Monitoring High Temperature Industrial Installations

An application report from FLIR Systems (France) details how the German Bayernoil refinery complex has used a FLIR infrared furnace camera to monitor its hydro reformers enabling them to keep the installations up and running efficiently.

Stable high temperatures and efficient combustion in refinery furnaces, heaters and boilers are mandatory for a continuous output of high-quality oil derivates. The high temperature hydro reformer installations at Bayernoil run 24/7 and at 100% capacity to satisfy the high demand for their petroleum products. Hence the major importance of condition monitoring and preventive maintenance of furnaces and heat supply.

Using a FLIR GF309 furnace camera - the application report details how engineers regularly inspect the different types of furnaces at the three Bayernoil sites. Calibrated for measurements of up to 1,500 ºC, the FLIR GF309 furnace camera provides temperature reading across entire high-temperature surface areas, enabling a faster inspection in critical or potentially hazardous environments. The FLIR GF309 furnace camera's protective shield is designed not only to reflect the heat away from the camera and its user, but also entirely cover the area of a furnace inspection window.

The information gathered by the furnace camera has helped Bayernoil to determine when furnace temperature sensors need to be exchanged; indicate if the temperature of piping stays within acceptable safe limits; provide information if productivity can be raised and to assess the condition of the furnace burners to determine whether they have to be adjusted or cleaned.

Using the FLIR Reporter software suite on the GF309 furnace camera - Bayernoil engineers are able to gather and analyse their findings and to share them with the process safety, production and maintenance specialists at the plants, enabling them to assess and optimise production.

Overall Bayernoil have found that the FLIR GF309 furnace camera has given them key information on the thermal load of their furnace and piping installations enabling production optimisation and an improvement in operational safety. They expect the infra-red camera to be amortised within two years.