Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 42

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Absolute Pressure: The total pressure which is equal to gage pressure plus
atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure at sea
level is 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi); therefore, a
pressure of 10 psi gage (psig) corresponds to an
absolute pressure of 14.7 + 10 = 24.7 psi absolute
(psia). Similarly, 10 psi of vacuum corresponds to
14.7 - 10 = 4.7 psi absolute pressure.
Actuator: The final element of a control system. The actuator
performs the action indicated by the controller.
Afterburning: The combustion of unburned fuel or carbon monoxide
(from incomplete combustion) in the convection sec-
tion or stack of a heater. Oxygen is supplied by air
leaking into the convection section or stack. In some
cases, the air is introduced at the base of the stack for
cooling flue gas.
Air Heater or
Air Preheater:
**A heat transfer apparatus through which combustion
air is passed and heated by a medium of higher
temperature, such as the products of combustion,
steam, or other fluid. Direct Regenerative-type Air
Preheater is a counterflow gas-to-air heat transfer
device that has a compartmented rotor and is con-
tained in a rotor housing supported by bearings. Each
of the compartments is filled with metallic heating
elements. The rotor is rotated slowly and alternately
through the gas and air streams. Hot flue gas
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-1
flows through one side of the rotor and heats the ele-
ments. Air flows through the other side where the
stored heat is released to the air stream. The air and
gas flows are separated by diaphragms in the rotor as
well as by seals between the rotor and the rotor hous-
ing. Direct Recuperative-type Air PreheaterA gas-
to-air heat transfer device that consists of a bundle of
tubes expanded into a tube sheet, or a block of flow
elements, and enclosed in a casing. Flue gas or air can
flow through the tubes. Extended surfaces are com-
monly used. Indirect-type Air PreheaterA fluid-to-
air heat transfer device. The heat transfer can be
accomplished by using a heat transfer fluid, a process
stream or a utility stream which has been heated by
the flue gas, or other means.
Air-fuel Ratio: *The ratio of air weight or volume to fuel weight or
volume. This ratio will vary as the fuels vary and ac-
cording to the quantity of excess air required.
Air Registers: Adjustable devices that admit air into heater burners.
Alloy: A substance composed of two or more metals, or of a
metal and a nonmetal, which are intimately united, usu-
ally by being fused together and dissolved in each
other when molten, e.g., bronze, stainless steel.
Ambient
Conditions:
The conditions of temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.,
existing in the medium that surrounds an instrument.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-2 July 1991
Ambient
Temperature:
The temperature surrounding any particular object.
Anchor: **Sometimes called a tieback. A metallic or refractory
device that retains the refractory or insulation in place.
API Gravity: *Empirical scale for measuring the density of liquid pe-
troleum products with the unit defined as the Degree
API. Calculation for API gravity is as follows:
141.5/Specific Gravity 131.5 = API gravity;
141.5/(131.5 + API Gravity) = specific gravity.
Arch: **The flat or sloped portion of the heater radiant sec-
tion opposite the floor.
Aspirator: The premix chamber of a premix-type gas burner. The
fuel gas flowing at high velocity through the burner
orifice draws combustion air into the burner.
Atmospheric
Pressure:
The pressure exerted on the earth by the earths atmos-
phere. A pressure of 760 mm of mercury, 29.92 inches
of mercury, or 14.696 psia is used as a standard for
some measurements. The various state regulatory bod-
ies have set other standards for use in measuring the
legal volume of natural gas that is sold or processed.
Atmospheric pressure may also refer to the absolute
ambient pressure at any given location.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-3
Atomization: The process of dispersing a liquid into a finely divided
state, as atomization of fuel oil by steam in a furnace.
Atomize: To divide a liquid into extremely minute particles,
either by impact with a jet or steam, or compressed
air, or by passage through some mechanical device.
Atomizer: **A device used to reduce a fluid to a fine spray. At-
omization means are normally either steam, air, or
mechanical.
Automatic
Control:
The process of using the difference between the actual
value and desired value of a variable to take corrective
action without human intervention.
Btu: See British Thermal Unit.
BPD: Barrels per day.
Back Pressure: The pressure on the outlet or downstream side of a
flowing system.
Balanced Draft
Heater:
**A heater which is supplied combustion air by a fan
and the flue gases are removed by a fan.
Blind: A steel plate inserted between a pair of flanges to pre-
vent flow through a line.
Breeching: **The enclosure in which flue gases are collected after
the last convection coil for transmission to the stack or
the outlet duct work.
Bridgewall: **Sometimes called divisional wall. A refractory wall
separating two adjacent heater zones.
Bridgewall
Temperature:
**The flue gas temperature leaving the radiant section.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-4 July 1991
British Thermal
Unit (Btu):
*The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature
of 1 lb. of water 1F at or near its point of maximum
density (39.10F). The Btu is equal to 0.252 kilogram-
calorie.
Burner: **A device for the introduction of fuel and air into a
heater at the desired velocities, turbulence, and concen-
tration to establish and maintain proper ignition and
combustion. Burners are classified by the types of fuel
fired, such as: oil, gas, or a combination of gas and
oil. A secondary consideration in classifying burners is
the means by which combustion air is mixed with the
fuel.
Burner Block: The formed or cast high-temperature refractory in
which the burner sits.
Burner
Turndown:
The difference in percent between the maximum and
minimum stable firing capacity or heat release of the
burner.
Bypass: A valve by which the flow in a system may be
shunted past a part of the system through which it nor-
mally flows. A valve that controls an alternate route
for a gas or liquid.
Calibration: Determination of the accuracy of an instrument by find-
ing its variation from true measurement.
Calorific Value: *A measure of the heating value of fuel stated in
btu/lb. or in btu/cu.ft.
Carbon: A natural element.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-5
Carryover: Contaminating material which is carried over by the
overhead vapors from a fractionating column, absorber,
or reaction vessel. It may be carried as liquid droplets
or finely divided solids suspended in a gas, a vapor,
or a discrete liquid. See also Entrainment.
Cascade: A series of controllers in which the output of one con-
troller is the set point of the next controller.
Cascade Control: In an automatic control system, the resetting of the
control point of a secondary controller by the output
of a primary controller.
Casing: **The metal plate used to enclose a fired heater.
