Simulation of heat transfer in the convection section of fired process heaters

Abstract

Heat transfer analysis of the radiation section in a fired process heater was carried out in order to determine the flue gas and process fluid temperatures in the zone separating the convection and the radiation sections. Such a determination is a pre-requisite for the heat transfer analysis of the convection section. A Matlab computer programme for the heat transfer analysis of the convection section was written and the results presented graphically including process heat load, the amount of absorbed heat per layer in the convection section and the temperature profiles of combustion gases, tube wall and process fluid.