Computers & Chemical Engineering, Vol.38, 24-34, 2012
Coupled simulation of an industrial naphtha cracking furnace equipped with long-flame and radiation burners
A coupled reactor/furnace simulation has been conducted for a 100 kt/a SL-II naphtha cracking furnace containing both long-flame and radiation burners. The computational fluid dynamics approach was used to simulate the flow, combustion and radiative heat transfer in the furnace. The software packages COIL-SIM1D and SimCO were used to account for the cracking process in the reactor coils. The simulation provides for the first time detailed information about concentration, velocity, and temperature fields for these types of furnaces. Comparison of the calculated product yields against measured industrial data validates the simulation and shows that the difference with using a predefined normalized heat flux profile is limited. The results show that the design of radiation section outlet leads to an asymmetric flue gas-temperature. concentration and velocity profile. Large recirculation zones exist near the reactor tubes, making the temperature in the middle of furnace more uniform. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Reactor/furnace simulation;Cracking furnace;Computational fluid dynamics;Product yields;Recirculation