Linde white paper details benefits of oxygen enrichment for refineries

Oxygen enrichment is a low risk, high return and short payback solution to today's refinery bottlenecking problems, according to a new white paper prepared by Linde LLC, ‘Improving process efficiency in refineries with oxygen enrichment: Focus on improved performance in refinery fired heaters’. With oxygen enrichment, Linde offers an innovative approach to enhancing furnace performance and reducing nitrogen oxide emissions without requiring high capital expenditure (CAPEX).

"Given the cost, high risk and long downtime associated with upgrades, many refinery operators are looking for a more flexible, low CAPEX solution," said Bob D'Orazio, Program Manager, Chemical Segment for Linde LLC, and one of the authors of the paper. "Oxygen enrichment is a low CAPEX, reversible solution that is the ideal strategy for a low risk, high return and short payback route to enhanced furnace operations."

Linde's new low level oxygen enrichment solution, for example, is tailored specifically to the needs of fired heaters. By modifying the burner design, this technology increases the efficiency, capacity and lifecycle of furnaces. At enrichment levels of less than 28%, oxygen can also increase the performance of optimised systems even further. Some of the potential benefits include:

• Up to 45% reduction in NO_X emissions relative to air only combustion.
• Up to 5% increase in efficiency levels.
• Low CAPEX solution.

Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/21052015/linde-white-paper-details-benefits-of-oxygen-enrichment-for-refineries-816/