Utilizing an Innovative Digital Connected Platform to Improve Reformer Operations.
Primary reformers utilize a complex combustion system which can be challenging to operate and optimize beyond a base case. Operators are typically required to rely on global instrumentation for key parameters of fuel flow, global oxygen and temperature to optimize hundreds of burners across different zones of the unit in order to balance temperatures, efficiency and control emissions. Operators are also required to spend significant time at the unit to visually inspect and make adjustments to try and keep the unit running safely and reliably at all times.
OnPoint’s innovative Smart Combustion™ platform provides enhanced combustion insights to allow operators to improve reformer combustion systems. The platform consists of 2 digital solutions, ZoloSCAN and Ember. Ember is a cloud-based analytical tool which takes real-time data collected from existing instrumentation, recorded in the site historian and analyzes it in specifically derived physics-based models. It then returns operational insights and burner-by-burner setpoint recommendations to help operators and process engineers optimize their combustion equipment with real-time feedback and no more iteration required. Some of those insights include burner stoichiometry, air registers setting recommendations and gas tip plugging quantification so that proactive rather than reactive maintenance can be scheduled.
ZoloSCAN is a laser-based measurement system which can simultaneously measure temperature, oxygen, CO and water in real-time, inside the firebox. Up to 24 measurement locations can be installed using a single system providing greater granularity than traditional global measurements. These measurements provide real-time feedback so that combustion can be optimized to better balance temperature eliminating hot spots and reducing the variation between coils increasing asset life, reliability and throughput.
Before applying Smart Combustion, this user was experiencing large variations in their coil outlet temperatures and observed poor combustion performance including elongated flames and flame impingement on process tubes. This led to premature catalyst deactivation and accelerated process tube failure. The site had to rely on point source measurements for flue gas temperature, oxygen and CO with analyzers located at the exit of the radiant section. This allowed for a global overview of products of combustion but not local imbalances of temperature, regions of high or low oxygen and the origin of CO creation across the heater. A holistic solution of Ember and ZoloSCAN was used on this unit to troubleshoot and solve the combustion related issues and optimize for increased safety, reliability, and throughput.
The results of applying these technologies was over $1,000,000 US dollars in benefit in the first year with signification savings in the years following. The asset is now optimized to its maximum potential and operators are able to keep it that way through advanced monitoring and APC control.
