The Effect of Refractory Wall Emissivity on the Energy Efficiency of a Gas-Fired Steam Cracking Pilot Unit
The effect of high emissivity coatings on the radiative heat transfer in steam cracking furnaces is far from understood. To start, there is a lack of experimental data describing the emissive properties of the materials encountered in steam cracking furnaces. Therefore, spectral normal emissivity me...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Materials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/880 |
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| author | Stijn Vangaever Joost Van Thielen Jeremy Hood John Olver Petra Honnerovà Geraldine J. Heynderickx Kevin M. Van Geem |
| author_facet | Stijn Vangaever Joost Van Thielen Jeremy Hood John Olver Petra Honnerovà Geraldine J. Heynderickx Kevin M. Van Geem |
| author_sort | Stijn Vangaever |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The effect of high emissivity coatings on the radiative heat transfer in steam cracking furnaces is far from understood. To start, there is a lack of experimental data describing the emissive properties of the materials encountered in steam cracking furnaces. Therefore, spectral normal emissivity measurements are carried out, evaluating the emissive properties of refractory firebricks before and after applying a high emissivity coating at elevated temperatures. The emissive properties are enhanced significantly after applying a high emissivity coating. Pilot unit steam cracking experiments show a 5% reduction in fuel gas firing rate after applying a high emissivity coating on the refractory of the cracking cells. A parametric study, showing the effect of reactor coil and furnace wall emissive properties on the radiative heat transfer inside a tube-in-box geometry, confirms that a non-gray gas model is required to accurately model the behavior of high emissivity coatings. Even though a gray gas model suffices to capture the heat sink behavior of a reactor coil, a non-gray gas model that is able to account for the absorption and re-emission in specific bands is necessary to accurately model the benefits of applying a high emissivity coating on the furnace wall. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:55:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4023c962689a4b17b61cf3d86db61c46 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:55:25Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-4023c962689a4b17b61cf3d86db61c462023-12-11T16:54:21ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442021-02-0114488010.3390/ma14040880The Effect of Refractory Wall Emissivity on the Energy Efficiency of a Gas-Fired Steam Cracking Pilot UnitStijn Vangaever0Joost Van Thielen1Jeremy Hood2John Olver3Petra Honnerovà4Geraldine J. Heynderickx5Kevin M. Van Geem6Laboratory for Chemical Technology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 125, 9052 Ghent, BelgiumCRESS B.V., Deltahoek 34, 4511 PA Breskens, The NetherlandsEmisshield Inc., 2000 Kraft Drive VA, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USAEmisshield Inc., 2000 Kraft Drive VA, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USANew Technologies Research Centre, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, 306 14 Pilsen, Czech RepublicLaboratory for Chemical Technology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 125, 9052 Ghent, BelgiumLaboratory for Chemical Technology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 125, 9052 Ghent, BelgiumThe effect of high emissivity coatings on the radiative heat transfer in steam cracking furnaces is far from understood. To start, there is a lack of experimental data describing the emissive properties of the materials encountered in steam cracking furnaces. Therefore, spectral normal emissivity measurements are carried out, evaluating the emissive properties of refractory firebricks before and after applying a high emissivity coating at elevated temperatures. The emissive properties are enhanced significantly after applying a high emissivity coating. Pilot unit steam cracking experiments show a 5% reduction in fuel gas firing rate after applying a high emissivity coating on the refractory of the cracking cells. A parametric study, showing the effect of reactor coil and furnace wall emissive properties on the radiative heat transfer inside a tube-in-box geometry, confirms that a non-gray gas model is required to accurately model the behavior of high emissivity coatings. Even though a gray gas model suffices to capture the heat sink behavior of a reactor coil, a non-gray gas model that is able to account for the absorption and re-emission in specific bands is necessary to accurately model the benefits of applying a high emissivity coating on the furnace wall.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/880radiative heat transferhigh emissivity coatingspectral normal emissivityenergy efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Stijn Vangaever Joost Van Thielen Jeremy Hood John Olver Petra Honnerovà Geraldine J. Heynderickx Kevin M. Van Geem The Effect of Refractory Wall Emissivity on the Energy Efficiency of a Gas-Fired Steam Cracking Pilot Unit Materials radiative heat transfer high emissivity coating spectral normal emissivity energy efficiency |
| title | The Effect of Refractory Wall Emissivity on the Energy Efficiency of a Gas-Fired Steam Cracking Pilot Unit |
| title_full | The Effect of Refractory Wall Emissivity on the Energy Efficiency of a Gas-Fired Steam Cracking Pilot Unit |
| title_fullStr | The Effect of Refractory Wall Emissivity on the Energy Efficiency of a Gas-Fired Steam Cracking Pilot Unit |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effect of Refractory Wall Emissivity on the Energy Efficiency of a Gas-Fired Steam Cracking Pilot Unit |
| title_short | The Effect of Refractory Wall Emissivity on the Energy Efficiency of a Gas-Fired Steam Cracking Pilot Unit |
| title_sort | effect of refractory wall emissivity on the energy efficiency of a gas fired steam cracking pilot unit |
| topic | radiative heat transfer high emissivity coating spectral normal emissivity energy efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/880 |
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