LAND Enables the Expansion of Advanced Steam Reformer Temperature Monitoring for Enhanced Efficiency at Spanish Refinery

LAND^® has facilitated the adoption of the optimal high-resolution thermal imaging solution for a Spanish refinery’s steam methane reformer furnace

The verified system was proven to deliver precise data from accurate monitoring of catalyst tube wall temperatures (TWTs) for enhanced operational efficiency, productivity and safety.

During extensive trials at the refinery, LAND specialists implemented its unique Gold Cup reference pyrometer technology to determine which temperature monitoring instrument delivers the best performance to suit the challenging and complex steam reformer environment.

Results from tests on two of the top-fired furnaces concluded that the high-resolution 1μm NIR-b-2K borescope thermal imaging camera offered significant benefits within the refinery’s specific application, providing outstanding resolution and image quality when measuring TWTs, for better identification of hotspots and tube condition compared to the 3.9 μm detector.

Although longer wavelengths overcome the effects of background reflections more easily, the short-wavelength full-radiometric 1μm infrared device can perform software-based background corrections to compensate for the effect of background reflections and hot furnace gases. The software can also integrate multiple frames to allow the temperature reading to be averaged.

The trial conclusions enabled the multi-energy company to choose the proven 1μm instrument for installation at additional furnaces at the site, while implementing additional Gold Cup readings to validate emissivity values, to expand the coverage of high-resolution thermal imaging for temperature monitoring of its reformer TWTs.

With the tailored LAND monitoring solution, the operator can capitalise fully on the revolutionary benefits of high-resolution thermal imaging, utilising the highly accurate, continuous and comprehensive temperature data to contribute to plant optimisation for improved productivity, lower energy consumption, improved asset protection and enhanced safety.

Jason Rushton, Application Engineer at LAND, said: “The refinery operator’s decision to choose the NIR-b 2K was essentially down to it meeting their specific focus on image quality and resolution over absolute accuracy. The trial demonstrated conclusively the benefits of using a combination of reference pyrometry and thermal imaging for TWTs, but particularly the advantages of high resolution imaging.”

Maintaining a consistent and optimal temperature in steam reformer furnaces with accurate and regular temperature monitoring of the catalyst-containing tubes is crucial to controlling the reforming reaction and maximising the profitability of a plant. 

Informed by precise and repeatable temperature data, operators can run the furnace closer to design temperatures to improve hydrogen yield and reduce methane slip, leading to potentially huge annual savings.