OXYGEN-ENHANCED COMBUSTION FOR THE REFINING INDUSTRY

Breathing productivity into your process

At Praxair, we believe experience matters. We have been oxygen innovators for over 70 years, and have worked side-by-side with leading refiners for over 50 years. We were one of the first companies to apply oxygen technologies to both FCC and SRU units and are constantly working on new technologies to help refiners work more productively. Our oxygen-enhanced combustion technologies are a flexible and low-cost way to increase productivity, decrease fuel consumption and reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. These technologies have been implemented in some of the largest manufacturing facilities in the world. Our experience enables us to evaluate and implement oxygen applications in fired heaters with minimal to no downtime and with an ever-present focus on safety.

Praxair’s oxygen-enhanced combustion technology is made possible by oxygen jets that are used to establish internal fuel gas recirculation, control flame pattern and length, and improve flame stability. By installing this technology, the heater flame is diluted, and the lower flame temperature will significantly reduce NOx levels by up to 50%. Furthermore, when you replace air-containing nitrogen with oxygen, fuel consumption can be decreased by as much as 30%.

Oxygen-enhanced combustion technologies can be implemented without shutting down your heater. Our proven oxy-fuel technology can be implemented in three ways to improve heater performance: enrichment of combustion air using a sparger, replacing a portion of combustion air by inserting oxygen lances into the heater box, or total replacement of the combustion air burners with oxygen burners. Major equipment required for installation is limited to flow control skids, small insertable burners or lances, or a sparger in the case of enrichment. The small amount of required equipment results in a system that requires little space and is low in capital investment.