Optimized CFD modelling and validation of radiation section of an industrial top-fired steam methane reforming furnace

Abstract The present study proposes an optimized computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling framework to provide a complete and accurate representation of combustion and heat transfer phenomena in the radiation section of an industrial top-fired steam methane reforming (SMR) furnace containing 64 reforming tubes, 30 burners and 3 flue-gas tunnels. The framework combines fully-coupled appropriate furnace-side models with a 1-D reforming process-side model. Experimental measurements are conducted in terms of outlet temperatures at the flue-gas tunnels, point-wise temperature distributions at the panel walls, and inside the reforming tube collectors which are placed at the refinery plant of Petronor. The final results are compared with the experimental data for validation purpose. The proposed fully coupled 3-D CFD modeling framework, which utilizes a detailed chemical-kinetic combustion mechanism, reproduces well basic flow features including pre-mixed combustion process, downward movement of flue-gas in association with large recirculation zones, radiative heat transfer to the reforming tubes, composition profiles along the reaction core of the reforming tubes, temperature non-uniformities, and fluctuating characteristics of heat flux. The reported non-uniform heat and temperature distributions might be optimized by means of the operating parameters in order to avoid a negative impact on furnace balancing and performance.