Cavitation: The formation and collapse of vapor cavities in a flow-
ing liquid. Such a vapor cavity can form anywhere in
a flowing liquid where the local pressure is reduced to
the liquid vapor pressure. At these spots, some of the
liquid vaporizes to form liquid bubbles or cavities.
These cavities collapse when they are moved into re-
gions where the pressure is higher than the vapor pres-
sure. Cavitation often occurs in the suction of a pump.
It causes noise and vibration, and will erode and pit
the impeller of the pump.
Closed Loop: A combination of control units in which the process
variable is measured and compared with the desired
value (or set point). If the measured value differs from
the desired value, a corrective signal is sent to the fi-
nal control element to bring the controlled variable to
the proper value.
Coke: A solid deposit, made up mostly of carbon, which
is formed in all cracking processes at high tempera-
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-6 July 1991
tures. In the cracking process, coke deposits on the
catalyst decreases the catalyst activity.
Coking: Undesirable buildup of carbon deposits in refinery
equipment as a result of cracking of oil.
Also: buildup of carbon on a catalyst as a result of
cracking when hydrogen partial pressure is low.
Combination
Burners:
Burners capable of burning fuel gas and fuel oil sepa-
rately or both fuels together.
Combustibility: The ability of materials to burn.
Combustion: The process of burning, or combining oxygen with an
organic material.
Condensate: 1. Liquid condensed from vapors leaving the top of a
distillation column.
2. Condensed steam.
3. Petroleum liquids separated from wet natural gas by
cooling at elevated pressure.
Condensation: The act or process of changing a vapor to a liquid, or
a lighter liquid to another and denser form, by reduc-
tion of temperature or increase of pressure.
Also: the process of converting a vapor into a liquid
by extracting heat.
Conduction: The flow of heat by contact.
Conductivity: A measure of how well a material transfers heat or
electricity. The electrical conductivity of condensate is
an indirect measure of its solid content.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-7
Control Elements: The portion of the feedback control system which is re-
quired to produce the manipulated variable from the ac-
tuating signal.
Control Point: The value of controlled variable which, under any
fixed set of conditions, is maintained by operating an
automatic controller.
Convection: The flow of heat through liquid or gas by actual mix-
ing of the fluids (physical turbulence).
Convection
Section:
The portion of a furnace in which tubes receive heat
from the flue gas flowing past them.
Corbel: **A projection from the refractory surface generally
used to prevent flue gas bypassing in the convection
section.
Corrosion: *Any condition of undesired chemical attack which is
considered detrimental to apparatus, piping, metallic
structures or the like.
Also: Complex chemical or electrochemical process by
which metal is destroyed through reaction with its envi-
ronment. Rust on steel is a product of corrosion.
Also: the process of wearing away, disintegrating or
destroying metal by the gradual separation of small
parts of particles, especially by the action of chemical
agents, such as acids.
Corrosion
Allowance:
**The corrosion rate times tube design life, expressed
in inches (millimeters).
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-8 July 1991
Corrosion Rate: **The reduction in tube wall thickness of the tube ma-
terial due to chemical attack from the process fluid
and/or flue gas, expressed in mils per year (millimeters
per year).
Crossover: **The interconnecting piping between any two heater
tube sections.
Crude Oil: A synonym for petroleum. A naturally occurring mix-
ture consisting predominantly of hydrocarbons, and/or
sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen derivatives of hydrocar-
bons which is removed from the earth in a liquid state
or is capable of being so removed.
Crude Unit: This refers to the process equipment that separates the
crude oil by a distillation process into the various com-
ponents. It is often used to identify the area containing
the crude distillation and other equipment controlled
by the operators of that area.
Damper: **A device for introducing a variable resistance for
regulating the volumetric flow of gas or air. Butterfly-
type DamperA single blade damper pivoted about
its center. Louver-type DamperA damper consist-
ing of several blades each pivoted about its center and
linked together for simultaneous operation.
Damper Operator: The ground level manual or instrumented device by
which a stack damper or other heater damper is
moved or positioned.
Delta Pressure
(P):
The difference in pressure between two points. The
same with temperature, etc.
Desired Value: The value of the controlled variable which is to be
maintained.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-9
Dew Point: *The condition of pressure and temperature at which
the liquefaction of a vapor begins.
Also: the temperature at which a vapor just begins to
condense. The dewpoint of a vapor decreases if the
pressure is raised, and increases if the pressure is low-
ered. The dewpoint of a pure substance is the same as
its bubble point.
Differential
Pressure:
The difference in pressure between two pressure
sources, measured relative to one another.
Draft: **The negative pressure (vacuum) of the flue gas
measured at any point in the heater, expressed in
inches of water column.
Draft Gage: A low-pressure sensor used in combustion systems.
Duct: **A conduit for air or flue gas flow.
Efficiency, Fuel: **Heat absorbed, divided by the net heat of combustion
of the fuel as heat input, expressed as a percentage.
Efficiency,
Thermal:
**The total heat absorbed divided by total heat input,
expressed as a percentage.
End-wall Fired
Heater:
A heater in which the burners are located in the end-
wall(s) of the heater and fire parallel to the tubes.
Engineering Units: Units of measure, such as degree F, SCFH (standard
cubic feet per hour), BPD (barrels per day), etc.
Entrained Oil: Oil occurring as part of the gas stream, but as a rela-
tively small percentage of total flow. Special separa-
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-10 July 1991
tors are used to remove the liquid from the gas
stream.
Entrainment: Vapor or liquid carried along in a dissimilar process
stream. Also called carryover. Entrainment occurs
when the velocity of the process stream becomes great
enough to overcome the gravity forces that would nor-
mally cause the dissimilar materials to separate. There
are several types of entrainment liquid: water from a
desalter may contain entrained oil; oil from the atmos-
pheric column reflux drum may contain entrained
water, or oil leaving the flash zone of a distillation col-
umn may contain entrained vapor bubbles.
Erosion: **The reduction in tube wall thickness of the tube ma-
terial due to mechanical attack from the process fluid,
expressed in mils per year (millimeters per year).
Error: In automatic control terminology, the difference be-
tween the actual controlled variable at the set point.
The margin by which an automatic controller misses
its target value.
