Fast Tract Restoration
Within a three week turnaround all 138 burners were pulled out of the refinery and taken to the company's Texas Research & Service Center. Each old low NOx gas-fired burner was cleaned, disassembled and sandblasted. Repairs were made, as needed, and new parts were installed, only where necessary. New refractory was cast for each burner, primer and paint were applied; then all reconditioned good-as-new burners were returned to the refinery for installation
This Fast-Tract Restoration project saved the refinery several hundred thousand dollars. Initial plans were to replace the old burners. (New units with new dimensions could cause additional expenses and delays for heater modifications.) The restoration was a tax deductible maintenance expense. (A $450,000 purchase price for new burners would have been a capital expense.)
NAO Inc., 1299 East Sedgley Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19134. Tel: 800-328-7637 or 215-743-5300. Fax: 215-743-3018.