Questionnaire for Heaters/Boilers – Safe Start up / Shutdown

Training by B V Paparao
Date: 16-03-2015

The Correct answers to the questions are highlighted.

1. If your heater is shutdown on the ESD system and is ready to start up shortly afterwards, what action
would you undertake first?
a. Light up the pilots immediately
b. Purge the gas fuel lines
c. Purge and gas test the firebox for flammables/combustibles

2. The Shutdown of the burners should be staggered under normal shutdown procedure.
a. True
b. False
3. When possible, the heater should be changed over to total gas firing before shutting down the heater.
a. True
b. False
4. Low fuel pressure or poor atomization can cause the burner flames to be extinguished.
a. False
b. True
5. Keep waste gas burners in service as long as possible during the normal shutdown procedure.
a. True
b. False
6. The pressure inside the heater is less than atmospheric pressure.
a. True
b. False
7. A forced draught fan pushes combustion air into the heater for better air/fuel mixing.
a. True
b. False
8. A forced draught burner requires more excess air than a natural draught burner and has a longer flame.
a. True
b. False
9. . Liquid carryover into the fuel gas to the burners and pilots is not much of a concern.
a. True
b. False
10. Draught control is achieved by the positioning of the stack damper and the burner registers.
a. True
b. False
11. Most heater explosions are attributable to failure to observe safe operating practices.
a. True
b. False
12. Low fuel gas pressure can cause combustion problems, flame instability and / or flame failure.
a. True
b. False
13. The stack damper should be fully closed while attempting to purge and light-off the heater.
a. True
b. False
14. Before lighting the first pilot, all blinds should be removed from all main fuel lines to the heater’s
burners.
a. True
b. False
15. It is permissible to light a burner from an adjacent burner.
a. True
 b. False
16. When is it permissible to light the first main fuel burner?
a. After the first pilot is lit.
b. When 50% of the pilots are lit.
c. When all the pilots are lit.
17. Coke builds up inside heater tubes as result of:
1) Flame impingement
a. True
b. False
2) Low process fluid flow
a. True
b. False

18 Tube skin thermocouples will register higher temperature:

1) On high flow
a. True
b. False
2) When the tube is overheated
a. True
b. False
19. Flow through a tube with hot spot should be reduced.
a. True
b. False
20.Steam is admitted to the heater passes to displace the hydrocarbon and to keep the tubes cool while
shutting down, in the event of a tube rupture.
a. True
b. False
21. Heavier fuel oils are heated to reduce their viscosity at the burner.
a. True
b. False
22. Steam purging of a natural draught heater is done before safe minimum flow through the heater
process tubes is established.
a. True
b. False
23. Achieving an equal flow through each tube pass of a heater is very important.
a. True
b. False
24.Maximum skin temperatures depend an the type of steel the tube is made from.
a. True
b. False
25. Tube leaks in high pressure furnaces are likely to have sudden failure.
a. True
b. False
26.‘Heat- off’ is the correct action to take in case of tube failure
a. True
b. False
27. What action would you take immediately following a ‘heat-off’ shutdown?
a. Shut off the fuel to the pilots
b. Close the individual isolation valves on the fuel oil and fuel gas lines to the heater
c. Reset the trip system
28. Keep waste gas burners in service as long as possible during the normal shutdown procedure.
a. True
b. False
29. No flow through a tube pass will be indicated by high furnace outlet temperature
a. True
 b. False
30. Many heaters have foul gas / waste gas burners. When would you commission them?
a. After commissioning of pilot burners.
b. When heater is at normal operating conditions.
c. Any time.

31. In BSR, which of the following heaters have In addition to FO/FG burners, Waste Gas burners also
a) CDU Charge Heater (H-1101)
b) LCO HDT Reactor Heater (H-2401)
c) None of the above
d) Both (a) and (b)
32. Typically a Boiler Radiant box operates under slight positive pressure where as a Fired Heater
Radiant Box operates under slight vacuum (negative pressure).
c. True
d. False
33. Boilers have the following shut downs/ trips related to Steam Drum Level
c. High High Level
d. LOW LOW Level
e. Both (a) and (b)
34. Trip of Low Low Atomising Steam Pressure / Low Low Differential pressure between Atomising
steam and Fuel Oil pressure for oil burners in Boilers/Fired Heaters are provided
c. False
d. True
35. Periodically Pilot/Fuel Gas Knock Out Drums to be checked for Liquid level and drained, especially
before lighting up Pilot/Main burners.
c. True
d. False
36. Liquid carry over along with Fuel Gas can cause the following in Gas burners:
c. Can cause Flame Failure
d. Can cause unstable flame
e. Can cause liquid pool fire inside / outside the heater
f. All of the above
37. Fuel Oil is under pressure control and excess pressure is released to Flare
c. True
d. False
38. Fuel Gas is under pressure control and excess pressure is released to Flare
a. True
b. False
39. The highest draught in a heater is at the following location
c. In the radiant section (fire box) near the burners
d. At the bridge wall
e. At the top of the convection section
f. At the stack damper
40. The Lead / Lag Principle for safety in combustion means.
c. Combustion air is to be increased first followed by fuel, when Boiler/Heater duty is increased
d. Fuel should be reduced first followed by combustion air, when Boiler/Heater duty is reduced
e. Both (a) and (b)
f. None of the above