Lessons Learned and Keys to Success in Engineering, Procurement and IFAT/FAT for Furnaces and Related Facilities

Introduction

Engineering, Procurement, and IFAT/FAT (Inspection and Factory Acceptance Testing) are critical phases in the life cycle of industrial furnaces and related facilities. These stages ensure the reliability, safety, and efficiency of complex systems, such as furnaces, waste heat boilers, and fuel systems. In this article, we will explore detailed lessons learned and keys to success across these phases, focusing on specific items that require meticulous attention.

This LinkedIn article dives deep into the essential aspects of engineering, procurement, and Inspection & Factory Acceptance Testing (IFAT/FAT) for furnaces and associated facilities. We'll not only explore key learnings but also provide a comprehensive analysis of critical IFAT/FAT scope elements and acceptance criteria.

Engineering and Design Phase

1. Accurate Airflow Measurement
2. Forced Circulation Waste Heat Boiler Water/Steam Circulating System
3. Fuel-Oil and Fuel-Gas Systems
4. Essential Furnace Components: We'll delve into the design and functionality of various furnace components, including: Observation windows for burner throats, coils, and furnace cell, along with details on handles and weather protection. Tube guides in convection sections with specific refractory thicknesses. Transportation/erection framework for tube bundles. Spacer strips for convection section piping. Air-cooled peepholes with flappers and sight glasses. We'll provide typical drawings for: Suspension of waste heat boiler coils. Steam-disengaging drum. Shot cleaning equipment.
5. Piping and Fittings: We'll cover various types of return bend fittings with nominal sizes and classes.
6. Structural Details: We'll explore typical details of wall and corner joints, furnace base, bottom (with and without header boxes), and cover plates for header boxes. Access doors for furnace bottoms and frames for vertical and horizontal observation windows will be addressed.
7. Burner Connections and Details: We'll illustrate the connection methods for Lyunet burners in furnace bottoms (single and double configurations). Details on single and double stuffing boxes on lined and non-lined plates will be provided.
8. Wall and Roof Design: Design criteria for wall girders will be discussed. Typical roof structures for large and small furnaces, with various configurations (single/double cell, with or without fittings at the top) will be illustrated. Roof details encompassing coil suspension, stuffing boxes, header boxes, beam ends, panel connections, and flue duct connections will be included.
9. Flue Gas Handling: Flanged connections, expansion joints, sliding plates, access doors, and dampers (single and double shaft) for flue ducts will be explained.
10. Air Ducts: Details on ducts for cold and hot air, including flexible flanged connections, dampers, and inspection panels will be covered.
11. Access and Maintenance: We'll explore details of removable wall panels, panels with inlet/outlet pipes, connections for tube guides, coil supporting beams, and cooled support details.
12. Hopper Floor: In-depth explanations of hopper floor details, including explosion hatches, will be provided.
13. Instrumentation and Connections: We'll cover connection methods for thermowells (with and without protection shields), flue gas analyzers, skin thermocouples, air ducts for purging and cooling, smothering steam connections, and drain connections for header boxes. Installation methods for thermocouples on furnace tubes and thermowell assemblies for return bend fittings will be elaborated on.
14. Burner Systems: We'll delve into various low NOx burner types (LN 340, LN 420, LN 520) including their general arrangements, mounting flanges and registers, cover plates, airboxes, shell burner cup throats, gas gun burners, triple fuel gun burners, oil barrels with tailpieces, connection pieces and flappers, safety valves, atomizers, orifices, low tension ignition burners, sight glasses, and wrenches.

Procurement Phase

1. Vendor Selection and Quality Assurance
2. Specification and Standards Compliance
3. Inspection and Testing Protocols

IFAT/FAT (Inspection and Factory Acceptance Testing)

1. Scope and Acceptance Criteria
2. Systematic Testing Procedures
3. Control and Safeguarding Systems

Items to Be Checked

1. Observation Windows and Inspection Ports
2. Structural Components and Supports
3. Safety and Accessibility Features
4. Fuel Burners:
5. Other Items to be Checked and IFAT/FAT Scope:

• Typical arrangements for air flow measurement at strategic locations like the suction and discharge of Forced Draught (FD) fans.
• Water/steam circulation systems in forced circulation waste heat boilers.
• Fuel oil and fuel gas systems for furnaces with varying burner configurations (single burner, manually/automatically started FD furnaces with multiple burners, etc.)
• Control and safeguarding systems for furnaces with gas burners.
• Modifications to existing fuel gas systems for safeguarded manual startup and operation on gas.
• Air/fuel ratio control and safeguarding systems.
• Waste gas firing systems.
• Natural draught furnaces with multiple burners.
• Fuel gas systems for automatically started, forced draught, multi-burner furnaces/boilers.
• FCC air preheater with a fuel gas fired system.
• Combustion control and safeguarding schemes for tangentially gas-fired CO boilers.
• Observation windows for furnace components.
• Tube guides within convection sections.
• Transportation/erection framework for tube bundles.
• Spacer strips for convection section piping.
• Air-cooled peepholes with flappers and sight glasses.
• Typical drawings for waste heat boiler coils, steam-disengaging drums, and shot cleaning equipment.
• Two-hole return bend fittings in various sizes and configurations.
• Details of wall and corner joints, furnace base, bottom (with/without header box), and cover plates for header boxes.
• Access doors for furnace bottoms and observation windows (vertical/horizontal), including frames and panels.
• Burner connections in furnace bottoms (single/double L?????? burners).
• Stuffing boxes (single/double) on lined and unlined plates.
• Design criteria for wall girders.
• Typical roof structures for large and small furnaces (single/double cell with various fitting configurations).
• Roof details like coil suspension/stuffing box, beam ends, panel connections, and flue duct connections.
• Flanged connections, expansion joints, sliding plates, access doors, and dampers (single/double shaft) for flue ducts.
• Details of ducts for cold and hot air, including flexible flanged connections and dampers.
• Vertical suction pipes with rain caps for FD fans.
• Inspection panels and operating mechanisms for dampers in air ducts.
• Removable wall panels with inlet/outlet pipes, connections for tube guides, and details of coil supporting beams and cooled supports.
• Hopper floor details (including explosion hatches).
• Connections for thermocouples, pressure instruments, thermowells (with/without shields), flue gas analyzers, skin thermocouples, air ducts (purge/cooling), smothering steam connections (air ducts, furnaces, flue ducts), and drain connections for header boxes.
• Thermocouple installation on furnace tubes, thermowell assemblies for return bends, and thermowells for large ducting.

