PTQ Q4 2026 Issue

The proprietary Rovex technology (see Figure 2 ) is one example of this approach, with field applications showing restoration of up to 90-95% of original convection section duty compared with design specifications. Case Study 1: SC furnace heat recovery1 Background In 2020, a multinational operator of one of the world’s larg - est industrial steam cracking facilities in the US contracted IGS TubeTech to clean a convection section furnace at its Texas site. This single furnace produces around 150,000 metric tons of ethylene annually. At this scale, lost heat recovery quickly translates into lost value. Fouling in the convection section was reducing heat transfer, limiting the furnace’s ability to recover heat from the flue gas. The resulting increase in stack temperatures contributed to excessive fuel use, higher emissions, and concerns over reduced asset life. Challenge The convection section included fouling in areas that were difficult to clean effectively using conventional methods, including manual hydroblasting and chemical cleaning. Finned tube arrangements, restricted access, and deposits deep between tube rows would make full surface coverage difficult to achieve. Solution Robotic technology was selected for the task. Developed specifically for fired heater convection section cleaning, the remotely operated system was deployed to navigate the convection bank and access affected tube surfaces without the need for personnel entry during cleaning. Its articulated cleaning lance allowed the system to adjust cleaning angle and position as it moved through the bank, improving contact with fouled surfaces and supporting more consistent deposit removal. Real-time visual moni - toring gave the cleaning team visibility of progress during operation, while the controlled cleaning method helped reduce risk to tubes, insulation, and refractory. Results The robotic cleaning removed fouling from more than 90% of the tube area and restored convection section perfor - mance to design operating parameters. The work was completed safely and ahead of schedule, using very low volumes of water and without the need for chemicals or abrasives during cleaning. The first-year return from the cleaned furnace was reported at approximately $3 million. This result prompted the operator to issue a contract across multiple furnaces and build robotic convection section cleaning into its stand - ard procedures each time the site carries out a recoil. The method has since been deployed year on year across the facility’s 34 steam crackers. Technical significance The defining outcome from this case was not only the first- year return from one furnace, but the operator’s decision

to adopt the method as part of standard procedure across a much wider furnace population. This shows how con - vection section cleaning can shift from an individual main - tenance intervention to a regular performance recovery practice given the proven value. Reliability-centred cleaning strategy When managing multiple furnaces, cleaning decisions can follow the same reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) principles often applied elsewhere in a facility, with resources prioritised according to asset criticality and the consequence of performance loss. The aim is to match each intervention to the value at risk. A furnace showing rising stack temperature, reduced steam generation, or a high calculated fuel penalty will carry a different priority from one with limited duty loss. The timing of intervention should therefore reflect asset criticality, rate of deposit build-up, and recoverable value, providing a stronger basis for planning and commercial justification. Thermal efficiency evaluation can identify the perfor - mance gap, while return on investment (ROI) modelling tests whether the expected recovery outweighs cleaning cost, downtime implications, and the likely rate of re-fouling, particularly for large steam-cracking sites. This approach allows operators to prioritise across the furnace population and focus intervention where the operational and financial consequences are greatest. Thermal efficiency evaluations and ROI modelling Cleaning strategies should be supported by thermal effi - ciency evaluations that compare current performance with design expectations and translate efficiency losses into operational and financial terms. In convection sections, the most important outcome is recovered heat transfer. As Figure 2 TubeTech’s Rovex remotely operated robotic tech - nology for fired heater convection section cleaning²

such, a typical evaluation may consider: • Current stack temperature versus design. • Estimated efficiency loss. • Fuel cost impact. • Production or feed recovery potential. • Cleaning cost. • Payback period.

PTQ Q4 2026