Careers Advanced Robotic Technology for Fired Heater Convection Section Efficiency
Revolutionizing Fired Heater Maintenance with Cutting-Edge Robotics
In today’s energy-intensive industrial sectors, fired heaters are critical assets that directly impact operational efficiency, production capacity, and environmental compliance. The convection section—often the most challenging area to maintain—plays a vital role in heat recovery and overall thermal efficiency.
Traditional convection section cleaning methods have long faced significant limitations, resulting in incomplete cleaning, extended downtimes, and compromised fired heater performance.
Our Mark7 ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) technology represents a breakthrough in fired heater maintenance, offering unprecedented access to previously unreachable areas within the convection section while maximizing safety and minimizing downtime during critical maintenance turnarounds.
The Challenge of Convection Section Fouling
Fired heaters are the workhorses of refineries and petrochemical facilities, consuming substantial amounts of fuel to deliver the thermal energy necessary for process operations. The convection section, designed to recover waste heat from flue gas, commonly experiences:
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Progressive fouling from combustion deposits and environmental contaminants
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Efficiency losses of 5–15% between maintenance cycles
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Reduced heat transfer leading to increased fuel consumption
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Environmental compliance challenges due to lower operational efficiency
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Production constraints when thermal transfer becomes severely impaired
Industry studies reveal that even a 1% efficiency improvement in a fired heater can deliver annual savings of $100,000 to $500,000 for a typical refinery unit. Yet achieving this improvement has historically been restricted by the physical limitations of traditional cleaning methods.
Mark7 ROV: Advanced Robotic Technology Redefining Fired Heater Maintenance
The proprietary Mark7 ROV represents the culmination of decades of engineering innovation, specifically developed to address the challenges of fouling in fired heater convection sections.
Unparalleled Safety Performance
Worker safety remains our top priority during maintenance operations. While in operation, the Mark7 ROV eliminates the need for personnel entry into confined spaces, dramatically reducing exposure to:
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High-temperature environments
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Hazardous combustion residues
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Risks associated with confined-space entry
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Respiratory hazards from airborne particulate matter
The Mark7 ROV maintains a perfect safety record across hundreds of global deployments. Maintenance supervisors consistently cite enhanced worker safety as a primary benefit, alongside superior technical cleaning capabilities.
Complete Restoration of Convection Section Duty
The Mark7 ROV delivers exceptional technical results, including:
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360° Access Technology: Proprietary articulation systems allow the ROV to navigate between tube banks and access all convection section surfaces, including those previously considered unreachable by conventional methods.
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High-Precision Robotic Cleaning: A computer-controlled cleaning arm dynamically adjusts level and angle, delivering optimal cleaning efficiency without risking tube damage.
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Real-Time HD Monitoring: High-definition cameras provide operators with continuous visual feedback throughout operation, ensuring precision and confidence.
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Quantifiable Efficiency Gains: Before-and-after imaging captures dramatic improvements in heat transfer, with typical restoration of 90–95% of original convection section duty compared to design specifications.
TubeTech™ Fired Heater Fouling Removal Case Studies
Thermal Efficiency Increased by 3% at Turkey Refinery
The refinery had been experiencing reduced performance due to fouling on convection bank tubes within a steam methane reformer.
- Hydrogen production cost decrease resulted in ROI in less than 60 days
- Flue gas temperature decreased by 3%
- Steam production increased by 20%
Robot Restores Stack Temperatures in Holland
The convection section of the fertiliser production plant’s Primary Reformer Furnace was heavily fouled as it had never been cleaned before and fouling build-up was affecting efficiency.
TubeTech™ was able to deploy its patented robotic fouling removal system to penetrate and clean deep between each tube row whilst protecting the asset from refractory damage.
- 95% of the asset surface area was accessed
- Stack temperatures were restored
- 90%+ of fouling was removed
Free Whitepaper: How to Cut Emissions & Fuel + Increase Capacity in Fired Heaters
What do our customers say?
“The service they provide, in my opinion, is second to none. Technically and technologically TubeTech™’s knowledge surpasses any company I have personally met that supplies this kind of service.”
Process Engineer, Major European Refinery