Excess Air: **The amount of air above the stoichiometric require-
ment for complete combustion, expressed as a percent-
age.
Extended Surface: **The heat transfer surface in the form of fins or
studs, added to heat absorbing elements.
Extension Ratio: **The ratio of total outside exposed surface to the out-
side surface of the bare tube.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-11
Fahrenheit: *A temperature scale which is based on 32 as the
freezing point of water and 212 as the boiling point
of water when the water is pure and at 14.696 psi ab-
solute pressure.
Filtration: A process of mechanically removing suspended mate-
rial from a liquid by passing it through a porous
material.
Fire Point: *The lowest temperature at which an oil vaporizes rap-
idly enough to burn for at least 5 sec. when a small
bead of flame is passed over the oil.
Fissures: Fissures are shallow crevices or grooves formed on the
surface of tubes. They are caused by the rupture of
the tubes surface layer as the circumference of the
tube increases by creep expansion. Fissures can also
form inside the tube wall. The internal fissures are not
visible on the tube surface and can only be detected
by X-ray.
Flame: The incandescent zone or envelope where the combus-
tion reaction is taking place.
Flameout: During furnace operation, the unexpected loss of a
burner flame that creates a potentially hazardous condi-
tion. The unburned fuel mixture can reignite and cause
an explosion.
Flash Point: The lowest temperature at which an oil gives off va-
por in sufficient quantity to burn momentarily on the
approach of a flame or spark.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-12 July 1991
Flashback: A condition encountered in premix burners. The veloc-
ity through the burner is lower than the flame propaga-
tion velocity, causing ignition of the fuel/air mixture in
the burner venturi.
Floor-fired
Heater:
A heater in which the burners are located in the floor
of the heater shell.
Flue: A passage for air, gas or smoke.
Flue Gas: Gas produced from combustion of fuel that has sub-
stantially spent the heating value and is discarded to
the flue or stack (includes excess air).
Fluid: *A substance such as a gas or a liquid which yields
readily to any force which tends to change or alter its
shape. Fluids, as such, possess no definite shape or
form and uniformly fill any space to which they are in-
troduced.
Also: A physical form of matter in which there is an
indifferent attraction between the molecules so that it
does not tend to maintain its form. Gases and liquids
are both fluids in this sense.
Flux Density,
Average:
**The heat absorbed divided by the exposed heating
surface of the coil section. Average flux density for an
extended surface tube shall be indicated on a total sur-
face basis with the extension ratio noted, expressed in
British thermal units per hour per square foot.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-13
Flux Density,
Maximum:
**The maximum local heat transfer rate in the coil sec-
tion, expressed in British thermal units per hour per
square foot.
Forced Draft: Air forced into a furnace by a blower.
Forced Draft
Heater:
**A heater in which the combustion air is supplied by
a fan and the flue gases are removed by the stack ef-
fect.
Fouling: Deposits of solids or contaminants on process equip-
ment, e.g., heat exchanger or reactor bed, which de-
crease the efficiency of that unit.
Fouling Allowance: **The layer of residue that increases pressure drop
and metal temperature due to a build-up of coke and
scale on the inner surface of a coil, expressed as a
thickness or resistance. This value shall be used in cal-
culating the fouled pressure drop and the design metal
temperature.
Freezing Point: *The temperature at which a liquid solidifies.
Fuel Header: Piping that routes fuel gas or fuel oil to individual
burners.
Fuel Oil: A very general term which may be applied to any
oil used for production of power and heat. In a
more restricted sense, it is applied to any oil or liquefi-
able product burned for generation of heat in a
domestic or industrial furnace or firebox or for the gen-
eration of power in a diesel engine, excluding
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-14 July 1991
oils burned in wick burners. Fuel oils in common use
fall into one of four classes:
1. Residual fuel oils, which are topped crude oils or
viscous residue obtained in refining operations.
2. Distillate fuel oils, which are distillates derived
from crude petroleum, coal oil, or other suitable
materials.
3. Crude petroleums and weathered crude petroleums
of relatively low commercial value.
4. Blended fuels, which are mixtures of two or more
of the preceding classes. Under ASTM Designation
D288-36-T, this definition is further restricted to petro-
leum products with a closed flash point above 100 de-
grees Fahrenheit.
Full Scale: The maximum value of the rate or range of an instru-
ment.
Furnace: A term applied to oil-and/or gas-fired heaters.
gpm/GPM: 1. gpm (gallons per minute): The term used to de-
scribe a rate of flowing fluid in gallons per minute.
2. GPM Preferably Gal./Mcf (gallons per thousand
cubic feet):
This term refers to the content in natural gas of compo-
nents recoverable or which are recovered as liquid
products.
Gage: A device or instrument, containing the primary measur-
ing elements, applied to the point of measurement.
Gage Pressure: The pressure above atmospheric pressure. Gage pres-
sure is the difference between the total or absolute
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-15
pressure at the point of measurement and the atmos-
pheric pressure. Most pressure gages read gage pres-
sure, not absolute pressure.
Gallon: *(U.S.) A unit of volume equal to 231 cu. in. A gallon
of water at 60F weights 8.337 lbs, and is approxi-
mately equal to 0.134 cu. ft.
Gas: *An aeriform fluid having neither shape nor volume
since volume is proportional to both pressure and tem-
perature; gas has all the characteristics of a fluid with
the added property of being compressible or expand-
able to a very great degree.
Also: any fluid, combustible or non-combustible,
which is produced in a natural state from the earth
and which maintains a gaseous or rarified state at ordi-
nary temperature and pressure conditions.
Gas Sniffer: A colloquial term for a sensitive electronic device that
detects the presence of gas or other hydrocarbons.
Gradient: The rates of increase or decrease of temperature or
pressure. The rate of regular or graded ascent or
descent.
Graphic Panel: A control panel which pictorially displays and traces
the relative position and function of measuring the con-
trol equipment to process equipment. Graphic panels
can represent a total plant operation.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-16 July 1991
Gravity: *Used in the sense of specific gravity to indicate the
ratio of the weight of a specific volume of a substance
to the weight of an equal volume of water. (See API
gravity.) Otherwise, gravity is the attraction of the
earth for bodies expressed as weight.
