Ceramic Fiber and Refractory Castable Linings in a Refinery Furnace: A Case Report from Haditha Refinery

Abbas Jawad; Shaymaa N. Rasham; Amer H. Mohammed; Hussein R. Abood; Hasan J. Al-Abedi

doi:10.52716/jprs.v16i3.1211

Authors

Abbas Jawad Midland Refineries Company, AL Daura Refinery, Project Management Division, Ministry of Oil, Baghdad, Iraq.
Shaymaa N. Rasham Midland Refineries Company, AL Daura Refinery, Project Management Division, Ministry of Oil, Baghdad, Iraq.
Amer H. Mohammed Midland Oil Company, Ministry of Oil, Baghdad, Iraq.
Hussein R. Abood Midland Refineries Company, AL Daura Refinery, Project Management Division, Ministry of Oil, Baghdad, Iraq.
Hasan J. Al-Abedi Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409-1230, USA.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52716/jprs.v16i3.1211

Keywords:

Refractory Castable; Ceramic Fibers; Furnace Lining; Case Report; Haditha Refinery; Thermal Simulation.

Abstract

Most refinery furnaces have a metal shell around the entire assembly with a backup layer in the linings to protect the working lining from extreme conditions. Conventional thermal insulation approaches in small refinery furnace units have used refractory castable, while ceramic fibers offer different thermal properties, but this installation does not allow direct material comparison. This paper presents a case report of a 2023 crude oil heating furnace installed at Haditha Refinery, where ceramic fibers were used in the radiation zone (≈ 800 ^oC, 103 m²) and refractory castable in the convection zones (≈ 450 ^oC, 250 m²). Because the two zones differ in temperature, heat transfer mechanism, and mechanical stress, this study does not provide a direct material comparison. Steady‑state thermal modeling gave an estimated heat flux of ≈ 1850 W/m² for ceramic fiber under its actual operating conditions, and ≈ 3120 W/m² for refractory castable under its own conditions. Theoretical heat flux estimates are reported, but no direct material comparison is possible due to different operating conditions. No operational fuel consumption or external temperature measurements were collected. All heat loss and fuel consumption estimates presented in this paper are theoretical, based on steady‑state conduction modeling using manufacturer‑supplied thermal conductivity values. No validated fuel savings percentage is reported.

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