Compact Heater Block Layout for Uniform Olefin Cracking Coil Heating

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional heaters, both fired and electrical, suffer from uneven heating of radiant coils due to radiative heat transfer, leading to inefficiencies in the thermal cracking process for olefin production.

Innovation Solution

An electrical heater system with a heater block containing heating element and radiant coil holes, where heating elements are uniformly distributed to provide equal view factor, allowing for uniform circumferential heating of radiant coils, and optionally incorporating convective heat transfer to enhance efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If radiative heat transfer is used to heat radiant coils, then heating capability is provided, but uneven heating occurs with the portion facing the heater being hottest

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuniformity of temperature distributionVSAvoidefficiency of cracking process

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The heater block is segmented into multiple heating zones with independently controllable heating elements. Each zone can be controlled to provide uniform heat distribution across different sections of the radiant coils, eliminating the hot spot problem while maintaining overall heating efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different sections of the heater block are designed with different heating characteristics to match the specific heating needs of different coil positions. This allows each local area to provide optimized heating, ensuring uniform temperature distribution across all radiant coils while maintaining high overall efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Area of stationary object

If conventional electrical heaters are used, then heating function is provided, but space requirements are large

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace requirementVSAvoidheating uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The radiant coils are nested within the heater block structure itself, with heating elements positioned inside the block and coils arranged around them. This nested arrangement eliminates the need for separate heater units and large installation spaces, while the internal geometry is designed to ensure uniform heat distribution to all coil sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Temperature

If radiative heating is used, then heating capability is achieved, but metal temperature variation is high

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemetal temperature controlVSAvoidrun length

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Temperature sensors are integrated into the heater block to monitor metal temperatures in real-time. This feedback is used by the control system to adjust heating element power levels, maintaining uniform temperature distribution and preventing excessive temperature variations that would limit operational run length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The heating system is designed with dynamically adjustable heating elements that can change their output in real-time. This allows the system to actively compensate for temperature variations and maintain optimal metal temperatures throughout operation, extending reliable run length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Achieves uniform heating of radiant coils, reducing metal temperature variation, increasing run length, and improving ethylene yield and selectivity, while reducing space requirements and enabling independent temperature control of different coil sections.

Implementation Method 1

controlling a temperature of a plurality of electrical heating elements to heat a heater block

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

heating a plurality of radiant coils using an electrical heater... uniform circumferential heating of radiant coils

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentUS20260070862A1Compact electrical heater for olefin production

Publication Date: 2026.03.12 LUMMUS TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

An electrical heater system includes a heater block, a plurality of heating element holes transversing the heater block, a plurality of radiant coil holes transversing the heater block, a plurality of electrical heating elements disposed within the plurality of heating element holes, and a plurality of radiant coils disposed within the plurality of radiant coil holes. A process for olefin production includes heating a plurality of radiant coils using an electrical heater, feeding a hydrocarbon mixture into a plurality of inlet tubes, controlling a temperature of a plurality of electrical heating elements to heat a heater block to a desired temperature, cracking the hydrocarbon mixture in the plurality of radiant coils to produce a cracked effluent, collecting the cracked effluent through a plurality of outlet tubes, and cooling the cracked effluent using a heat exchanger.