Also: Ratio of the weight of a volume of any liquid
to the weight of an equal volume of distilled water at
60 degree F.
Also: The downward force which the earth exerts
upon all objects.
Gravity, Specific: The ratio of the weight of a volume of a body to the
weight of an equal volume of some standard sub-
stance. In the case of liquids and solids, the standard
is water; in the case of gases, the standard is hydrogen
or air.
Guillotine Blind: **A device consisting of a single blade that is used to
isolate equipment or heaters.
Header: **A common manifold in which a number of pipelines
are united; i.e., the U-bend connections between two
consecutive tubes in the coil.
Also: The common term for a 180-degree cast or
wrought fitting that connects two or more tubes.
(Sometimes called a return bend.)
Header Box: **The internally insulated structural compartment, sepa-
rated from the flue gas stream, which is used to en-
close a number of headers or manifolds. Access is
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-17
afforded by means of hinged doors or removable pan-
els.
Heat: *A measurable state of molecular excitation which is
produced by friction, by expression of atomic energy
or by the burning of fuels.
Heat Absorption: **The total heat absorbed by fluid in the tubes exclud-
ing any combustion air preheat, expressed in British
thermal units per hour.
Heat of Combustion-
gross or Higher
Heating Value:
*The total heat produced in the burning of a fuel.
Heat of Combustion-
net or Lower
Heating Value:
*The total heat evolved in the burning of a fuel less
the latent heat of vaporization for any water which
may be formed in the process of combustion. Literally,
the useful heat produced as the fuel is burned unless
the temperature of the combustion products is driven
below the dew point for recovery of the latent heat.
Heat Exchangers: Apparatus for transferring heat from one fluid to an-
other. Specifically, a piece of equipment having a tubu-
lar piping arrangement which affects the transfer of
heat from a hot to a relatively cool material by conduc-
tion through the tube walls.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-18 July 1991
Heat Medium: A material, whether flowing or static, used to transport
heat from a primary source such as combustion of fuel
to another material. Heating oil, steam, and an eutectic
salt mixture are examples of heating mediums.
Heat Release: **The total heat liberated from the specified fuel, us-
ing the lower heating value of the fuel, expressed in
British thermal units per hour.
Heater: The furnace-and-tube arrangement which furnishes the
principal heating element in a processing unit.
Heater Service: The application in which the fired heater is used; eg,
feed heater, reboiler, etc..
Heating Value,
Higher (HHV):
**The total heat obtained from the combustion of a
specified fuel at 60F, expressed in British thermal
units per pound or per cubic foot.
Heating Value,
Lower (LHV):
**The higher heating value minus the latent heat of va-
porization of the water formed by combustion of hydro-
gen in the fuel, also called the net heating value,
expressed in British thermal units per pound or per cu-
bic foot.
Hot Face
Temperature:
The exposed surface temperature of refractory or
insulation in contact with the flue gas or heated
combustion air. The design hot face temperature is
used to determine refractory or insulation thickness
and rating.
Hot Spot: An overheated part of a furnace tube caused by
flame impingement on the tube surface, coking on
the inside of the tube, insufficient flow in the tube,
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-19
or overfiring in that part of the firebox nearest the
tube.
Hydrate: Solid material formed when water combines with cer-
tain compoundssuch as propane, isobutane and
H
2
Sat low temperature and high pressures.
Hydrocarbon: A compound containing only hydrogen and carbon.
The simplest hydrocarbons are gases at ordinary tem-
peratures; but, with increasing molecular weight, they
change to the liquid form and, finally, to the solid
state. They form the principal constituents of petro-
leum. Paraffin That series of hydrocarbons having
the general formula CnH
2
n plus 2, having no double
bonds saturated. OlefinAn open chain, unsaturated
hydrocarbon, having one double bond. Naphthene A
saturated hydrocarbon having the general formula
CnH
2
n and a cyclic molecular structure: cyclopropane,
cyclo-butane, cyclopentane. Aromatic The name usu-
ally applied to the benzene series of hydrocarbons, de-
rived from the characteristic odor of the series.
Hydrocarbon: A chemical compound containing carbon and hydrogen.
Hydrogen Sulfide: A compound of hydrogen and sulfur, specifically mono-
sulfide: a colorless, flammable, poisonous gas, H
2
S,
having a disagreeable odor; called also sulfureted hy-
drogen.
Impingement: The contact of flame in the furnace with tubing.
Inclined Tube
Manometer:
A gage for measuring pressure of gases and vapors,
this manometer has one arm at an angle, permitting
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-20 July 1991
the scale on that arm to be expanded for more precise
readings of low pressure.
Induced Draft: Air drawn, rather than forced, into a furnace.
Induced Draft
Heater:
**A heater in which a fan is used to remove flue
gases and maintain a negative pressure in the heater to
induce combustion air.
Inert Gas: A noncombustible gas, such as nitrogen or carbon diox-
ide.
Inerts: Elements or compounds not acted upon chemically by
the surrounding environment. Nitrogen and carbon diox-
ide are examples of inert constituents of natural gases;
they dilute the gas and do not burn, thus add no heat-
ing value.
Instrument: Used broadly to connote a device incorporating measur-
ing, recording, controlling, and/or operating abilities.
Instrument Air: Dehydrated air; air from which all moisture has been
removed to prevent any condensation that would harm
the delicate mechanism of air-actuated instruments.
Instrumentation: The instruments that are used in a process system, usu-
ally including the control valves. Also refers to the sci-
ence of applying instruments to manufacturing
processes.
Insulation: Material used to reduce or prevent the transfer or flow
of heat, sound, or electricity.
Interlock: A device or group of devices arranged to sense a limit
or off-limit condition or improper sequence of
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-21
events. Shuts down the offending or related piece of
equipment or prevents proceeding in an improper se-
quence to avoid a hazardous condition.
Knockout Drum: A drum or vessel, constructed with baffles, through
which a mixture of gas and liquid is passed to disen-
gage one from the other. As the mixture comes in con-
tact with the baffles, the impact frees the gases and
allows them to pass overhead; the heavier substance
falls to the bottom of the drum.
Liquid: A fluid characterized by free movement of the constitu-
ent molecules among themselves but without the ten-
dency to separate from one-another. Liquids yield
readily to pressure and have all the characteristics of
fluids. Liquids are compressible only to an extremely
small degree.
