AM-17-34 The Importance of Pyrometer Temperature Measurement Corrections to Safe and Reliable Reformer Operation

Description:

Steam methane reforming (SMR) is the leading industrial process for the production of hydrogen. The heart of this process is the reformer, where steam and natural gas react in catalyst-filled reformer tubes located inside of a furnace. An important operating parameter that must be monitored during this process is the tube wall temperatures (TWTs) of the reformer tubes. In general, as the furnace operating temperature increases, and thus the TWTs increase, the process operates more efficiently. However, because tube life is inversely proportional to TWT, optimal operation requires a balance between the efficiency benefits of high temperature operation and potential negative aspects on tube life and mechanical integrity. Central to achieving this balance is accurate measurement of TWTs. The industry standard method for determining tube temperatures is radiation thermometry. However, this method suffers from inherent errors due to geometric view factors and reflected radiation. This paper will analyze errors in measuring TWTs and present examples to illustrate the importance of correcting for these errors in order to obtain accurate TWT measurements and ultimately help ensure the safety, efficiency and reliability of the SMR process.