Careers Robotic Fired Heater Convection Section Cleaning Saves an Estimated $900K Annually
Fired heaters often operate below their true potential, limiting throughput, increasing fuel consumption, and increasing emissions. Identifying and quantifying these losses is key to unlocking performance.
IGS begins energy efficiency projects with a complimentary thermal efficiency evaluation that combines engineering expertise with advanced analysis to evaluate design intent against real operating conditions. This data-driven approach identifies efficiency gaps, operational constraints, and clear opportunities to improve performance, delivering quantified fuel savings, reduced emissions, and actionable recommendations tied to ROI.
For this unit, the IGS evaluation predicted measurable efficiency gains from removing convection-section fouling, providing a clear pathway to reduce fuel use and restore heat transfer.
The following case study demonstrates how those predicted gains were successfully delivered in the field.
U25-40849
Fired Heater Convection Section Fouling at a Brazilian Petrochemical Plant
A large-scale petrochemical operation in Brazil maintains high production standards where heat transfer efficiency and reliability are critical to sustained output. Within this environment, fired heater convection sections experienced significant fouling buildup, directly impacting performance.
A full inspection identified heavy, consistent fouling across all tubes, including:
- Deposits embedded between fins restricting airflow
- Scale-like contaminants covering bare tubes
- Increased fouling severity in lower sections due to particulate deposition
These conditions reduced heat-transfer efficiency, increased fuel demand, and created an urgent need for a comprehensive, non-intrusive cleaning solution to restore operational performance.
Robotic High-Precision Execution
The operation required a solution capable of addressing extensive fouling while maintaining strict safety and execution standards.
Key considerations included:
- Eliminating confined-space entry
- Achieving full cleaning coverage across all accessible tubes
- Restore rising stack temperatures to design parameters
These conditions reduced heat-transfer efficiency, increased fuel demand, and created an urgent need for a comprehensive, non-intrusive cleaning solution to restore operational performance.
Safe Fired Heater Cleaning Without Confined-Space Entry
High-Pressure Robotic Cleaning Across Four Convection Tube Coils
IGS deployed its TubeTech robotic system to execute high-pressure water cleaning across four convection tube coils.
Cleaning of four convection tube coils, each approximately 10 m (33 ft) in length. A combination of flush and lance ROV systems, equipped with application-specific high-pressure tooling, enabled targeted removal of fouling across complex tube geometries.
Inspection and cleaning were carried out from multiple access points, including top, side, and lower access windows, ensuring 100% coverage of all accessible tubes.
The robotic system enabled:
- Multi-angle cleaning from multiple access levels
- Full reach across complex tube bank geometries
- Real-time monitoring and control from outside the unit
- Effective water containment and debris management without chemicals
This approach ensured non-intrusive, high-precision cleaning without requiring confined-space entry.
Robotic Cleaning Execution and Safety Results
| Performance Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Cleaning Coverage | 100% of accessible tubes |
| Safety Performance | Zero incidents |
| Execution | Completed within planned schedule |
130 °C / 234 °F Stack Temperature Reduction Drives the Largest Efficiency Gain Seen in Over 30-Years of Unit Maintenance History
The project delivered clear, measurable improvements in heater performance, efficiency, and operational reliability.
~$900K Annual Savings Driven by Measurable Efficiency Gains
| Performance Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Stack Temperature Reduction | 130°C / 234°F decrease |
| Energy Efficiency Improvement | 7.2% |
| Fuel Consumption Reduction | 2.2 MW (7.5 MMBtu/hr) |
| Estimated Annual Savings | US$900,000 |
Beyond efficiency gains, restored convection performance increases radiant inlet temperature, supporting improved product yield, reduced heat flux, and extended run length.
“Our role was to restore performance while fundamentally improving how maintenance is executed. By removing fouling with a fully remote, high-precision approach, we enabled safer operations and measurable efficiency gains that can be repeated across the facility.”
– Andrew Nieminski, Business Development Manager, IGS
WATCH: Restoring Heat Exchanger Performance in Refining Operations
Improved efficiency by up to 7.2% through safe, high-coverage robotic cleaning, validated in-field against pre-project predictions.
That’s Asset Vitality.
Speak with an IGS Fired Heater Efficiency Specialist
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