(186d) Furnace Flooding Awareness, Recognition, and Response

Furnace flooding is a process safety concern characterized by an accumulation of
incompletely combusted fuel in the firebox. Furnace flooding can lead to high
consequence events, including but not limited to firebox explosions. Furnace flooding can
occur at any point of furnace operation, from initial start-up to maximum fuel firing.

This presentation will summarize the basic principles of furnace flooding, early recognition
tools, and proposed responses to these incidents. Proper recognition and response are
key to avoid event escalation and potential firebox explosion.

Further, the author will review relevant ethylene industry examples of furnace flooding
events, and will conclude discussing some potential misconceptions surrounding the
subject of furnace flooding.

Furnace in the context of this paper is referencing Pyrolysis Furnaces, also known as
Steam Crackers.