In-depth Analysis of IFAT/FAT Scope and Acceptance Criteria:

The IFAT/FAT process ensures that furnaces and related equipment meet project specifications before shipment. Here's a breakdown of crucial items to be checked during IFAT/FAT:

• Air Flow Measurement: Suction and discharge of Forced Draft (FD) fans.
• Water/Steam Circulation System: Typical forced circulation waste heat boiler system.
• Fuel Systems: Fuel oil and gas systems for various furnace configurations: Manually started, single burner furnace. Automatically started, forced draught furnaces with: Single burner (steam atomized) Two or more steam atomized burners More than two burners Furnaces with modifications for safeguarded manual gas startup.
• Control and Safeguarding Systems: Furnaces with single or multiple gas burners. Natural draught furnaces with multiple burners. Waste gas fired systems. Fuel gas fired FCC air preheaters. Tangentially gas-fired CO boilers.
• Observation and Access: Burner throat, coil, and furnace cell observation windows (including handles and weather protection).
• Tube and Piping Systems: Tube guides in convection sections. Typical transportation/erection frame-work for tube bundles. Spacer strips for convection section piping. Air-cooled peep holes with flappers and sight glasses. Typical drawings for: Suspension of waste heat boiler coils. Steam-disengaging drum. Shot cleaning equipment.
• Fittings: Two-hole return bend fittings in various sizes and configurations (including reducers).
• Structural Details: Typical details of wall and corner joints, furnace base, bottom (with and without header boxes), cover plates for header boxes.
• Access Panels and Doors: Access door for furnace bottom. Frames for vertical and horizontal observation windows. Access panels for vertical observation windows.
• Burner Connections: Lyunet burner connections (single and double) in furnace bottom.
• Stuffing Boxes: Single and double stuffing boxes on lined and unlined plates.
• Wall Girders and Roof Design: Design criteria for wall girders. Typical roof designs for large and small furnaces (with various configurations). Roof details for coil suspension, stuffing boxes, beam ends, panel connections, flue duct connection, etc.
• Flue Gas Duct and Dampers: Flanged connections, expansion joints, sliding plates, access doors, dampers (single and double shaft).
• Air Ducts: Details for cold and hot air ducts, flexible flanged connections, dampers.
• Forced Draft Fan: Vertical suction pipe with rain cap.

Beyond the list, here are some key learnings and success factors for projects involving furnaces and related facilities:

• Detailed Engineering: Invest in meticulous engineering that considers all aspects of furnace operation, including fuel type, burner configuration, safety systems, and material selection.
• Supplier Selection: Choose experienced and reputable suppliers with a proven track record in furnace manufacturing and compliance with relevant standards.
• Clear Communication: Maintain open communication channels between engineering, procurement, and the supplier throughout the project lifecycle.
• Inspection and Testing: Conduct rigorous inspections at the supplier's facility during FAT to ensure adherence to specifications and identify potential issues before shipment.
• Documentation: Maintain comprehensive documentation, including FAT procedures, checklists, and reports for future reference.

Lessons Learned and Best Practices

Throughout the article, we'll share valuable lessons learned from real-world projects. This will cover aspects like:

• Importance of clear and detailed engineering specifications to ensure proper equipment selection, manufacturing, and compliance with standards.
• Effective communication and collaboration between engineering, procurement, and the manufacturing facility for timely project execution and adherence to IFAT/FAT requirements.
• Utilizing checklists and comprehensive IFAT/FAT procedures to ensure all critical components and systems are thoroughly inspected

Conclusion

Success in engineering, procurement, and IFAT/FAT for furnaces and related facilities hinges on meticulous planning, rigorous testing, and adherence to safety standards. By focusing on detailed design criteria, thorough procurement processes, and comprehensive testing protocols, organizations can ensure the reliability, efficiency, and safety of these critical industrial systems. The lessons learned from past projects underscore the importance of precision, quality assurance, and proactive risk management in achieving operational excellence.

By following these guidelines and paying close attention to the detailed IFAT/FAT scope outlined above, you can ensure a successful project and the smooth operation of your furnace and related facilities.

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