Installation of lean premix and remote fuel staging system in industrial process heater for next generation nox emissions control

John Zink Hamworthy Combustion (JZHC) has completed the first installation and startup of the SOLEX combustion system in the Vacuum Tower Feed Furnace at a GS Caltex refinery in South Korea. The patented SOLEX™ burner compromises a lean premix zone of combustion, where the air-to-fuel ratio (AFR) is adjusted based on the conditions of the fuel gas and combustion air, paired with a remote fuel staging zone of combustion. To provide next generation NOx emissions, the combustion system includes a controls package that allows for single digit NOx emissions across all typical refinery fuel gas compositions from startup to full heater load. For this installation, JZHC provided thirty-two (32) SOLEX burners as part of the system solution. This paper outlines key design aspects, describes the installation and startup, and provides a summary of the emissions performance of the SOLEX combustion system.