kg/hr
Considering a high-severity naphtha cracking process:
100 units of naphtha 31.7 units of ethylene
X units of naphtha 26,734.11 kg/hr of ethylene
This gives:
Naphtha rate = 84,334.73 kg/hr
Considering 300 working days/yr:
Naphtha rate = 84,334.73 kg/hr x 24 hr/day x 300 day/yr x 0.001 ton/kg = 607,210 ton/yr
Naphtha rate = 84,334.73 kg/hr x 2.2046 lb/kg = 185,924.35 lb/hr

Naphtha Rate (GNaphtha) 185,924.35 lb/hr

Naphtha API 56 oAPI
Inlet Temperature (T1) 25 oC = 77 oF
Outlet Temperature (T2) 850 oC = 1562 oF
Service Type Thermal Cracking
Radiant Heat Flux (qr) 11,000 Btu/ft2.hr
Vaporization Nil
Fuel Type Fuel Oil (15 oAPI)
Net Heating Value 17,500 Btu/lb fuel
Excess Air 25 %

Heat Duty

The average specific heat ( C P ) is calculated at the mean temperature (Tmean) as follows:

T 1 +T 2 77+1562
Tmean 2
=
2
= 819.5 oF

From the figure:

C P = 0.93 Btu/lb-oF

QDuty = G . C P . T
= 185,924.35 lb/hr x 0.93 x (1562 77) = 2.568 x 108 Btu/hr

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Chapter 2
Furnace Design

Thermal Efficiency
FGT = T1 + 150
= 77 +150 = 227 oF < 400 oF
So, we will take: FGT = 400 oF
NHVFuel = 17,500 Btu/lb & Excess air = 25 % From the figure: Ha (at FGT) = 15,900 Btu/lb fuel
H a(at FGT ) 15,900
Heat extracted = NHV x 100 = 17,500 x 100 = 90.85 %

Furnace efficiency (F) = Heat extracted Losses

= 90.85 % 2 % = 88.85 % (Acceptable)

Heat Fired
Q Duty 2.568 x 108
QFired = F = 0.885 = 2.902 x 108 Btu/hr

Fuel Consumption
QFired 2.902 x 10 8
QFuel = NHV = 17500 = 16,582.86 lb/hr

Flue Gas Rate

Using the values of the excess air (25 %) and the API gravity of the fuel (15 oAPI), we get:
lb FlueGas
lb Fuel = 18

lb FlueGas
Flue gas rate = lb Fuel x Fuel consumption

= 18 x 16,582.86 = 298,491.48 lb/hr

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Chapter 2
Furnace Design

Radiation/Convection Duty Split

T c T 1 5
Taking T 2T c = 12

5 T 2+ 12T 1 5 ( 1562 ) +12(77)

Tc = 17 = 17 = 513.76 oF

T c +T 2 513.76+ 1562
TB = 2 = 2 = 1037.88 oF

Tmetal = TB + 75
= 1037.88 + 75 = 1112.88 oF

Using the values of Tmetal (1112.88 oF) and qr (11,000 Btu/ft2-hr), we get:
BWT = 1733 oF
Then, using the values of BWT (1733 oF) and the excess air (25 %), we get:
Ha (at BWT) = 9000 Btu/lb fuel
QR H a(at BWT)
=
Q Duty H a (at FGT )

9000
QR = 15900 x (2.568 x 108) = 1.454 x 108 Btu/hr

Mass Velocity
Well choose 4 in. heating tubes sch. 40
I.D = 4.026 in
O.D = 4.5 in
Thickness = 0.237 in

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Chapter 2
Furnace Design

aTube = 0.0884 ft2 = 12.7 in2

G should be in the range (150 - 200) lb/ft2-sec

Using 3 tubes/pass for the flow rate (G = 185,924.35 lb/hr), we get:
G 185924.35
G = 3600 a Tuben = 3600 x 0.0884 x 3 = 195.2 lb/ft2-sec (Acceptable)

Radiation Section Layout

QR 1.454 x 10
8

AR = qr = 11000 = 13218.18 ft2

Nt/row = 9 tubes

0.25 N t / row + 0.0625 N 2t / row + 1.125 N t / row +3 A R

Assume NT = 1.5

0.25 ( 9 ) + ( 0.062592 ) + ( 1.125 9 ) +3(13218.18)

= 1.5 = 131.32 132 tubes

C = 2d = 2 (4) = 8 in
N T .C 1328
Tube Circle Diameter (T.C.D) = 12 = 12 = 28.01 ft.

