ENV-06-147 Controlling NOX on Refinery Heaters Using CO-Based Control Technology

Description:

CO based combustion controls for refinery heaters provide a number of benefits. With the focus on reducing excess air and the resultant fuel savings, many refinery engineers are not aware of the additional environmental benefits that result from CO based control technology. As an example, four refinery process heaters – (3) natural draft and (1) forced draft - at Placid Refining Company LLC in Port Allen, Louisiana have been recently retrofitted with CO based combustion control systems. This project provides the ideal opportunity to examine and quantify the environmental benefits made available by this technology on different types of heaters. This paper will: - Review the heaters’ characteristics, - Discuss operation of the heaters prior to installation of CO based controls, - Explain the technology implemented, and - Detail the resultant performance benefits. In addition to the emissions reductions, improvement is seen in heater efficiency with associated fuel gas savings as expected.