Also: state of matter intermediate between solid and
gas characterized by being shapeless and fluid and by
taking the shape of the container. Most petroleum con-
stituents are liquids at ordinary temperatures.
Manifold: **A chamber for the collection and/or distribution of
fluid to or from multiple parallel flow paths.
Also: a piping arrangement which allows one stream
of liquid or gas to be divided into two or more
streams, or which allows several streams to be col-
lected into one.
Manometer: A gage for measuring pressure of gases and vapors.
Manual
Controller:
A controller having all its basic functions performed
by devices that are operated by hand.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-22 July 1991
Melting Point: *The temperature at which the liquid and solid phases
of a material are in equilibrium.
Meter Chart: A replaceable paper chart for recording pressure, level,
temperature or flow. As the chart revolves, an inked
pen traces the variates in the process.
Methane: (CH
4
) Gas, consisting of carbon and hydrogen. The
major component of natural gas. One of the alkane or
paraffin series of gases.
Mixture: A co-mingling of two or more substances in which
each substance retains its chemical nature and identity.
Mol: Weight of a substance numerically equal to its molecu-
lar weight.
Mol. Wt.: Molecular weight (the sums of the atomic weights).
Multipass Heater: A heater in which there are multiple parallel flow
paths for the process fluid.
Natural Draft: Air moved through a furnace by opening or closing
burner air doors and controlling the damper. The taller
the stack, the greater the draft.
Natural Draft
Heater:
**A heater in which a stack effect induces the combus-
tion air and removes the flue gases.
Natural Gas: Gaseous form of naturally-occurring petroleum from
wells.
Net Heating Value: **See Heating Value, Lower (LHV).
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-23
Noncondensables: Those components of a mixture that cannot be con-
densed under prevailing conditions.
NO
x
: Any of the nitrogen oxide compounds.
Offplot: Equipment and support systems that supplement refin-
ery processes. Typically includes tankage, loading/un-
loading facilities, utilities, flares, etc.
Offset: A sustained deviation of the controlled variable from
set point. (This characteristic is inherent in propor-
tional controllers that do not incorporate reset action.)
Offset is caused by load changes.
Oil: Crude petroleum and other hydrocarbons produced at a
well in liquid form; includes distillates or condensate
recovered or extracted from natural gas.
OnOff Control
Action:
(Same as two position action.) Occurs when a final
control element is moved from one of two fixed posi-
tions to the other with a very small change of control-
led variable.
Once-through: An adjective describing:
1. a condition or operation in which no portion of
product is recycled;
2. products from such an operation.
Onstream Time: The length of time a unit is in actual production.
Opacity: Quality that makes a body impervious to the rays of
light.
Operating Factor: The fraction of time a unit is operating onstream. An
operating factor of 0.9 means the unit is operating
90% of the time.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-24 July 1991
Operator: A person who works a shift at a processing plant, re-
finery, or pumping station. One who is in charge of
and responsible for a unit in the plant.
Organic: Designation for a branch of chemistry treating, in gen-
eral, the compounds produced in plants and animals,
or of carbon-hydrogen compounds of synthetic origin;
contrasted with inorganic.
Orifice: A device for restricting the flow through a pipe. The
difference in pressure on the two sides of an orifice
plate can be used to measure the volume of flow
through the pipe.
Orifice Meter: An instrument which measures the flow through a pipe
by use of the difference in pressure on the upstream
and downstream sides of an orifice plate.
Outage: The free volume in a storage vessel or sample con-
tainer left available for liquid expansion. Sometimes re-
ferred to as ullage.
Output Variable: Analog signal produced by I/O module. This signal is
proportional to difference between sensed loop process
signal and ideal set point signal. Output variable is
sent to controlling element in field to decrease differ-
ence between process and set point signals. Output
variable is also converted by control rack common
electronics into binary value and is subsequently
scaled to percentage of its span and made available for
console display.
Oxidize: Usually refers to a reaction in which oxygen combines
with some other compound and forms an oxidized
product. Burning and rusting are examples of this reac-
tion happening at different rates.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-25
Oxygen: A naturally occurring element (O
2
).
PSI: Pounds per square inch. A unit measurement of pres-
sure.
PSIA: Pounds per square inch absolute (Atmos. Pr. + Gage
Pr.).
PSIG: Pounds per square inch gage.
Partial Pressure: The pressure exerted by one gas in a mixture of gases.
The pressure of that particular gas affects the total
pressures of the gas mixture in proportion to its own
vapor pressure and its percentage of the total.
Pass: **A flow circuit consisting of one or more tubes in se-
ries connected by return fittings or manifolds.
Petroleum: A material occurring naturally in the earth, predomi-
nantly composed of mixtures of chemical compounds
of carbon and hydrogen with or without other non-
metallic elements such as sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, etc.
Petroleum may contain, or be composed of, such com-
pounds in the gaseous, liquid, and/or solid state, de-
pending on the nature of these compounds and the
existent conditions of temperature and pressure. In its
broadest sense, the term embraces the whole spectrum
of hydrocarbonsgaseous, liquid, and solid. In the
popular sense, petroleum means crude oil.
pH: *An arbitrary means for indicating the state of acidity,
neutrality or alkalinity of a solution. The exact s
ignificance is still debated. A pH of 7.00 indicates
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-26 July 1991
neutrality. Departure in the upward direction indicates
alkalinity and departure in the downward direction indi-
cates acidity.
Also: the acid or alkaline condition of a substance.
(The logarithm of the reciprocal of the hydrogen-ion
concentration.)
pH Value: Both acidity and alkalinity on a scale whose values
run from 0 to 14 with 7 representing neutrality, num-
bers less than 7 increasing acidity and numbers greater
than 7 increasing alkalinity.
Pilot: **A smaller burner that provides ignition energy to
light the main burner.
Also: an auxiliary mechanism that actuates or regu-
lates another mechanism.
Plenum: **A chamber surrounding the burners and used to dis-
tribute air to the burners or reduce combustion noise
(sometimes called a windbox).
Plug-type Header: **A return bend, normally cast, which is provided
with one or more openings for the purpose of inspec-
tion, mechanical tube cleaning, or draining. A variety
of closure devices can be used in such fittings, depend-
ing upon operating conditions, sealing requirements,
and serviceability.