Effective Tube Length (E.T.L) = T.C.D 1

= 28.01 1 = 27.01 ft.
d o
Aone row = Nt/row x 12 x E.T.L

4.5
= 9 x 12 x 27.01 = 286.38 ft2

AVertical Tubes = AR Aone row

= 13218.18 286.38 = 12931.8 ft2

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Chapter 2
Furnace Design

d o
AVertical Tubes = NT x 12 x Lv

4.5
12931.8 = 132 x 12 x Lv Lv = 83.16 ft.

Lv 83.16
T .C . D = 28.01 = 2.97 (Acceptable)

Shield Bank Layout

Fl
ue
For 3 rows: Ga
s
BWT d= 3 x 70 = 210 oF
i
Flu
Tc = 3 x 5 = 15 oF

Tmax = 1733 513.76 = 1219.24 oF

Tmin = 1523 498.76 = 1024.24 oF
T max T min 1219.241024.24
Tlm = T max = 1219.24 = 1118.91 oF
ln ( ) ln ( )
T min 1024.24

cd o 84.5
Shield-Bank Free Area (SBFA) = Nt/row x E.T.L x 12 = 9 x 27.01 x 12 = 70.9 ft2

Flue gas mass flow rate 298,491.48

g= SBFA = 70.9 x 3600 = 1.17 lb/ft2-sec

BWT +(BWT 210)

Tga = 2 + 460

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Chapter 2
Furnace Design

1733+ (1733210 )
= 2 + 460 = 2088 oR

2.14 g 0.6 ( T ga )0.28 0.6

2.141.17 2088
0.28

hc = 0.4 = 4.50.4 = 10.95 Btu/ft2-oF-hr

( do )

hrg = 0.0025 Tg 0.5 = 0.0025 (2088 460) 0.5 = 3.57 Btu/ft2-hr-oF

ho = 1.1 (hc + hrg) = 1.1 (10.95 + 3.57) = 15.97 Btu/ft2-hr-oF
T c + ( T c 15 ) 513.76+ ( 513.7615 )
Tavg (shield) = 2 = 2 = 506.26 oF

Naphtha (56 oAPI) properties at this temperature:

Cp = 0.624 Btu/lb-oF
k = 0.0823 Btu/ft2-hr-oF
= 0.2 c.p. x 2.42 = 0.484 lb/ft2-hr
Sp.gr. = 0.6

3600 G' d i
Re = 12

3600 x 195.2 x 4.026

= 12 x 0.484 = 487,112.73

0.333
Cp
hi = 0.027
12 k
di
( )
0.8

k ( )
0.333
120.0823 ( 0.6240.484
= 0.027 4.026
0.8
487112.73 )
0.0823 ( ) = 362.41 Btu/ft2-oF-hr

di
hio = hi x do

4.026
= 362.41 x 4.5 = 324.24 Btu/ft2-oF-hr

kw 2412
hconduction = x = 0.237 = 1215.19 Btu/ft2-oF-hr

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Chapter 2
Furnace Design

1
UShield = 1 1 1
+ +
ho hio hcond

1
= 1 1 1 = 15.03 Btu/ft2-oF-hr
+ +
15.97 324.24 1215.19

AShield = 3 Aone row = 3 (286.38) = 859.14 ft2

QShield = UShield x AShield x Tlm
= 15.03 x 859.14 x 1118.91 = 1.44 x 107 Btu/hr

H a (at BWT ) QR
H a(at T ) = Q R +QShield
Shield

9000 1.454 x 108

H a(at T )
= (1.454 x 10 8)+(1.44 x 107 )
Shield

H a (at T Shield ) = 9891.33 Btu/lb

From the figure: TShield = 1540 oF

BWT TShield = 1733 1540 = 193 oF (Acceptable)

Convection Section Layout

QConvection = Q (QR QShield)
= (2.568 x 108) [ (1.454 x 108) (1.44 x 107)] = 1.258 x 108 Btu/hr

Tmax = 1523 498.76 = 1024.24 oF

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Chapter 2
Furnace Design

Tmin = 400 77 = 323 oF

T max T min 1024.24323
Tlm = T max = 1024.24 = 607.63 oF
ln ( ) ln ( )
T min 323

( cd o ) (2 n fhf t f )
Fins-Bank Free Area (FBFA) = Nt/row x E.T.L x 12

( 84.5 )(230.750.05)
= 9 x 27.01 x 12 = 66.34 ft2

AT (fins) = 7.33 ft2/ft.

