The Design of Ultra-Low NOx Critical Furnaces

Environmental legislation such as the EU-IPPC directive, is becoming more and more stringent. As a furnace designer, Technip is faced with the challenge to meet ultra-low NOx emissions when designing or revamping ethylene cracking furnaces and steam reformers. This requires a detailed understanding of the fundamentals of fluid dynamics and combustion kinetics in such critical heaters. The paper deals with the fundamental modeling approach Technip has developed as a mandatory tool when designing critical furnaces.