Positive Displace-
ment Flowmeter:
A flowmeter which measures total flow by counting
known volumes.

**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-27
Pour Point: *The lowest temperature at which an oil can be
poured or will flow under specified test conditions.
Primary Air: Combustion air introduced with the fuel or through the
fuel before combustion at the burner.
Also: **that portion of the total combustion air that
first mixes with the fuel.
Product: Term used to cover any of the products of the petro-
leum industry.
Proportional
Action:
Produces an output signal proportional to the magni-
tude of the input signal. In a control system, propor-
tional action produces a value correction proportionate
to the deviation of the controlled variable from set
point.
Proportional
Band:
The amount of deviation of the controlled variable
from set point required to move the final control ele-
ment through the full range (expressed in % of span).
An expression of gain of an instrument (the wider the
band, the lower the gain).
Proportional Plus
Derivative Action:
Proportional-position and proportional-speed floating ac-
tion are combined.
Proportional Plus
Reset Action:
Proportional-position and proportional-speed floating ac-
tion are combined.
Pump: A device that raises, transfers, or compresses fluids.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
*From Furnace Operations, Third Edition by Robert D. Reed. Copyright 1981 by Gulf Publishing Com-
pany. By Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-28 July 1991
Pump Priming: The filling of the liquid end of a pump with liquid to
remove vapors present and eliminate the tendency to
become vapor bound.
Pumps: Centrifugal (Volute Type) consists of one or more
impellers mounted on a radially rotating shaft. The liq-
uid enters the impellers at the center or eye and is
thrown outward at a high velocity into the volute of
the pump casing. The function of the volute is to
catch the impeller discharge and convey the liquid to
the discharge nozzle of the pump casing. Duplex A
reciprocating pump that has two liquid cylinders. Du-
plex pumps have a steadier discharge than simplex
pumps. Multi-stage Centrifugal pump which has two
or more impellers mounted on the same shaft. The dis-
charge from one impeller is conducted to the suction
eye of the next impeller, etc. Pumps with up to 14
stages and developing over 3,000 pounds discharge
pressure are in use. PowerA reciprocating pump in
which the liquid pistons are driven by other means
than direct-acting steam pistons and rods. Reciprocat -
ingA positive displacement type pump consisting of
a plunger or a piston moving back and forth within a
cylinder. With each stroke of the plunger or piston, a
definite volume of liquid is pushed out through the dis-
charge valves. Rotary A positive displacement pump
(used mainly to pump liquids which are either too vis-
cous or too difficult to pick up) suctions with a cen-
trifugal pump. There are many types of rotary pump
designs, one of the most common being the gear type
in which two gears mesh and rotate toward each other
within a very close-fitting casing. The liquid is trapped
between the gear teeth and the casing and is carried
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-29
around to the discharge side of the pump. The mesh-
ing gear teeth prevent the liquid from returning to the
suction side. Simplex A reciprocating pump that has
one liquid cylinder on a single drive.
Purging: A procedure for removing combustibles or unburned
fuel from a heater. The purging medium is usually
steam for natural draft heaters; air for forced, induced,
or balanced draft heaters.
Pyrophoric: The ability of a material to self-ignite when exposed
to oxygen. Iron sulfide is pyrophoric, and so are VGO
and VRDS catalysts after they are used.
Quench: To cool suddenly hot material discharging from a
cracking coil, usually by injecting cool oil into the dis-
charge line. Its purpose is to check the cracking reac-
tion quickly.
Radiant Section: **That portion of the heater in which the heat is trans-
ferred, primarily by radiation, to the tubes.
Also: the portion of a furnace in which tubes receive
heat from exposure to the actual combustion of the
fuel. The radiant section of a furnace is the hottest
part of the furnace and is used to raise the temperature
of a process fluid to its maximum desired level.
Radiation: The transfer of heat or emissions from radioactive sub-
stances through space (similar to a beam of light) with-
out affecting the intervening space.

**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-30 July 1991
Radiation Loss or
Setting Loss:
**The heat lost to the surroundings from the casing of
the heater and the ducts and auxiliary equipment when
heat recovery systems are used, expressed as percent
of heat release. The heat loss from the heater shell, by
convention, includes heat lost by convection cooling of
the heater shell as well as by radiation and is typically
1.5% of the heater duty.
Radiation
Pyrometer:
A pyrometer (measures flame temperatures above
1000F) which measures the temperature of the radiant
power from the object or source. The radiant power
within wide or narrow wavelength bands filling a defi-
nite solid angle impinges upon a suitable detector. The
detector is usually a thermocouple or thermopile, a
bolometer responsive to the heating effect of the radi-
ant power, or a photosensitive device connected to a
sensitive electrical instrument.
Radical: In chemistry, a group of atoms whose affinity for one
another is so strong that, in chemical reactions, the
group acts as a single atom and is replaced or intro-
duced into a new compound without rearrangement of
the atoms bound together in the radical. It does not ex-
ist alone as a separate, stable compound under normal
conditions.
Radioactive: The ability of certain substances to give off radiant en-
ergy in the form of particles or rays.
Raffinate: A gasoline and jet fuel blending component made as a
byproduct of paraxylene production.
Ramshorn: One of a series of temperature indicators in the bot-
tom of a crude unit vacuum column, used to help in-
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-31
dicate the liquid level in the bottom of the column. So
named because its shape resembles a rams horn.
Range: The difference between the maximum and minimum
values of physical output over which an instrument is
designed to operate normally.
Reaction: Any chemical change; the transformation of one or
more molecules into other kinds of molecules.
Reboiler: An auxiliary of a fractionating tower designed to sup-
ply additional heat to the lower portion. Liquid is usu-
ally withdrawn (or pumped) from the side or bottom
of the tower and is reheated by means of heat ex-
change. The vapors and residual liquid, separately or
together, are reintroduced to the tower.
Rectifier: A device which is used for converting an alternating
current in a continuous or direct current by permitting
the passage of current in only one direction.
Recycle Gas: Unreacted hydrogen-rich gas from the high-pressure
separator which is recirculated through the reactors.
