Cracking Furnace Fuel Supply – Design, Operational and Maintenance Issues

This paper outlines the challenges faced in the design, operation and maintenance of ethylene plant fuel supply systems.  There are a number of design practices that can influence the long-term cleanliness of the fuel supply which can have a detrimental impact on the firing uniformity of the burners.  If uncorrected, a degradation of fuel firing uniformity has the potential to impact cracking furnace performance resulting in shortened run length and reduction in radiant coil service life.

Potential improvements in design, operation & maintenance practices are presented with focus on fuel supply system design upgrades and implementation of a fuel flow uniformity checking procedure.  The implementation of a fuel flow uniformity checking procedure is a quantitative method to identify burners that require maintenance.