RADIANT TUBE HEATING

Do Not Discard Important Documentation

Do not discard this manualit contains important safety, operating, maintenance, and installation instructions. Read, understand, and follow these instructions before working with the provided equipment. Failure to follow instructions could result in serious injury. Leave this manual with the party responsible for use and operation of the equipment.

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WARNING
DANGEROUS FUMES! Gas fumes are dangerous to inhale in any amount. The commissioning engineer must test piping joints for leaks at the point of connection with utilities and at all downstream points. Installation and testing exposes personnel to dangerous fumes from hydrocarbon gases. There are risks of inhaling carbon monoxide (CO) above allowable limits due to emissions of a hazardous substance and due to heat. AFC-Holcroft recommends persons working with this equipment carry a CO sensor to monitor excess carbon monoxide. Use caution when installing or replacing the catalyst. Take precautions to avoid inhaling the catalyst or particulates from the catalyst. Wear a respirator and protective clothing. Consult the relevant Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to determine the carcinogenicity of the catalyst and to mitigate any risks associated with the catalyst product. Almost all gases can be fatal, either by displacement of life giving oxygen or due to chemical reaction within the bloodstream.

WARNING
HEAVY LOADS! Avoid risks associated with loading and unloading the equipment from transport vehicles. Use proper equipment for lifting and supporting heavy loads and when handling heavy work pieces with cranes and rigging. Beware of falling of equipment being handled. Use caution when handling of the retort with cranes or a retort yoke assembly. Watch for overhead cranes and never stand beneath equipment being handled or loaded.

WARNING
CRUSH HAZARDS! During installation or decommissioning, equipment can tip or otherwise fall causing injury to hands, feet, limbs, or other body parts. Ensure equipment is properly secured when lifting or lowering a work piece, and be on guard for accidents. This includes the raising or lowering of the heat exchanger. Adjust equipment to the proper elevation. Watch for equipment on moving platforms, dollies, carts, or other moving transports. Handle heavy equipment with both hands.

General Use
Definition by Industrial Furnaces, Sixth Edition. W. Trinks, M. H. Mawhinney, R. A. Shannon, R. J. Reed and J. R. Garvey Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. A radiant tube is used for charges that require a special atmosphere for pro- tection of the stock from oxidation, decarburization, or for other purposes, mod-ern indirect-red furnaces are built with a gas-tight outer casing surrounding the refractory lining so that the whole furnace can be lled with a prepared atmosphere. Heat is supplied by fuel-red radiant tubes or electric resistance elements.

Considerations per NFPA 86 standardization 2011 revised edition

3.3.30.8 Radiant Tube Heat System A heating system whit tubular elements open at one or both ends in which each tube has an inlet burner arrangement where combustion is initiated, a suitable length where combustion occurs, and an outlet for the combustion products formed. 6.5.2 The following shall apply to collecting and venting systems for radiant tubetype heating systems: (1) The system shall be of a capacity to prevent an explosion or fire hazard due to the flow of unburned fuel through the radiant tubes. (2) The system shall be capable of dilution of the rated maximum input capacity of the system to a noncombustible state.

(3) A radiant tubetype heating system provided with two safety shutoff valves interlocked with combustion safeguards shall be exempt from the requirements of 6.5.2. A.6.5.2(2) The following sample calculation is provided to demonstrate a method of determining the required exhaust flow moving through the collecting and venting system for unsupervised radiant tube burners such that the atmosphere in the collecting and venting system is less than 100 percent LFL equals noncombustible state requirement. The sample calculation is based on thefollowing assumptions: (1) The fuel is methane gas. (2) All burners are not firing. (3) All burner fuel valves are open. (4) The main safety shutoff valve is open. Overall, the sample calculation is based on the following conservative conditions: (1) Use of the maximum fuel input rate for each burner (2) Assumption that all burner fuel valves are open (3) The design limit of <100% of LFL = noncombustible state (4) Inclusion of the effects of elevated furnace temperature on the LFL (5) The use of ambient air to dilute the products of combustions exiting the radiant tubes and being conveyed in the collecting and venting system The effects of temperature on fuel gas LFL were obtained from Bureau of Mines Bulletin 680, Investigation of Fire and Explosion Accidents in the Chemical, Mining, and Fuel-Related Industries A Manual. Figure 34 in that bulletin, Temperature effect on lower limits of flammability of 10 normal paraffins in air at atmospheric pressure, shows temperature (C) versus combustibles (volume percent) and includes curves for methane, butane, and propane. It also includes a formula for computing LFL at elevated temperature. The formula, from Bureau of Mines Bulletin 627, Flammability Characteristics of Combustible Gases and Vapors, is as follows:

Where: LT = LFL at the desired elevated temperature T (C) L 25= LFL at 25C T = Desired elevated temperature (C) 6.5.2 (3) The designer and user are cautioned that hazard conditions can result in common exhaust systems even when the radiant tube burners connected to the common exhaust system are equipped with flame supervision.

A.8.2.3 Consideration should be given to the effects of radiant heat on the safety devices. Radiant heat can cause safety devices to be exposed to temperatures greater than their ratings. Adequate insulation, heat shields, ventilation, or other measures should be used in cases where radiant heat causes safety devices to reach temperatures above their ratings. 8.10.1.2: (1) Burner flames for radiant tube shall not require a combustion safeguard for type heating systems where a means of ignition is provided and the systems are arranged and designed such that either of the following conditions is satisfied: (a) The tubes are of metal construction and open at one or both ends. If heat recovery systems are used, they shall be of explosion-resistant construction. (b) The entire radiant tube heating system, including any associated heat recovery system, is of explosion-resistant construction. 8.10.2.2* Radiant burners, that where installed adjacent to one another or connected with flamepropagating devices, shall be considered to be a single burner and shall have at least one flame safeguard installed to sense burner flame at the end of the assembly farthest from the source of ignition.