Retrofit opportunities provide increased energy recovery

An energy conservation project has been developed to improve the overall heat recovery of the ethylene furnaces at one of Union Carbide's petrochemical plants. The selected process permits integral superheating in the furnace stacks, improved furnace control, electric power generation, and provisions for balancing the plant steam system. Ethylene manufacturing is an energy intensive business. The cracking furnaces, particularly those installed prior to the mid-70's, provide many opportunities for added heat recovery and improved thermal efficiencies. At the time those facilities were installed, many of the heat recovery systems available today were not provided. This was either because the technology was not proven, or energy costs did not provide adequate justification.