Recycle Stock: That portion of a feedstock which has passed through
a refining process and is recirculated through the proc-
ess. It may include unwanted byproducts from the
process.
Reducing: Removal of low-boiling fractions from heavy oils to
improve volatility characteristics.
Refinery: A plant, with all its included equipment, for manufac-
turing finished or semifinished products from crude oil.
Refining: The separation of crude oil into its component parts
from which to manufacture products needed for the
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-32 July 1991
market. Important processes in refining are distillation,
cracking, chemical treating, and solvent extraction.
Refractory: The heat insulating material lining fireboxes, convec-
tion reactions, plenums, stacks, etc. to prevent overheat-
ing and minimize heat losses through the steel shells.
Also: brick or castable concrete used as a lining for
furnaces. Refractory brick can withstand very high tem-
peratures and, thus, protect the furnace structure from
the high radiant-and convection-section temperatures.
Regeneration: The process of restoring a material to its original
strength or properties.
Also: In a catalytic process, the revivification or reacti-
vation of the catalyst. Sometimes carried out by burn-
ing off coke deposits under carefully controlled
conditions of temperature and oxygen content in the re-
generation gas stream.
Relative Humidity: Ratio between the amount of water actually present in
the air and the maximum amount of water that air
could hold at the same temperature.
Relay: A device which enables the energy in one circuit (gen-
erally of high power) to be controlled by the energy in
another.
Relief System: A system of valves, drums, flares, etc. used to protect
against excessive over-pressure in the refinery plant.
Relief Valve: A valve which opens on over-pressure.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-33
Residual Fuel Oil: Topped crude oil or viscous residuum obtained in refin-
ery operations.
Ringelman System: System designed to determine the amount of particu-
lates being admitted to the atmosphere from a given
source. A plume from any source can be evaluated us-
ing the Ringelman system. A zero on the Ringelman
scale represents zero opacity, that is, there is no vis-
ible obstruction created at the emission point. On the
opposite end of the scale, a Ringelman five represents
100 percent opacity, meaning the observers vision is
completely obscured past the emission point.
Saybolt Furol
Viscosity (SSF):
The normal viscosity standard for the more viscous
oils and approximately 1/10th viscosity by the Saybolt
Universal method.
Saybolt Universal
Viscosity (SSU):
The time in seconds for 60 cc of fluid to flow through
the capillary tube of a Saybolt Universal Viscosimeter.
Secondary Air: **The air supplied to the fuel to supplement primary
air.
Also: Combustion air introduced into the burner flame.
Sensible Heat: The heat added to, or taken from, a body when its tem-
perature is changed.
Sensing Element: The part of a transducer mechanism which is in con-
tact with the medium being measured and which re-
sponds to changes in the medium.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-34 July 1991
Set Point: The position at which the control point setting mecha-
nism is set. This is the same as the desired value of
the controlled variable.
Setting: **The heater casing, brickwork, refractory, and insula-
tion, including the tiebacks or anchors.
Setting Loss: See Radiation Loss.
Shield Section: **This section contains those tubes that shield the con-
vection section tubes from direct radiation.
Shock Section: The part of a furnace between the radiant and convec-
tion sections. Tubes in the shock sections usually con-
tain process fluid and are heated by both radiant and
convection heating.
Sidewall-fired
Heater:
A heater in which the burners are located in the side-
wall (usually below the tubes).
Single Pass
Heater:
A heater in which there is a single tube flow path for
the process fluid.
Smoke: The vaporous matter arising from something burning
and made visible by minute particles of suspended un-
burned carbon.
Snuffing Steam: The steam injected into the firebox for purging the fire-
box or smothering a fire. Steam injected into header
boxes for putting out fires from leaks or to keep air
out is also called snuffing steam.
Sootblower: **A mechanical device for discharging steam or air to
clean heat absorbing surfaces.
Sour: Containing H
2
S or other sulfur compounds. Term ap-
plied to any gas or liquid.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-35
Sour Gas: Process gas containing chemical impurities, notably hy-
drogen sulfide (H
2
S).
SO
x
: Any of the sulfur oxide compounds.
Specific Gravity: The ratio of the weight of a given volume of a mate-
rial to an equal volume of pure water at the same tem-
perature. See also Gravity.
Specific Heat: The ratio of thermal capacity of any substance to the
thermal capacity of water is called the specific heat
of that substance.
Also: the quantity of heat required to elevate the tem-
perature of a unit weight of a substance one degree. In
the English system expressed as Btu/lb.
Spoilers: See Strakes.
Spontaneous Ignition
Temperature
(Auto-ignition
Temperature):
The temperature at which a fuel ignites of its own ac-
cord in the presence of oxygen.
Spool: A short length of pipe with flanges at both ends.
Stack: **A vertical conduit used to discharge flue gas to the
atmosphere.
Steam: Water in the vapor state. Live SteamAs contrasted
to exhaust steam, steam coming directly from a
boiler before being utilized for power or heat. Dry
SteamWater vapor which does not contain e
ntrained water droplets. Superheated SteamWater
vapor heated above the saturation temperature at a
given pressure. Wet SteamSteam containing en-
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-36 July 1991
trained water droplets. Exhaust SteamUsed steam
pressure.
Steam Trap: A device on a steam line designed to trap air and
water condensate and automatically bleed the air and
drain the water from the system with a minimum loss
of steam pressure.
Strakes: **Metal stack attachments that reduce wind-induced vi-
bration (sometimes called spoilers).
Sulfide: Any of the compounds resulting from the combination
of sulfur ions (S=) with metallic or other positive ions,
or organic radicals.
Sulfur: A nonmetallic element extracted from sour crude oil or
its components and sold as product. It is maintained in
a molten state at temperatures about 280 degree F so
it can be stored, transferred, and shipped as a liquid.
The term also refers to the unit processing the sulfur
(sulfur plant).
Sulfur
Dioxide (SO
2
):
A heavy, colorless, suffocating gas that is, chemically,
an oxide of sulfur. Conversion of the gaseous sulfur
oxides to sulfur is necessary for corrosion control, for
health and safety reasons, and for compliance with gov-
ernmental standards.
Sulfureted
Hydrogen:
See Hydrogen Sulfide
Superheated: Heated above the normal or required amount. This
normally refers to steam that is heated above the
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-37
boiling point of water at the same pressure to ensure
that small heat losses will not cause condensation.
