Understanding the temperatures of the tube walls is critical to controlling the reforming reaction. It also significantly affects the lifespan of the tubes, since this can be rapidly diminished by overheating.
Finding a balanced temperature that does not place undue stress on the tubes, while being high enough to deliver the most efficient process, is critical, and can have a significant impact on the profitability of a plant.
The best method for meeting the demands of improved safety and production is to implement regular temperature monitoring. This guide covers three technologies that are used to meet this requirement: infrared pyrometers,
thermal imaging borescopes, and the
Gold Cup.
Each of these methods use a
non-contact temperature measurement technique which, while providing highly accurate and repeatable temperature data, requires an understanding of this challenging application.
Inexpensive, easy-to-use handheld pyrometers have traditionally been the industry standard for steam reformer tube measurements. Although they need to compensate for emissivity and reflected radiation, they deliver precise results at high speed.
A method to verify the portable pyrometer readings is to use the
Gold Cup. pyrometer, which is held against the tube surface to eliminate background, sight path, and emissivity effects.
Thermal imaging technology can now be housed in water-cooled jackets which mean reformers can be monitored continuously, patterns can be observed, and alarms can be set to automatically detect concerning temperature rises and falls.
In this guide, we look at how tube wall temperature (TWT) measurements can benefit your applications, the technology behind the measurements, and a range of solutions that help reformer operators achieve safer, more efficient production.
Learn more about:
• Steam Reformer Optimisation
• Benefits of TWT Measurements
• Benefits of Accurate Temperature Measurements
• Non-contact Infrared Measurements
• Using Portable Handheld Pyrometers
• Gold Cup Reference Measurements
• Thermal Imaging Solutions