Ao = 1.178 ft2/ft.
Flue gas mass flow rate 298,491.48
g' = FBFA = 66.34 = 4499.42 lb/ft2-gr

( BWT 210 ) + FGT

Tavg (convection) = 2 + 460

( 1733210 ) +400
= 2 = 961.5 oF = 1421.5 oR

Flue gas properties at this temperature:

Cp = 0.278 Btu/lb-oF
k = 0.0298 Btu/ft2-hr-oF
= 0.033 c.p. x 2.42 = 0.08 lb/ft2-hr
= 0.0292 lb/ft3
g ' do
Re = 12

4499.42 x 4.5
= 12 x 0.08 = 21,091.03

Using Re, we get: J = 0.0091

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Chapter 2
Furnace Design

J . C p . g'
. C p 23
ho =
( ) k

0.00 91 x 0.278 x 4499.42

.08 x 0.278 23
=
(
0.0298 ) = 13.835

From the figure, we get the fin efficiency (EFins) = 78 %

ho
ho (eff) = A T ( fins) [ EFins (AT(fins) Ao) + Ao]

1 3.229
= 7.33 [ 0.78 (7.33 1.178) + 1.178] = 10.786 Btu/ft2-oF-hr

hi (convection) = hi (shield) = 362.41 Btu/ft2-oF-hr

RT = Ri + Ro (eff) + Rmetal
A T ( fins) 1 AT (fins )
= hi . A i + ho (eff ) + hcond . A i

7.33 1 7.33
= 362.41 x (0.0884 x 12) + 13. 835 + 1215.19 x (0.0884 x 12) = 0. 0969 ft2.oF.hr/Btu

1 1
Uo (convection) = RT = 0.0969 = 10.32 Btu/ft2-oF-hr

Qc
Ac = U c T lm

1.258 x 108 2
= 10.32607.63 = 20,061 ft

Ac* = Nt/row x AT(fins) x E.T.L

= 9 x 7.33 x 27.01 = 1781.85 ft2/row
Ac 20, 061
Nrows = A c = 1781.85 = 11 rows

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Chapter 2
Furnace Design

Pressure Drop
Friction factor (f) calculation:

3600 G' x d i 3600 x 195.2 x 4.026

Re = 12 = 12 x 0.484 = 487,112.73

f' 0.0177
Using Re, we get: f = 0.0177 f = 4 = 4 = 0.0044

Equivalent length (Leq) calculation:

30 d i
(Leq)cross-over = 2 E.T.L + 12 x Nequivalent elbows = (2 x 27.01) + 30.195 = 84.215 ft.

NT NT 5 0 di
(Leq)radiation = [2 (Lv + 3) + ( N t / pass
2 ) (Lv 1)] + [ ( N t / pass )( )
1
12 ]

132 132 50 x 4.026

= [ 2 (83.16 + 3) + ( 3 2) (83.16 1)] + [( 3 1) ( 12 )] = 4344.37 ft.

N t / row N t / row 5 0 di
(Leq)conv + shield = [2 (E.T.L + 3) + ( N t / pass
x N rows 2 ) (E.T.L + 1.5)] + [ ( N t / pass )( )
x N rows 1
12 ]

9 9 50 x 4.026
= [ 2 (27.01 + 3) + ( 3 (3 + 11+1) 2) (27.01 + 1.5)] + [( 3 (3 + 11+1) 1) ( 12 )]

= 2024.05 ft.

(Leq)Total = (Leq)cross-over + (Leq)radiation + (Leq)conv + shield

= 84.215 + 4344.37 + 2024.05 = 3120.635 ft.

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Chapter 2
Furnace Design

0.00517 f .G ' 2 . Leq 0.00517 x 0.0044 x 195.22 x 3120.635

P = . di = 0.6 x 62.4 x 4.026 = 17.94 psi

(P) eff = 1.2 x 17.94 = 22 psi

Stack Design
Flue gas flow rate 298491.48
Stack cross-sectional area = 3600 x Mass velocity = 3600 x 0.8 = 103.64 ft2

A
D=
4


= 4 x 103.64
= 11 ft.

At FGT = 40 oF Draft / H = 0.00578 in H2O/ft.

Assuming that Draft = 0.8 in H2O H = 136 ft. (from the figure)
1 1 1 1

Draft = 0.52 H x Patm ( T a mbient FG T (o ) ) = 0.52 x 136 x 14.7 ( 540 86 0 ) = 0.716 in H2O
R

0.716
(Draft/H) calculated = 136 = 0.00526 < (Draft/H) assumed Acceptable

Then, well choose a stack with the following characteristics:

D = 11 ft.
H = 136 ft.
Draft = 0.8 in. H2O

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