Sweet: Having a good odor. Pleasant to the sense of smell.
Material with little or no sulfur compounds.
Sweet Gas: Gas which has no more than the maximum sulfur con-
tent defined by (1) the specifications for the sales gas
from a plant; (2) the definition by a legal body such
as the Railroad Commission of Texas.
Temperature: An arbitrary measurement of the amount of molecular
energy of a body, or the degree of heat possessed by
it. It should be distinguished from the heat itself, heat
is a form of energy; temperature is a measurement of
its intensity.
Temperature
Allowance:
**That part of the design metal temperature that is
often included for process or flue gas flow maldistribu-
tion, operating unknowns, and design inaccuracies. The
temperature allowance is added to the calculated maxi-
mum tube metal temperature or the equivalent tube
metal temperature to obtain the design metal tempera-
ture.
Temperature
Gradient:
In a cracking coil, the rate of change of temperature
based on temperatures taken at number of points in
the coil between the inlet and the outlet.
Terrace Wall
Heater:
A heater in which burners are located at different lev-
els on the sidewalls and which fire against sloping sec-
tions of the sidewall that radiate heat towards tubes
located in the center of the firebox.
Thermal Capacity: Amount of heat from one pound of any substance 1
o
Fahrenheit.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-38 July 1991
Thermal
Conductivity:
The quantity of heat passing through a standard plate
in a unit time with a temperature differential of one de-
gree between the faces of the plate. A standard meas-
ure of the ability to conduct heat.
Also: transfer of heat from one part of a solid to the
remainder of the solid.
Thermal Value
(Heat of
Combustion):
In the English system the number of Btu per pound or
cubic foot which are released in the burning of fuel.
Thermocouple: The junction of two wires of dissimilar metals, which
develops an electrical potential that is a function of
the temperature; an instrument for measuring tempera-
ture; an instrument for measuring temperature by
means of the electrical potential produced at a heated
junction of two dissimilar metals.
Thermocouple
Well:
Device used for protecting thermocouples by eliminat-
ing direct contact of the thermocouple with possibly
corrosive substances being measured. (Also see
Thermowell)
Thermometer: An instrument for measuring temperature. May be
either the graduated-mercury, column type or a pointer
and dial actuated by a bimetallic element.
Thermowell: A tube having one end closed and inserted into a ves-
sel, pipe, or furnace as protection for a thermo-couple
or thermometer bulb.
Throughput: The volume of feedstock charged to process equipment
in a specified time.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-39
Transfer Line: The pipe connection between the heater outlet and the
fractionating column or reactor.
Tube Core: Tube cores are devices of various forms inserted into
heater tubes (or heat exchanger tubes) to increase fluid
velocity (by decreasing cross-sectional area) or increas-
ing turbulence to improve heat transfer and dispersion
of phases.
Tube Guide: **A device used with floor-supported vertical tubes to
prevent tubes from buckling and with top-supported
vertical tubes to restrict movement.
Tube Skin
Temperature:
The metal temperature measured on the outside surface
of a heater tube.
Tube Skin
Thermocouple:
A thermocouple attached to the outside surface of a
heater tube for measuring tube metal temperature. The
thermocouple tip is peened into or spot welded to the
tube and covered with a ceramic and metal sheath so
that it measures only the tube surface temperature.
Tube Pressure
Drop:
**The difference between the heater tube inlet pres-
sure and the tube outlet pressure between terminals, ex-
cluding the effect of static head.
Tube Support or
Tube Sheet:
**Any device used to support tubes.
Tube Retainer: **A device used to restrain horizontal radiant tubes
from lifting off intermediate tube supports during opera-
tion.
Turnaround: Time necessary to clean and make repairs on refin-
ery equipment after a normal run. It is the elapsed
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-40 July 1991
time between drawing the fires (shutting the unit
down) and putting the unit onstream again.
Turndown: The ratio between normal maximum flow and mini-
mum controllable flow. Turndown indicates the range
of flows over which a system will operate.
Ullage: See Outage
Uninterruptible
Power Supply:
A unit which supplies continuous power to the MOD
III and/or computer system. The power is supplied
from batteries when all other sources of power have
failed. The batteries serve as the source of power until
they are exhausted, or until normal power is restored.
Valve: Any one of numerous mechanical devices by which
the flow of liquid, gas, or loose material in bulk may
be started, stopped, or regulated by a movable part
that opens, shuts, or partially obstructs one or more
ports or passageways.
Vapor Density: The weight of a unit volume of a vapor at stated tem-
perature and pressure.
Vapor Pressure: The pressure exerted by a vapor when a state of equi-
librium has been reached between a material and the
vapor produced by the material at specific temperature.
When the vapor pressure exceeds the pressure of the
atmosphere over a liquid, it is said to be boiling.
Vaporization: The conversion of a liquid to its vapor, such as the
changing of water into steam.
Variable: A process condition, such as pressure, temperature,
flow, or level, which is susceptible to change and
which can be measured, altered, and controlled.
Fired Heater Operations Manual Definition of Terms
July 1991 DOT-41
Viscosity: The measure of the internal friction or the resistivity
to flow of a liquid. In measuring viscosities of petro-
leum products, the values of the seconds required for
a certain volume of the oil to pass through a standard
orifice under specified conditions. (Contd)
Also: a property of liquids which causes them to re-
sist change in shape because of internal molecular fric-
tion and as measured in a capillary tube which is
standard; literally, the resistance to flow at standard
conditions.
Viscous: Having a high viscosity.
Volatile: Readily vaporized.
Volumetric
Heat Release:
**The heat released divided by the net volume of the
radiant section, excluding the coils and refractory divid-
ing walls, expressed in British thermal units per hour
per cubic foot (kilowatts per cubic meter).
Wash Oil: A low-viscosity oil used for flushing higher viscosity
oil out of process equipment.
Waste Heat
Generator:
Heat exchangers which use the sensible heat of a prod-
uct for steam generation.
Windbox: **See Plenum.
**Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services, API Standard 560, First Edition, January 1986. Reprinted
courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute.
Definition of Terms Fired Heater Operations Manual
DOT-42 July 1991

Вам также может понравиться