Fired heaters (commonly referred to as process heaters or furnaces) are critical assets which operate in refineries, chemical and other processing plants. Most fired heaters contain complex serpentine piping coil systems which present a significant challenge for the conventional NDT inspector. The length of the coils can be significant, sometimes exceeding 5,000 feet (1,525 meters).
Coil length, 180-degree short radius return bends, extended surfaces (fins or studs) in the convection section, and difficult access make furnace piping coils extremely difficult or impossible to inspect while applying conventional NDT methods.
Most piping coils in the convection section are never examined during the life of a furnace due to lack of accessibility. This inaccessibility explains why the convection sections of process heaters are commonly referred to as the "Achilles Heel" of a refinery. Quest TruTec has developed state-of-the-art intelligent pigging technology which is capable of inspecting the complex serpentine coils in both the convection and radiant sections of these process heaters.
Applicable Condition Assessment Technologies