Engineering & Technical Capabilities

ThermaTran  provides a wealth of experience in fired heaters, incineration, NO_X minimization or removal and related systems.  Our engineering staff includes registered professional engineers.

In order to maintain total project continuity, the engineer handling your initial inquiry will design, cost estimate and present the final design package.

Our technical expertise is enhanced and assisted through the use of ThermaTran computer programs.  These programs were developed by utilizing our comprehensive design experience.  Our computer library, which contains more than 100 thermal, process and mechanical programs, can be used in numerous combinations.  CADD systems complement our process software to allow flexibility for the engineer to design equipment with the optimum thermal and mechanical efficiency.  Some examples of our program library are listed below:

 Fired Heater Thermal Efficiency Evaluation: 
All services, all firebox and coil geometries and for any fuels, with and without air preheat.

Air Preheat:   
Systems are integrated with all optional equipment including additional heat recovery, SCR’s, blowers, stack, bag houses, etc.

Multiple Service Convection Heat Recovery Systems: 
Up to 10 Separate Services in the same flue gas stream, co-current and counter current to flue gas flow, connected services, input of side flue gas streams, auxiliary firing, or flue gas by passing.  Row by row analysis of flue gas and process temperatures, tube metal and fin tip temperatures and flue gas pressure drop.

Combined System Combustion Analysis:

• Up to seven (7) separate combustion sources directed to a common flue gas stream.

• Each combustion source may fire up to three (3) separate fuels, for example, field oil, slop oil, and plant gas in any ratio.  The fuel oil may be steam atomized and any of the three (3) fuels may be selectively air preheated.

• Turbine exhaust O₂ source is available.  After combustion analysis, the combined flue gas streams may be utilized by a remote heat recovery unit and/or an air preheat exchanger.

• NO_x, SO_x, CO, particulate and dew point analysis is available for each heater and for the combined stream.  O₂ content and % XSA alternatives are available.

Process Side Programs:

• Two phase enthalpy pressure drop

• Multi-component crude calculations

• ASTM, D86, TBP or EFV or 10/70 Flash slope or ASTM D1160 inputs are acceptable

• Heat Balance programs for all services

• Pseudo component breakdown

• ASME Steam Table calculations

• Catalytic reformer (platformer) models

Atmospheric Crude, Vacuum Cruse and Reboiler Evaluations: 
The multiple pseudo-component flash model is based on the API recommended, "Soave-Redlich-Kwong" equation of state.  ThermaTran can utilize crude flash curve data from the following sources ASTM D86, TBP, EFV or even as little data as 10/70 slope and exit conditions.  The ThermaTran software can additionally allow for steam, water or light hydrocarbon injection at either the inlet or some intermedi­ate coil input.

The pressure drop program output includes a detailed pseudo component breakdown, a detailed inlet and outlet description and a tube by tube analysis of flux rates, cumulative length, pressure, temperature, vaporization, heat content, linear velocity and residence time.  Also, noted are maximum and average film and metal temperatures as well selective coke lay down capability on a tube-by-tube basis. Sub-tube increments are utilized to verify maximum metal temperatures and velocity in the outlet tubes. Finally, a complete range of properties is output as well for light hydrocarbons, non-condensable and/or steam presence on a tube-by-tube basis.

Transfer Line Calculation: 
As a compliment to our crude heater process programs, ThermaTran utilizes a transfer line evaluation program along the same lines.  We have found over the years that the outlet pressure of the crude heater is commonly unavail­able and in a number of cases, neither the pressure nor the temperature is available.  In these cases, ThermaTran can generate the heater exit conditions from the towers flash zone data and an isometric description of the transfer line.

Steam Services:
Boiler and Superheater Evaluation - Based on current ASME steam tables.
Complete Circuit Analysis – Economizer, Steam Generator and Steam Superheater

Mechanical and Structural Programs:

• Full range of heater structural design

• Stack optimization

• Multiple refractory layer shell temperature calculation

• Tube thickness in accordance with API RP-530 and/or ASME Sections I & VIII

• Multiple tube diameter vertical cylindrical heater coil layout

Thermal Design Programs:
This includes virtually all combustion and coil geometries in use today, natural draft, air preheat or turbine exhaust gas are available as O₂ sources for the combustion.  Natural gas, plant gas, fuel oil and discrete component (chromatographic analysis) firing analysis are available.

Ductwork analysis program:
This program will provide a flow, pressure and temperature analysis of an entire double fan air preheat system or just a small forced air or flue gas duct system.  Every type of flow element is available; straight duct, mitered elbow, three (3) piece elbow, turning vanes, tees (straight through and side entry), wyes, sudden and gradual contractions and expansions, surface exchangers, rotary exchangers, dampers, etc.

Velocity pressure, static pressure and total pressure as well as linear velocity, temperature and % of base flow are output at each flow component.  Streams may be split or combined in any ratio.

The program will accept circular, square or rectangular cross sections on an element-by-element basis or will design the same to a given maximum linear velocity while also holding a minimum diameter, consistent with refractory application to the duct interior.  Blower BHP and suction and discharge pressures are provided as well as flue gas by pass or hot air recycle.

After the proper application of the above noted programs is made, ThermaTran then does a thorough mechanical and structural design culminating in CAD drawing including all pertinent details.

Management