Course Details

This course is appropriate for a wide range of professionals but not limited to:

• Process engineers
• Mechanical engineers
• Maintenance engineers
• Instrumentation & control engineers
• Plant operators and supervisors
• HSE professionals
• New graduates and entry-level engineers in oil & gas and petrochemical industries

• Expert-led sessions with dynamic visual aids
• Comprehensive course manual to support practical application and reinforcement
• Interactive discussions addressing participants’ real-world projects and challenges
• Insightful case studies and proven best practices to enhance learning

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals and classification of process heaters.
• Identify key components and their functions within a heater system.
• Interpret basic heater design and operation principles.
• Understand combustion fundamentals and burner management.
• Apply safety, inspection, and troubleshooting procedures.
• Optimize heater performance to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

DAY 1

Introduction to Process Heaters

• Welcome and introduction
• Pre-test
• Purpose and role of process heaters in industry
• Common applications (refining, petrochemicals, etc.)
• Types of process heaters:

• Cabin/box heaters
• Cylindrical heaters
• Vertical vs. horizontal

• Direct-fired vs. indirect-fired heaters
• Basic heater configurations and layout

DAY 2

Components and Operation

• Key components:

• Radiant and convection sections
• Burners and fuel systems
• Stack and dampers
• Tube coils and refractory

• Fuel types and fuel handling
• Flow path of process fluid and flue gas
• Heater operating parameters (temperature, pressure, flow)

DAY 3

Combustion Fundamentals & Heat Transfer

• Combustion principles (stoichiometry, excess air)
• Burner operation and types (gas, oil, dual-fuel)
• Flame characteristics and monitoring
• Heat transfer mechanisms:

• Radiation
• Convection
• Conduction

• Furnace efficiency and losses

DAY 4

Safety, Control & Emissions

• Safety devices and interlocks
• Burner management systems (BMS)
• Flame scanners and safety shut-down systems
• Startup and shutdown procedures
• Common hazards and risk mitigation
• Emissions control (NOx, CO, particulates)
• Regulatory compliance and environmental impact

DAY 5

Troubleshooting and Maintenance

• Common heater problems and root causes

• Flame instability
• Tube coking
• Hot spots
• Fouling

• Inspection techniques (IR thermography, visual, UT, etc.)
• Routine maintenance practices
• Heater performance monitoring and optimization
• Case studies and real-world examples§Wrap-up discussion and Q&A
• Post-test
• Certificate ceremony