A practical knowledge of the acid dewpoint and its effect on sulfur emissions can better enable process heater operators to reduce maintenance costs, lower emissions and improve combustion efficiency.

Globally, across nearly every industry, OEMs and end users are looking for ways to improve their heat-treat equipment and processes. In addition, they are facing increasingly stringent NO_X emissions regulations while focusing on delivering the process and product quality their customers expect.

Burner Management has come a long way since its inception but at each stage the overall goal has been the same: to optimize the ratio of fuel to air and enhance safety. Today, the future of combustion control is a modular system that provides flexibility, integration, and remote access functionality.

Process heating equipment OEMs that build furnaces, ovens, dryers, kilns and boilers heated by gas burners face challenges related to the development of combustion control panels.

With a firing range of 15,000 to 200,000 MBH, Model FDR(X) combines a windbox, air register, ignition assembly, fuel train, flame-safety control, combustion control, flue-gas recirculation system and forced-draft blower into a packaged unit. 

Like many of the process industries, thermal processing is a critical necessity to the oil-and-gas industry. Applications range from simple line heaters being fed from a single well to safety instrumented systems at a large-scale refinery. Regardless of the application, the thermal process is measured based on how safe, environmentally friendly and efficient it is.

When the 2011 edition of the industrial ovens safety standard NFPA 86 was released, for the first time, safety programmable logic controllers (PLCs) were recognized as logic devices suitable for the safe operation of industrial heating equipment. The safety PLC could now perform the control logic, but it still could not directly control the combustion safeguard systems.

Nationwide Boiler Inc., Fremont, Calif., acquired Pacific Combustion Engineering/Ponder Burner Co., a manufacturer of burner management and combustion control systems as well as custom control panels. Based in Washougal, Wash., PCE/PBE will continue to operate under its current name as a division of Nationwide Boiler Inc.

When it comes time to replace an industrial boiler, or the need for additional capacity arises, boiler owners have options: They can buy new, or they can buy used. 

With fired heaters, users hope to get greater efficiency and reduced emissions but often are disappointed.